By Donna Cornelius
As a student at Vestavia Hills High School, Nicole Lamb performed on the Rebelettes dance team. Now, she’s taken her talents to the professional level and will return to Birmingham with the cast of Disney’s “Aladdin.”
The show runs Jan. 24-28 at the BJCC.
Lamb is what’s known as a “swing” in this production. These performers are important members of the company; they understudy several roles and have to be ready to perform onstage at short notice.
When Lamb was just 3 years old, she began lessons at the Jackie O’Neal School of Dance, dancing competitively with her sisters for many years. At Pizitz Middle School, she was on the dance team as a member of the girls’ choir.
She joined Birmingham’s Red Mountain Theatre at age 9 after attending its summer workshop. She started out in RMT’s mainstage production of “Annie” as Molly and ended up spending a decade with RMT in its conservatory as well as performing in many other productions. Some of her favorite roles include Jo March in “Little Women,” Olive Ostrovsky in “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” and Eponine in “Les Misérables.”
Now that she’s a professional, her credits include: Off-Broadway – “Relapse;” international/national tours – “SIX” (Katherine Howard) and “Junie B. Jones” (Junie B.); and TV and film – “The First Lady,” “Legacies” and “Son of the South.”
Lamb said she’s very grateful to Keith Cromwell, executive director of Red Mountain Theatre, and the guest directors and choreographers she was able to learn from and work with.
When she started theater, she began voice lessons at the Amy Murphy Studio in Mountain Brook. Lamb calls Murphy her “vocal mama” and said Murphy has been by her side for many auditions, including helping prep her audition material for “Aladdin.”
Growing up in Birmingham, Lamb was an enthusiastic audience member at many shows and concerts at the BJCC and said she dreamed of being an actor. That makes being part of “Aladdin” performances in her hometown especially meaningful.
“Birmingham is full of so many young and talented artists, so I hope those who come to see the show are inspired to not give up on their dream,” Lamb said. “If I can do it, so can you.”
About the show:
From the producer of “The Lion King,” the Broadway hit “Aladdin,” presented by the American Theatre Guild, brings to life the title character, Disney princess Jasmine, and the unforgettable Genie.
Birmingham audiences will get a chance to see the Disney classic Jan. 24-28 at the BJCC Concert Hall.
The show features favorite songs from the 1992 animated film plus new music written by Tony, Grammy and Academy Award winner Alan Menken.
The show has been seen by more than 15 million audience members worldwide. For trivia buffs, there are 236 costumes in the show and 8,644 crystal rhinestones on each gold finale costume as the cast performs “Friend Like Me.”
Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 24; 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 25; 8 p.m. on Jan. 26: 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Jan. 27; and 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 28.
BroadwayinBirmingham.com, BJCC.org and the BJCC Concert Hall Box Office are the only official sources for tickets for Disney’s “Aladdin.” Show organizers say tickets purchased through other sources will not be guaranteed.
For more information, follow the production on Facebook @BroadwayInBirmingham and on Instagram @BwayBirmingham.
