People: Sherri Shepherd Steps Into the Genie Role in Broadway's Aladdin

A new Genie on 42nd Street

Sherri Shepherd made her debut as the Genie in Disney's Aladdin on Broadway on Friday, October 16, People reported. The limited engagement at the New Amsterdam Theatre runs through January 3, 2027.

Why the casting gets noticed

Shepherd, 59, is a Daytime Emmy winner and a former co-host of The View. People noted she previously became the first Black actress to play the Evil Stepmother in Cinderella on Broadway. The magazine said she moves to a full eight-show week starting Tuesday, October 20.

What is on the record

Production photos show her in the Genie's blue costume. Reviews have not been part of the reporting so far, so how the run lands is still an open question.