A Chat With Adi Roy From 'Aladdin'

The man performing the title character in the traveling stage production that hits Bass Performance Hall talks Fort Worth, auditioning, and his favorite towns.

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When the age-old tale of “Aladdin” — first seen in the Arabic text, “One Thousand and One Nights,” about an ill-fated wife who staves off a seemingly inevitable execution by telling stories (like “Aladdin”) to her wary and vengeful husband — got the Disney animated treatment in 1992, it became a high point in the production company’s renaissance era. Keep in mind, this is really saying something since the film followed-up the Best Picture-nominated “Beauty and the Beast.”

Like many successful Disney animated films, "Aladdin" would make its way to Broadway in 2014 — this after a three-year run with regional productions. And the show continues to perform in the incredibly picturesque New Amsterdam Theater. Fortunately, Bass Performance Hall is an equally attractive theater itself, so the show’s traveling troupe should feel right at home when it performs in Fort Worth between this Wednesday, Jan. 31 and Sunday, Feb. 4. (NOTE: Due to high demand, limited availability for tickets remain. Details to receive tickets at end of story.)

We caught up with Adi Roy, a 21-year-old who plays the title character, Aladdin, for a quick chat in the lead-up to his performances — where his parents (newly christened Fort Worthians themselves) will no doubt be in attendance.

FW: Hi Adi, I understand you have a Fort Worth connection.

Adi Roy: Yeah, so my family — my parents — just moved there at the beginning of this year, so they’ve been there only a few weeks now, and they’re really enjoying it.

FW: Amazing! Why did they move? I know I shouldn’t ask why someone would move to Fort Worth as if it’s a weird thing. I mean, it’s an incredible town.

Adi: Well, to be honest, my mom has always loved the heat, so that was definitely one of the big reasons — even though I know it’s cold right now [NOTE: This interview was conducted when it was 21 degrees outside]. But other than that, it was mainly because my dad’s job. He’s a health economist — I honestly couldn’t tell you what exactly that means or what he does (laughs) — and he got a job located in Fort Worth.

FW: So he’s in the medical field.

Adi: Yeah, perfect way to put it. I should just say he’s in the medical field.

FW: So where are you from originally?

Adi: I would say I hail from New Jersey, having spent years there, but I’ve moved around throughout my life. I spent some time in Illinois, spent some time in Indiana, and I was born in Singapore. So it’s been a lot of moving around. But I spent most of my formative years in New Jersey, where I lived since middle school.

FW: When did you get into musical theater? When did that passion strike?

Adi: I like to say my story starts with my sister doing elementary school shows. And, as many younger siblings do, they just follow in the footsteps of their older siblings. She started doing theater at a young age, and she liked it. So I was, like, “You know what? I’m going to do that, and I’m going to it better than you.” The competitive spirit kind of kicked in. But as I continued [pursuing it], I fell in love with it. [My sister] kind of fell off it — that’s not really her thing — but I continued, and here I am now.

FW: What plays and musicals were you performing in during school?

Adi: In middle school, I starred in “The Little Mermaid Jr.” And I played Prince Eric. And then I also got to do Aladdin Jr., and I played Aladdin. So that was kind of my first introduction to Aladdin. I hadn’t actually seen the animated feature until I did the stage play.

FW: Are you currently in school (college) while traveling with the troupe?

Adi: Yeah, I’m doing asynchronous classes through Arizona State University. I was originally going to NYU but, obviously, it’s hard to go to school full-time while doing this work, so I decided to drop out of that and transfer to an asynchronous online school.

FW: So, how did you get to Broadway? What a huge leap! It doesn’t get bigger than that.

Adi: Thank you! Yeah, it was a huge leap for me going into a show that, at 19, was a big challenge. It was a whirlwind of a few weeks that I got to rehearse [NOTE: Adi’s first Broadway gig was performing in “Jagged Little Pill”]. I got it the same way I got Aladdin. It’s more of, like, an agent sends you an audition, you film for a self-tape, and then they bring you into a room and audition in front of the team. The turnaround was very fast.

FW: What is it like auditioning?

Adi: I’ve heard some actors say, “It’s kind of the job.” And it’s pretty true. You’re basically always auditioning, unless you’re locked into something. Every few weeks, you’ll get one or two auditions that you have to film. And, on the road, it’s been fun to get to figure that out. You have to find a nice backdrop. You’ve got to find good lighting and all that. But it’s fun to dissect each script that you get to make your own.

FW: So, I understand you’ve been on tour for over a year now. Can you tell me some of the amazing places you’ve visited?

Adi: Well, obviously Fort Worth (laughs). Or, soon to be Fort Worth. I feel like the bigger cities are the ones I had a lot of fun in. D.C., Chicago, L.A. I had a lot of fun in Buffalo, New York. I’m sure I’m forgetting many. I’ve been to 51 cities.

FW: Where do you see yourself going after this? Any big plans?

Adi: Oh man, that's the problem with acting: You don't exactly know. But I have some hopes and dreams. I'd love to do some TV and film work at some point. And I'd also love to go back to Broadway. I mean, that was such an amazing experience. And, unfortunately, it was cut short due to COVID. So, it'd be fun to get to do it for a little bit of a longer time and actually get my footing there before I do more.

FW: Do you have a favorite role? A role that you’re dying to do on Broadway?

Adi: Oh man, that’s a hard question. Currently, I’d really love to play Orpheus in “Hadestown.” That’s a role that’s been attractive to me since its inception.

 To check for ticket availability, call the Performing Arts Box Office at 817.212.4280 or email at [email protected]