Freeman, Jonathan 1950- (Johnathan Freeman)

PERSONAL

Born February 5, 1950, in Bay Village (some sources cite Cleveland), OH. Education: Studied voice.

Addresses:

Agent—Paradigm, 200 West 57th St., New York, NY 10019.

Career:

Actor. Provided the voice of Grand vizier Jafar for the Walt Disney World fireworks show Happy HalloWishes: A Grim Grinning Ghost Spectacular in the Sky. Puppeteer and performer with the Flexitoon Puppet Theatre, New York City; resident artist at the Bil Baird Marionette Theatre, New York City, 1970s; member of the board of directors for a nonprofit children's theatre in Long Island, NY.

Awards, Honors:

Fennecus Award nomination, 1992, for Aladdin; Antoinette Perry Award nomination, beat featured actor in a musical, 1994, for She Loves Me.

CREDITS

Stage Appearances:

The Miser, Greenwich Mews Theatre, New York City, 1972.

Lightfoot McTague and understudy for the role of Jim Craigin, Sherlock Holmes, Royal Shakespeare Company, Broadhurst Theatre, New York City, c. 1974-76.

Alan Fairmont, Minky, and understudy for the role of Schultz, Platinum (musical; also known as Sunset), Mark Hellinger Theatre, New York City, 1978.

Understudies for the roles of Sam Krulike and Harvey Wheatcraft, Claptrap, Manhattan Theatre Club Stage I, New York City, 1987.

Zoot Alors and Gut Bucket, In a Pig's Valise (musical; also known as A Pig's Valise), Second Stage Theatre, McGinn-Cazale Theatre, New York City, 1989.

Claudius, Fortinbras, La Jolla Playhouse, Mandell Weiss Forum, La Jolla, CA, 1991.

Head waiter, She Loves Me (musical), Roundabout Theatre Company, Criterion Center Stage Right, New York City, 1993, and Brooks Atkinson Theatre, New York City, 1993-94.

Bert Bratt, How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying (musical), John F. Kennedy for the Performing Arts, Washington, DC, 1995, Richard Rodgers Theatre, New York City, 1995-96.

Captain Hook, Peter Pan (musical), Austin Musical Theatre, Paramount Theatre, Austin, TX, 1997.

Pitkin W. Bridgework, On the Town (musical), New York Shakespeare Festival, Joseph Papp Public Theater, Delacorte Theater, New York City, 1997, Gershwin Theatre, New York City, 1998-99.

"Li'l Abner" (concert version of musical), City Center Encores! (also known as Encores! and Encores! Great American Musicals in Concert), City Center Theatre, New York City, 1998.

Claude (the head waiter), An Empty Plate in the Cafe du Grand Boeuf, Berkshire Theatre Festival, Stockbridge, MA, 1998, and Primary Stages, New York City, 2000.

Joe, Sail Away (concert version of musical), Carnegie Hall, Weill Recital Hall, New York City, 1999.

Lehman Engel and others, A Class Act (musical; also known as A Class Act: A Musical about Musicals), Manhattan Theatre Club Stage II, New York City, 2000-2001.

Roger DeBris, The Producers (musical), St. James Theatre, New York City, c. 2000.

Bert Barry, 42nd Street (musical), Ford Center for the Performing Arts, New York City, beginning 2001.

Finian McLonergan, Finian's Rainbow (musical), Irish Repertory Theatre, New York City, 2004.

Sir Novelty Fashion (later Lord Foppington), Restoration Comedy, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Bagley Wright Theatre, Seattle, WA, 2005-2006.

Senator Lyons, "Of Thee I Sing" (concert version of musical), City Center Encores! (also known as Encores! and Encores! Great American Musicals in Concert), City Center Theatre, 2006.

Cogsworth, Beauty and the Beast (musical), Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, New York City, 2006-2007.

Grimsby, The Little Mermaid (musical), Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, beginning 2008.

Appeared in other productions, including work as a puppeteer and performer with the Flexitoon Puppet Theatre, New York City. Some sources cite an appearance in Cannibal! The Musical (musical), Kraine Theater, New York City, 2001.

Film Appearances:

Don, Forever Lulu (also known as Crazy Streets), TriStar, 1987.

Hotel room man, Homeboy, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1988.

Decorator, A Shock to the System, Corsair Pictures, 1990.

Voice of Grand vizier Jafar, Aladdin (animated), Buena Vista, 1992.

Voice of Grand vizier Jafar, The Return of Jafar (animated; also known as Aladdin 2), Buena Vista Home Video, 1994.

Voice of Grand vizier Jafar, Aladdin and the King of Thieves (animated), Walt Disney Home Video, 1995.

Hockey game executive, The Associate, Buena Vista, 1996.

Ted Franklin, The Ice Storm, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1997.

Voice of Grand vizier Jafar, Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse (animated), Buena Vista Home Entertainment, 2001.

Voice of Grand vizier Jafar, Mickey's House of Villains (animated), 2001, Walt Disney Home Entertainment, 2002.

Ticket taker, The Producers (musical; also known as The Producers: The Movie Musical, Les producteurs, Los productore—La pelicula musical, Los productores, Os produtores, and The producers—kevaet koittaa Hitlerille), Universal, 2005.

Thick voice, The Hoax (also known as Fausseaire, L'imbroglio, Mistifikatsiya, Sahtekar, and Vedaetys), Momentum Pictures/Yari Film Group, 2006, Miramax, 2007.

Television Appearances; Series:

D. J. Macaw, Kids-TV, Showtime, beginning 1989.

Tito Swing, Shining Time Station, PBS, c. 1989-95.

Rollie Pruitt, Remember WENN, American Movie Classics, 1996-97.

Voice of Grand vizier Jafar, House of Mouse (animated; also known as Disney's "House of Mouse," Mickey's Club, and Musehus), ABC, 2001-2002.

Television Appearances; Specials:

Tito Swing, Shining Time Station: 'Tis a Gift, PBS, 1990.

Himself, The Making of "Aladdin": A Whole New World (also known as The Magic of "Aladdin"), 1992.

(Uncredited) Voice of Grand vizier Jafar, Aladdin on Ice (also known as Disney's "Aladdin on Ice"), CBS, 1995.

Bert Barry, The Lullaby of Broadway: Opening Night on 42nd Street, PBS, 2001.

Television Appearances; Episodic:

"Here's a cute way to wrap up the holiday season," The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd, Lifetime, 1989.

(As Johnathan Freeman) Joshua, "The Case of the Unkidnapping," Mathnet, broadcast as part of Square One TV (also known as SOTV and That's Mathematics), PBS, 1990.

Voice of Grand vizier Jafar, "Hercules and the Arabian Night," Hercules (animated; also known as Disney's "Hercules" and Hercules: The Animated Series), ABC and syndicated, 1999.

Voice of Eli Excelsior Pandarus, "The Egg/The Heist," American Dragon: Jake Long (animated; also known as ADJL, American Dragon, Disney's "American Dragon: Jake Long," Jake Long: American Dragon, and Last Dragon), Disney Channel, 2005.

Voices of Eli Excelsior Pandarus and Jack Frost, "Eye of the Beholder," American Dragon: Jake Long (animated; also known as ADJL, American Dragon, Disney's "American Dragon: Jake Long," Jake Long: American Dragon, and Last Dragon), Disney Channel, 2005.

Voice of Eli Excelsior Pandarus, "A Befuddled Mind," American Dragon: Jake Long (animated; also known as ADJL, American Dragon, Disney's "American Dragon: Jake Long," Jake Long: American Dragon, and Last Dragon), Disney Channel, 2006.

"The Healer," Law & Order: Criminal Intent (also known as Law & Order: CI), NBC, 2006.

Appeared in other programs; provided the voice of Dr. Sonambulist for Teamo Supremo (animated; also known as Disney's "Teamo Supremo"), ABC; and the voice of Vox, Lilo & Stitch: The Series (animated; also known as The Adventures of Lilo & Stitch), Disney Channel.

Television Appearances; Pilots:

Voices for animated segments, The Dipsy Doodle Show, 1972.

RECORDINGS

Videos:

Himself, Diamond in the Rough: The Making of Aladdin, Buena Vista Home Entertainment, 2004.

Video Games:

Voice of Grand vizier Jafar, Aladdin in Nasira's Revenge (also known as Disney's "Aladdin in Nasira's Revenge"), Sony Computer Entertainment America, 2001.

(English version) Voice of Grand vizier Jafar, Kingdom Hearts (also known as Kingdom Hearts: Final Mix and Kingudamu hatsu), Square Electronic Arts, 2002.

(English version) Voice of Grand vizier Jafar, Kingdom Hearts II (also known as Kingudamu hatsu II), Square Enix, 2005.

Albums; with Others:

Aladdin (original soundtrack), Disney, 1992.

She Loves Me (new Broadway cast recording), Varese Sarabande, 1993.

Colette Collage 1994 studio cast recording; also known as Colette Collage: Two Musicals about Colette), Varese Sarabande, 1994.

Lost in Boston, Varese Sarabande, 1994.

Unsung Musicals, Varese Sarabande, 1994.

How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying (new Broadway cast recording; also known as Matthew Broderick in How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying), RCA Victor Broadway, 1995.

Aladdin and the King of Thieves (soundtrack), Disney, 1996.

Broadway Bound (also known as Broadway Bound: New Writers for the Musical Theatre), Varese Sarabande, 1996.

The Musical Adventures of Peter Pan 1996 studio compilation), Varese Sarabande, 1996.

Shakespeare on Broadway, Varese Sarabande, 1996.

Drat! The Cat! A Musical Comedy (studio cast recording; also known as Drat! The Cat!), Varese Sarabande, 1997.

Cinderella: Songs from the Classic Fairy Tale (compilation), Varese Sarabande, 1998.

The Night of the Hunter (concept album), Varese Sarabande, 1998.

On the Town (cast recording), Sony, 1998.

A Class Act (original cast recording; also known as A Class Act: A Musical about Musicals), RCA Victor Broadway, 2001.

42nd Street 2001 revival Broadway cast), Atlantic/Wea, 2001.

There's No Business Like Show Business! (highlights from original musicals), RCA Victor Broadway, 2001.

Unsung Musicals: The Ultimate Collection, Varese Sarabande, 2001.

Aladdin: Special Edition Soundtrack (soundtrack), Walt Disney Records, 2004.

Finian's Rainbow (cast recording), Ghostlight Records, 2008.

The Little Mermaid 2008 original Broadway cast), Disney, 2008.

Appeared in other recordings, including a cast recording of In a Pig's Valise.