‘Aladdin’ on Broadway Star Michael James Scott on the Magic of Performing Around the World and Life As an LGBTQ Traveler

Aladdin may never have had a friend like the Genie — and Broadway has never had a star like Michael James Scott.

After serving as the original Genie standby when the Disney Theatrical Productions musical opened in 2014, the 43-year-old multi-hyphenate went on to bring his trademark charisma to play the witty wish-granting character in Australia, London, and on the North American tour, before settling into the lamp in the starring role in New York City’s New Amsterdam Theatre in 2020. 

“I got to experience the joy that happens on Broadway in all these other countries,” Scott told Travel + Leisure. “Our show represents so much for so many people — to be able to go and feel the excitement everywhere around the world is mind-blowing to me.” 

That said, he admits there’s an extra dose of magic on the Great White Way. “Musical theater is the only American art form — it’s something that no one else in the world has,” the Maryland-born, Florida-raised performer said. “Other people do it and do it well, but it’s not quite Broadway.”

He recommends first-time visitors to New York go see a show, and be “ready to experience what makes Broadway so incredible.”

In fact, Scott himself is part of the enchantment, with his face larger-than-life on posters and billboards all over New York City, including on buses and cabs. He’s also been celebrating the show on the road recently with a dazzling opening number on Dancing with the Stars on this week, as well as hopscotching through five countries in two weeks to commemorate both the 10th anniversary of Aladdin and the 30th anniversary of Disney on Broadway this past spring. (Beauty and the Beast was the first show to open in April 1994.)

“It  was a dream trip,” he said of zipping through Madrid, Hamburg, Paris, London, and Tokyo, meeting with fellow Disney musical cast members along the way. “There were so many amazing moments, but Japan was just epic. We experienced a traditional tea presentation. To be welcomed like that was just incredible, especially since it’s so culturally important to the people in Japan.”

Scott felt an innate connection to the tradition through his own roots. “When I think about African American history and the culture in the south, sitting on the porch and having iced sweet tea, it’s very different,” he said. “Yet the tea ceremony was such a beautiful parallel that I really resonated with — it felt like a big hug.” 

Though he’s found those connections, he’s also keenly aware of the groundbreaking diversity he brings to certain communities, like in Australia.

“Here’s this man of color on buses, billboards, and TV screens — a face a lot of the Australian community had not seen before,” he said. “It shows the power of inclusivity, and experiencing it firsthand was an honor of a lifetime.”

Scott’s stage success has truly taken him the distance, and forged a passion for international travel, which he indulges in with total style in what he’s dubbed “Fierce Class Travel.” What that means for him is really getting to the essence of every destination. “I always make sure that I allow myself to be able to experience the culture and what’s happening locally in every city I go into,” he said. 

His strategy? “I usually start with a local coffee shop,” he said, turning to Instagram and Tiktok for recommendations. “Then I branch out and see what the locals are talking about. What are the fierce restaurants and what are the fun viral things going on, like the viral churro, cookie, gelato, or pizza.” 

Among his favorites finds are Frenchie wine bar in Paris, which he calls the “epitome of local and amazing fusion,” and one of his favorite coffee shops in the world, Public Espresso surprisingly in Buffalo, New York. “The food, coffee, and ambiance are just incredible,” he said. 

“It was just such an incredible surprise,” Scott added. “What you get to experience when you’re traveling, is that real feel of what’s happening there locally — and here it was in Buffalo.”

Ironically, his first time on a plane as a kid was also to Upstate New York. “My parents didn’t have the means for us to travel, so I always dreamt of it,” he told T+L. As he started to find success as a child actor, one of the first big jobs he landed was a national commercial when he was about 12 and the filming location was just outside of Buffalo at an old campground in the mountains. Later all, he also traveled with the YMCA to the Blue Ridge Mountains for leadership camps, catching the travel bug along the way.

Of course, traveling the world isn’t always as carefree as it should be for Scott as a Black gay man.

“My husband is really adamant about being very cautious about traveling,” Scott said of he and husband filmmaker Jeremy Merrifield always doing their research on how LGBTQ+-friendly destinations are before going. “We are very conscious about public displays of affection. It’s crazy that we have to think about that stuff now. But it doesn’t bother us — it’s just the reality.”

However, he admitted they’ve had to skip places that aren’t welcoming.

“If we’re checking into the same room and there’s one bed, that could be a flag for people,” he said. “You don’t even realize that somebody may be judging you because of your last name, how you look, or your sexual orientation.” As powerful and life-changing as travel is, he says that doing your homework is an unfortunate reality. 

“I’m not a very subtle black gay man — my wardrobe probably says that as well,” he said of taking precautions. “Things like walking with other cast members, you see looks, you see stares, and maybe you hear little things. Those are things that I was very aware of. It’s very important to be on alert.” 

Even so, the Broadway star — who has also been in the original casts of Something Rotten, The Book of Mormon, Elf, Hair, The Pirate Queen, and All Shook Up — is grateful to be able to wander the world, and even share it with his family, inviting his dad to Australia.

“He got his very first passport for the trip,” Scott recounted. “When he received it in the mail, he FaceTimed me and was like, I got my passport and it said, ‘The world is yours!’ My husband and I were blown away by that! My dad is an older generation black man who did not graduate high school. He’s a very simple man who was just so excited to be able to finally travel.” 

It sounds like the Genie granted him his wish.