Aladdin meets athletics in the Genie’s “Friend Like Me”

Disney’s Aladdin, running at the Kennedy Center now through September 7, is a thrilling new Broadway production guaranteed to delight audiences of all ages.

One of the most beloved characters from the show — the man, the myth, the legend behind one lamp and three wishes — is the Genie. ESPN’s series Sport Science worked with Broadway’s Major Attaway, who stars as Genie in the D.C. cast, to gauge the athleticism of the role.

The results of this collaboration prove that playing the Genie is a true Broadway workout. The most physically demanding portion of the production is the show-stopping hit “Friend Like Me.” Attaway takes 888 steps over the course of the number, and while most people have trouble talking at 90 percent of their maximum heart rate, he performs more than half of the song at over 92 percent. As a point of comparison, performing “Friend Like Me” requires “a greater physical exertion than we expect to see from a runner during an actual marathon.”

Experience the unforgettable beauty, magic, comedy, and breathtaking spectacle for yourself during Disney’s Aladdin, now through September 7 at the Kennedy Center!