By John Hayden

Magic is in the air and on the stage! The cast and crew of Disney’s Aladdin are riding their magic carpets to South Florida. The show will be in West Palm Beach at the Kravis Center December 14-23, 2022, and then after a short holiday break, moves to the Adrienne Arsht Center in Miami January 3-8, 2023.

Ben Chavez, an openly LGBTQIA+ member of the cast, talked about the magical role with OutClique. “Going to work every day at Disney’s Aladdin is such a joy. I couldn’t have imagined having a job I’ve dreamed of doing since I was a little kid. I’m basically living out my dream.”

He plays Omar, part of a trio of the titular character’s pals. “Some people aren’t familiar with our characters. So we have this little trio of friends that accompany Aladdin throughout the show, we’re his street rat gang of friends and we have lots of fun together. We’re his sidekicks. We add some comedy to the show and I think that catches people off guard.”

Besides being a little comic relief, Chavez found some drama in the role that put him on edge. “We do this sword fight in act two. When I first joined the show, I was scared to death of the swords. I had never done that kind of stage combat before and every time we would go to pick up the swords I would have to pray for a second. Am I gonna hurt myself or somebody else? Of course, that never happened.”

Fortunately, all ears, noses, and appendages are still intact, and Chavez says it’s now his favorite part of the show. “Over the years I’ve come to fall in love with that sword fight number. Whenever we get to that now I’m like come on, let me save my friend Aladdin!”

Love On the Road

Disney’s Aladdin has made one wish come true for Chavez, he found love. “It really was a fairytale. I could not have imagined it going any better than it did.” The two met while the show was in Houston and did the long distance thing for about a year. Then came the true test. “When COVID began and our show had to shut down, I didn’t have a place to live because I had given up my NYC apartment. I packed my tour suitcases and moved in with him in Houston. We spent the entire pandemic together. Now I’m back doing the same tour I was when we met, but now I’m doing it as an engaged man.”

This summer they took a Disney cruise, and both got on board with the same idea. “Unbeknownst to each other, we both brought engagement rings on board. And both had our own organic moment proposing to each other. We were totally caught off guard and surprised. It was such a beautiful, perfect, magical vacation.”

South Florida Spots

Chavez and his fiancé are looking forward to their time in South Florida and already know their way around. “One of our favorite spots to getaway is Fort Lauderdale. Whenever we need a long weekend getaway we’ll just go to Fort Lauderdale, hang out in Wilton Manors, go to Sebastian Beach. It’s our happy place.”

The cast also likes to go out and hit the bars when they’re in a new town. Keep an eye out because you may spot them taking over the mic somewhere along Wilton Manors. “I’m so excited. Florida is one of my favorite places to be. We’re working the north and northeast. I’m a Jersey boy so I’m used to the cold but I’m really excited to be in Florida around the holidays. It’s gonna be super special.”

Three Wishes

Of course we had to ask what he would wish for if he had three wishes. We assumed that finding love counts as one wish granted, so he gave us two more. “That everyone has a chance to see live theater at some point in their lives. For many, Disney’s Aladdin is the first musical they ever see. To know that we are sort of christening them into the live theater world is unbelievable and so special. And third, that we all celebrate everyone’s differences. In Disney’s Aladdin we represent all different cultures and identities and that is also what makes this show so special.”