Actor Lee Sung-kyung cast as Disney's Jasmine for upcoming 'Aladdin' musical

Model-turned-actor Lee Sung-kyung has been cast as Disney princess Jasmine for the upcoming Seoul production of the musical "Aladdin," according to musical production company S&Co on Tuesday.

Lee Sung-kyung as Jasmine in a poster for Korea's upcoming musical "Aladdin" [S&CO]

Model-turned-actor Lee Sung-kyung has been cast as Disney princess Jasmine for the Seoul production of the musical "Aladdin," according to musical production company S&Co on Tuesday.

Best known for roles in local rom-com series "Cheese in the Trap" (2016), "Doctors" (2016) and "Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo" (2016), her upcoming stage role marks her debut in musical theater.

She is reportedly an avid musical theater fan and has displayed impressive vocal skills throughout her career including appearing on local singing competition show "King of Mask Singer" in 2015 and singing for drama soundtracks. A one-minute Instagram clip of her driving while singing "A Whole New World," a representative number of "Aladdin," went viral in 2021.

Character posters for the lead actors starring in Seoul's upcoming "Aladdin." Top row, from left: Kim Jun-su, Seo Kyung-soo and Park Kang-hyun as Aladdin; Jung Sung-hwa, Jung Won-young and Kang Hong-suk as Genie; and Lee Sung-kyung, Min Kyoung-ah and Choi Ji-hye as Jasmine. [S&CO]

Lee will be alternating the role with musical actor Min Kyoung-ah, who dubbed the Korean voice of Jasmine in the movie "Aladdin" released in 2019, and rising theater star Choi Ji-hye, who the original creatives have reportedly praised as having "an instinctive fiery fighter quality."

Aladdin will be played by Kim Jun-su, a veteran K-pop singer with an extensive musical theater career, and musical actors Seo Kyung-soo and Park Kang-hyun.

Genie will be played by musical actors Jung Sung-hwa, Kang Hong-suk and Jung Won-young.

The musical will run from Nov. 22 at Charlotte Theater in Songpa District, southern Seoul, to June 22 next year and then move to Busan's Dream Theatre in July. Specific dates for the Busan shows have not yet been revealed.

"Aladdin," based on Disney's 1992 animated film of the same title, is an ongoing show on Broadway, and has been staged over 3,500 times since premiering in New York's theater district in 2014, according to S&Co. Upon opening, it received five Tony Award nominations and won Best Featured Actor in a Musical for James Monroe Iglehart's performance as the Genie. The musical currently ranks as the 15th longest-running show on Broadway and the fourth most commercial show, following "Lion King," "Wicked" and "Hamilton."

The show's score is composed by Alan Menken, who is also behind the original film's soundtrack. Menken's longtime collaborators Howard Ashman, Tim Rice and Chad Beguelin took part in the show's book and lyrics.

The original "Aladdin" choreographer, Casey Nicholaw, helms the show's world tour productions, including the upcoming productions in Seoul and Busan. Nicholaw is also known for directing and choreographing Broadway's "The Book of Mormon" and "Mean Girls."

BY LEE JIAN [lee.jian@joongang.co.kr]