For a young brown kid growing up here, first generation Indian-American, seeing someone that looked like me on a screen being celebrated as, you know, a hero, a prince even was was everything.

It was incredible.

My name is Michael Maliakel and I play Aladdin on Broadway.

When this audition came across my desk, so to speak, it was, I was ecstatic.

Just incredibly excited, especially after the year and a half that we've all had.

It was my first in-person audition once that was deemed safe again.

This role in particular is huge.

I mean, he's on stage the whole time.

It's very physical.

You know, all through the singing, the dancing, the acting, all of it, and it was such a learning experience for me.

It's been such an interesting process in so many great ways.

Aladdin has been on Broadway for, I believe, seven years now.

Reopening the show, it's the Jasmine and the Aladdin in our company that are new.

And Shoba and I, who plays Jasmine, Shoba and I felt so supported by this company.

Obviously, the feeling of everyone who had been in the show coming back to their jobs that they had to just set aside for all this time, the energy around that was extraordinary.

A new fantastic point of view.

I think that fueled us all to really be grateful for what it is we do and not take it for granted.

Knowing how, you know, how that was, that feeling was taken away for so long.

The opening night bow is a moment I will never forget.

I remember standing in the wings, Genie and Aladdin have a moment across the stage, just off-stage, where the audience can't see where we kind of just check in with each other.

And I looked at Michael James Scott, who is an i who is an icon, and he just looked like he was proud.

So he walks out for his bow, I walk out for my bow and time sort of just stood still for a second, as tacky as that is to say.

I just allowed myself to feel proud for having made it.

Everything about it was really deeply emotional and special, and I can't believe that I get to do this for a living.

It's incredible.

We are Broadway.

Never had a friend like me.