Shoba Narayan On The Emotional Return Of Broadway, Playing Jasmine In 'Aladdin', Full Circle Moments, And Her New York

Photography & Interview by Alison Engstrom

On The emotional Moment of Returning to the Stage

Our invited dress rehearsal was full of friends, family, and industry folks. It was meant for us to perform once in front of an audience before we opened. There was a standing ovation even before we started—I want to say for like two and a half minutes. I got so emotional because I knew what those tears meant. They were tears of, we did it, we are back, we have all gone through so much as a collective. It was the most celebratory sound I have ever heard in my life and I started to get choked up. As we started the show, there were more screams and more claps, then the curtain rose and the ensemble came out for Arabian Nights. The ensemble never gets the credit they deserve; they never get the glory but they do so much work, they are carrying so much energy throughout the show. They are breaking their bodies eight times a week to entertain people and bring joy into the room. To see the applause they got when they arrived got me, every single person in the room is grateful to see every single person on stage. They know that every soul on stage has gone through so much in the past 18 months. What a triumph to step back on stage. I had to get myself together before making my entrance—the energy was insane. Our director walked out on stage and everyone started screaming and he also got emotional. I knew our first audience back would be like that but it still got me. The invited dress rehearsal was full of artists and people who have gone through it. They were all part of the community who had come together to bring the show back to life and bring something so meaningful back to New York. 

I was in Wicked prior to the shutdown and I got to return to see the cast in their invited dress and the opening line where Glenda says, ‘It’s good to see me, isn’t it?’ gave me chills. You see that iconic character say that line after everything we have been through and everyone was in tears.  We needed to be back. Everyone needs theatre and live entertainment. It’s been a missing piece of our lives, everyone’s lives, not just people in the community. It’s about being in a room and experiencing something together with no other distractions and people seeing themselves in other characters and becoming more empathetic to other people’s stories. The fact we haven’t had that during a time like this has been really terrible.

On How the Role of Princess Jasmine Came To Her

The plan was for me to return to Wicked but I got a phone call from my agent sometime in April asking, how would you feel about playing Princess Jasmine in Aladdin on Broadway? I said, let me think about it (laughs). To get to play an iconic Disney princess in a musical comedy that brings people so much joy, yes of course! Coming back to something like that and bringing that levity to audiences would be so much fun. I said yes to the audition and it was all on Zoom. Imagine pretending you are on a magic carpet ride on a self-tape and not making it look cheesy. It was so hilarious putting that tape together. She has her own song called These Palace Walls where she decides she is going to leave the palace and see beyond these walls that no one is allowing her to see. I can really empathize with her curiosity about the world around her. She has this boss lady mentality. Then I had a Zoom callback and they ended up flying me to New York to meet me in person. I was in the Miami area at the time—more space and sun were game-changing. After that, I knew it was going to go my way. The last piece was they couldn’t find the right guy, and when they flew me back it was reading with different Aladdin potentials. It was so much energy to be present and be a dynamic scene partner for all of those guys. When I got the official word I was overjoyed; I still cannot believe it’s real when I go into work. I was telling the man who does my hair, I cannot believe I get to wear a tiara to work, that’s part of my job (laughs). Every time I exit the stage, the stagehands say, make way for the princess and I am like, wait that’s me (laughs)?

On Her Full Circle Moment

Jasmine was the only representation I had in the media growing up that looked anything like me. She and that film meant to so much to me and so many South Asian and Middle Eastern kids who didn’t have too many people to look up to growing up. She was smart, strong, beautiful and willing her speak her mind and go after what she wants. She is curious and wants to explore; she’s also compassionate for those who don’t have as much as her. When I was younger, I grew my hair out long to be like her, I dressed up like her for Halloween. It’s so full circle; it’s so strange how life works out sometimes.

On Getting Back Into The Swing Of Things

I was pretty disciplined over quarantine; I knew I would at least be going back to Wicked so I needed to keep my body and voice ready. I would do a full vocal warm-up everyday. I was doing what I could to stay conditioned. The social aspect of it all has been tricky; we have not been shaking hands or hugging for the past 18 months and when you get back into rehearsals that’s all you want to do because we are such expressive, social people who are also loving and caring. But energetically being around people and being ‘on’ is something I haven’t had to do for a while. I’d say I am an extroverted-introvert and I am also fine being on my own but I can turn on the social aspect when I need to. I’m so grateful to be back to work; I feel like myself again.

On New York

Being back in New York and being around New Yorkers—I say this all of the time but I think that every person in the city is so special—everyone is going after some dream and everyone is ambitious. There is a reason when you go to a fitness class here versus say South Florida and everyone is working 50 times harder (laughs). There is something about this city, the drive, and the ambition that is unmatched. Some people would argue that New Yorker’s aren’t nice, but I would argue that New Yorkers are some of the most amazingly kind people. I feel in a strange way we are all going through this thing and we all have each other’s back.

Shoba’s New York

Favorite Restaurant

One of my favorite’s is an Italian spot in Tribeca called Pepolino; They have hand-cut pasta fresh pasta, the freshest produce, and the lushest mozzarella. It feels like it’s iconic New York.

Favorite Coffee Shop

La Colombe on Wall Street. Walking there you walk on cobble stone and you pass all of these iconic places likeTrinity Church and see where Alexander and Eliza Hamilton were buried. It’s a great ritual. 

Favorite Neighborhood

I love the West Village, you can get food from so many parts of the world; the buildings are so unique and there are many iconic spots. 

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This interview was edited slightly for clarity