A while back, I took my niece to see Aladdin on Broadway. She was completely mesmerized by the music and the pageantry of the stage. She loved the characters, but she really took to Princess Jasmine and the Genie. At the time, she was big on princesses, and pink was her entire world. That afternoon sparked something in her, a genuine appreciation for theater and the arts that stuck. She ended up falling in love with a couple of other musicals after that.
That memory is a big reason why I got so excited when the news dropped: Sherri Shepherd is stepping into Disney’s Aladdin on Broadway as the Genie for a limited run starting October 16, 2026.
Representation has always mattered to me. Seeing a Black woman take on the role, while becoming the first woman to ever play the Genie in the Broadway production, is huge. The Genie on Broadway has stood apart for years, anchored by legendary performances that set a specific mold. Watching Sherri take this on is a monumental cultural moment, not just for her career, but for Black women and young kids everywhere who will look up at that stage and see themselves in a character that brings pure joy to the house.
When Is Sherri Shepherd Playing the Genie on Broadway?
Now I’m planning to take my daughter to see Sherri Shepherd as the Genie, just like I did with my niece years ago, so she can start building her own love for theater. That is one of the perks of being a dad that never gets old: introducing your kid to a new experience and watching something click behind their eyes. Disney’s Aladdin is one of those shows I believe everyone should catch live at least once, and watching this Daytime Emmy winner bring the character to life is going to be something special.
Sherri Shepherd’s limited run as the Genie begins Friday, October 16, 2026, and runs through Sunday, January 3, 2027, at the New Amsterdam Theatre in New York City.
Her schedule places her on stage right through the peak holiday season on 42nd Street, making it one of the hottest family tickets of the fall and winter.
Breaking Barriers at the New Amsterdam Theatre
Stepping into this part makes Shepherd the first woman to ever play the Genie in the Broadway staging of Aladdin.
“Joining Aladdin on Broadway is an absolute dream come true, and an incredible honor,” Shepherd said in the announcement. “The Genie is such an iconic character, and I’m beyond excited to bring my own energy, humor, heart, and a little bit of magic to this role. I hope audiences see themselves in this Genie and leave the theater feeling so much joy and inspired to believe in the impossible. To step on that stage as the first woman to ever play the Genie is something I don’t take lightly.”
Andrew Flatt and Anne Quart of Disney Theatrical Group echoed that sentiment, noting that Shepherd’s comedic timing and authentic stage presence make her a natural fit for the Genie’s outsized energy.
This is not her first time making history on 42nd Street. Back in 2014, Shepherd broke barriers when she debuted as Madame, becoming the first African American actress to play the Evil Stepmother in Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella on Broadway. She also sharpened her stage chops in Off-Broadway productions like Love, Loss, and What I Wore alongside Joy Behar’s My First Ex-Husband.
What Sherri Shepherd Brings to the Lamp
Throughout her career, Sherri has brought warmth, wit, and quick comedic timing to every room she enters. I’ve had the chance to interview her a couple of times, and she is just as down-to-earth and funny in person as she appears on camera.
That natural charm is the secret to why her daytime talk show, SHERRI, resonated with audiences across four seasons, following her seven-year run on The View. Between co-hosting the Two Funny Mamas podcast with Kym Whitley, touring nationwide as a stand-up comic, and authoring bestsellers, she knows how to control a room’s tempo.
Stepping away from daytime television to take on a role this physically demanding, vocal, and iconic is a major pivot. The Genie requires big brass vocals, nonstop movement, improv chops, and charismatic stamina.
The initial promo photos look fantastic. If my daughter’s reaction ends up anything like what I shared with my niece years ago, sitting in the New Amsterdam Theatre this fall to watch Sherri Shepherd make Broadway history is going to be well worth the trip.
