Call Me a Princess | Full Scene | Courtney Reed | Aladdin | Toronto | 2003

Here is the full scene to "Call Me a Princess," along with it's reprise, from the Toronto production of Aladdin, as performed by Courtney Reed on November 3, 2013. The lyrics to the song proper are by Howard Ashman and Chad Beguelin, while the lyrics to the reprise are by Beguelin. The music to both are by Alan Menken "Call Me a Princess" was originally written by Howard and Alan for Howard's original 1988 treatment to Aladdin. Though early outlines feature the character of Princess Jasmine as Aladdin's love interest, by the final draft of the treatment, dated January 12, 1988, Jasmine had become a "purely comic creation," described as "the ultimate in pampered spoiled-brattiness. Think Madeline Kahn or Bernadette Peters in a really bad mood," with the role of Aladdin's love-interest getting filled by Abbi, the tomboy in Aladdin's friend group. ("She's Judy Garland to his Mickey Rooney.") A reflection of this, "Call Me a Princess" was to be sung by Jasmine when she overhears her hand-maidens "gossiping about what a creep she is," as she "pampers herself to the musical disgust of her servants." After the story was passed off from Howard to Erik Tarloff, the song, along with the comedic take on Jasmine, was cut from Tarloff's screenplay draft, as he combined Jasmine and Abbi, showing Jasmine and Aladdin as a couple from the beginning. As the characters and story would evolve, it appears that the spoiled personality and song would never reemerge by the film's final release. Sometime in the 2000s, Steve Fickinger, then head of creative development at Disney Theatrical, would begin work on developing a stage musical adaptation of Aladdin. After at least one attempt was discarded, Fickinger would turn to musical book writer and lyricist Chad Beguelin -- who had previously worked on the book for "Disney's Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular" for Disney California Adventure -- to supply a usable adaptation. After a year of work, the two presented it to Alan, who refused to read it, saying "the only reason I can see to do Aladdin on stage would be to get Howard's material back in it." (Steve Fickinger, "5th Ave. Spotlight Night: Aladdin") Chad Beguelin soon began work on combining the final film's story, score, and characters with elements of Howard's original treatment, including "Call Me a Princess," which was reenvisioned as a moment when Princess Jasmine scares away a trio of suitors by taking on a fake, spoiled personality. Though included in the pre-Broadway productions in Seatle and Toronto, with the latter production including a new section written by Beguelin, the song would get replaced by the Menken & Beguelin song "These Palace Walls" partway through the Toronto run, with Alan later noting that he had "shoe-horned [Call Me a Princess] in," and that "it wasn't exactly serving the interest of us liking her." ("Behind the Music: Alan Menken & Chad Beguelin.")