*Sherri Shepherd is about to make Broadway history, becoming the first woman to play the Genie in a Disney-produced stage production of “Aladdin.”
Shepherd will join the Broadway company at the New Amsterdam Theatre for a limited engagement from Oct. 16, 2026, through Jan. 3, 2027, according to BroadwayWorld. Current Genie Caleb A. Barnett will remain with the production as her standby.
“To step on that stage as the first woman to ever play the Genie is something I don’t take lightly,” Shepherd said.
The comedian, actress and former daytime talk-show host called joining “Aladdin” an “absolute dream come true” and promised to bring her own “energy, humor, heart, and a little bit of magic” to the famously larger-than-life character.
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Sherri Wants Girls to See What’s Possible
There’s a personal reason Shepherd is especially excited about breaking the casting barrier.
She told the Associated Press that seeing Stephanie Mills perform in “The Wiz” as a child showed her what was possible for a Black girl onstage. Now Shepherd hopes young girls watching her take on the Genie will experience a similar feeling.
The opportunity isn’t without some nerves. The Genie is a physically demanding role requiring singing, dancing, comedy and plenty of energy. Shepherd told AP that she’s preparing with voice and dance lessons and has sought advice from Broadway veterans including Kristin Chenoweth and Wayne Brady.
She’s also no stranger to “Aladdin.” Shepherd has taken family members, including her nieces and nephews, to see the production, never imagining she’d eventually be stepping onto the stage herself.
She’s Already Made Broadway History Once
This won’t be Shepherd’s Broadway debut — or her first time breaking a barrier there.
In 2014, she became the first Black actress to portray the Evil Stepmother in Broadway’s “Cinderella.” Her stage credits also include Off-Broadway appearances in “Love, Loss, and What I Wore” and Joy Behar’s “My First Ex-Husband.”
Disney Theatrical Group executives Andrew Flatt and Anne Quart said Shepherd’s “delight, wit, and loving good humor” make her a natural fit for the Genie.
For Shepherd, however, the milestone reaches beyond landing another big role. Decades after Stephanie Mills showed a young Sherri what could be possible onstage, she now gets the chance to provide that same spark for another generation.
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