Despite playing more than 3,000 performances in the Disney theatrical megahit Aladdin, every night is “A Whole New World” for actor Michael James Scott. With nine Broadway credits to his name, Scott is living the dream at the New Amsterdam Theatre, where each show is just a wee bit different thanks to the actor’s sharp improvisational skills with the audience.
If eight shows per week weren’t enough, Scott is jet-setting to the West Coast this week to co-host the 10th annual Her Universe Fashion Show at San Diego Comic-Con. Event producers say the show “celebrates decades of fashion, innovation, and geek couture” with a tribute to Polly Pocket, Hot Wheels, UNO, and Magic 8 Ball (and we’re sure Barbie will be somewhere in the crowd).
Scott has loved playing make-believe ever since he was a child, so it’s only natural that he’ll be on hand to emcee the event with Her Universe founder Ashley Eckstein (who also voiced Ahsoka Tano in seven seasons of Star Wars: The Clone Years).
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It’ll be a big year for Mattel as the toy company celebrates its 80th anniversary in 2025. Does that mean we might expect a Broadway-bound Barbie musical? Not likely, given the already crowded season ahead, but we can dream! In the meantime, we’re living for the legendary WNBA basketball player Sue Bird Barbie signature doll and the Polly Pocket Daddy & Me seahorse purse, which we’re confident will be trending at your favorite gay dance club with just a wink of irony.
Queerty caught up with Scott between performances before he jet-sets to Comic-Con to chat dolls, working on Broadway, and the dream role he’s ready to take on next.
This year’s Her Universe Fashion Show celebrates all things Mattel, and I do love a doll! My ultimate Mattel play date would include …
I grew up playing with dolls. My favorite cousin Candice used to have lots of Barbies, and our families were very close. I remember so many weekends of us all being together. The kids would disappear, and Candice and I would go off into our own Barbie-playing world. What I loved was there wasn’t any kind of judgment in my being a boy and this being a “girlie” thing. We played together and created our own world of Barbie fun, and it was amazing. A memory that I’ll never forget.
My ideal playdate would be (and honestly, I kinda already do this — hehehe) close friends getting dressed up, meeting up for high tea, and obviously listening to Beyoncé!
I’ve been part of Broadway’s Aladdin since the show’s opening over a decade ago, but it never gets old. The key to keeping a performance fresh is …
It’s been a true dream to have gotten to be apart of Aladdin on Broadway over a decade ago. My journey with Aladdin (I call it my Genie Journey) has been truly incredible. The show has taken me all over the world, and now, having done the show more than 3,000 performances, it’s quite amazing to think about how I’ve benefited able to keep the show fresh each night.
Honestly, it’s pretty easy to keep it fresh every night because this is one of the rare roles where you get to directly connect with the audience and break that fourth wall. The audience is different literally every night and there’s a different energy each performance, which is an incredible thing. It’s pretty ridiculous, in the most amazing way, that the audience wants to love you and see the Genie on stage. It’s also fun to play a role where if something goes wrong, you can kinda improv a little to keep it going. Audiences love those off-the-cuff moments, and it’s something as the Genie you get to help keep under control.
Turning the tables on my character of the Genie in Aladdin, if I could have three wishes …
Wish number 1 would be that there’s more light in this world right now. (I know that this sounds kinda of cliché, but seriously, we need light, love, and laughter right now.)
*Wish number 2 would be that my husband and I could make sure our families are taken care of.
*Wish number 3 would be an endless amount of fried chicken and champagne.
I can sing, I can dance, I can act, but I can’t …
SIT MY BOOTY DOWN
The gayest thing about me …
The gayest thing about me is ME! I love everything gay and fierce and fun and colorful and sassy!
Revive _________ so I can star in it …
Revive Pippin so I can be the Leading Player. This has been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember. Ben Vereen made the role iconic, and I had the gift of being his standby for the first thing I did out of college. It would be amazing to tackle it now and play a part where you can pull back the curtain on a showman and see so many different sides.
The queer theatermaker everyone should be paying attention to right now …
The queer theatremaker everyone should be paying attention to right now is my husband, Jeremy Merrifield. He’s more than a theatremaker. He’s a filmmaker, he’s a story maker, and the world needs to get ready for his amazingness!
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