*Daytime Emmy-winning comedian and actress Sherri Shepherd is preparing to make history as Disney’s first female Genie in “Aladdin,” but she now admits the opportunity frightened her enough to trigger a panic attack.
EURweb previously reported that Shepherd will begin her limited Broadway engagement Oct. 16 at New York’s New Amsterdam Theatre and remain through Jan. 3, 2027. The casting makes her the first woman to play the Genie in a Disney-produced stage production of “Aladdin.”
Shepherd Said Yes Because the Role Scared Her
In a new interview with The Breakfast Club, Shepherd said the opportunity emerged after she met with producers for the Broadway musical “& Juliet.” Producers later offered her the Genie role without requiring a traditional audition.
“They already know who you are. They know what you do. They know you’re not a professional singer,” Shepherd recalled telling herself as she wrestled with anxiety about the opportunity.
Still, she didn’t hesitate when the offer arrived.
Scroll to continue reading
“I said, ‘Yeah,’ right away,” Shepherd recalled. “Because it scared me. I do things that scared me.”
Shepherd said she’s taking dance and vocal lessons, with rehearsals requiring seven-day-a-week preparation. Among the biggest challenges is “Friend Like Me,” which she described as an approximately eight-minute sequence packed with singing, dancing and tap.
She has Broadway experience, having appeared as Madame, the evil stepmother, in “Cinderella” with Keke Palmer, but Shepherd noted that role didn’t require the kind of solo performance she’ll face as Genie.
A Panic Attack Put Broadway Pressure in Perspective
The weight of the new assignment eventually hit Shepherd hard.
“I had to talk to my therapist cuz I had a panic attack cuz I said, ‘What did I sign up for?'” she told The Breakfast Club.
Shepherd said her therapist helped shrink the pressure by reminding her how long “Aladdin” has endured and asking whether missing a couple of lines or running out of breath could really “tank the whole franchise.”
She laughed — and got the message.
For Shepherd, confronting fear has become part of how she approaches opportunity.
“Life is too short to wake up and say I wish,” she said. “There’s a lot of blessings on the other side of fear.”
Shepherd Wants Girls to See a Different Genie
The history-making casting also carries a larger meaning for Shepherd.
“I’m so excited because little girls will now be dressed as the Genie,” she said. “Think outside the box. Think of the possibilities.”
Shepherd also isn’t approaching the role by trying to compete with famous Genie performances associated with Robin Williams or Will Smith.
“I’m Sherri,” she said while explaining her refusal to compare herself with other performers. Her Genie, she said, will instead lean into her own joy, personality and sass.
That may ultimately be the most revealing part of Shepherd’s Broadway leap: the fear hasn’t disappeared. She’s simply decided it doesn’t get the final say.
(If You Like/Appreciate This EURweb Story, Please SHARE it!)
RELATED NEWS ON EURWEB.COM: Sherri Shepherd Pens Emotional Post About Paying ‘Child Support to Two Baby Daddies’
We Publish Breaking News 24/7. Don’t Miss Out! Sign up for our Free daily newsletter HERE.
