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[0:00] Joel Crump: Hey you guys, welcome back to another episode of Broadway Time at Carmine's. Today I'm joined by Michael Maliakel, who's currently playing Nick Carraway in The Great Gatsby on Broadway. So without further ado, let's jump into this episode of Broadway Time at Carmine's.

[0:17] Joel Crump: Hey guys, today I'm here with Michael Maliakel. We're here at Carmine's for another episode of Broadway Time at Carmine's. Michael, how are you today?

[0:22] Michael Maliakel: I'm good, Joel. Thank you so much for having me.

[0:26] Joel Crump: Thank you for being here. I told you this, but I went back to The Great Gatsby. Now that was my fourth time seeing it.

[0:31] Michael Maliakel: Your fourth?

[0:32] Joel Crump: I saw it in New Jersey. I saw it opening night on Broadway. Yes. I saw it again after that. And I loved seeing you in this show. It was so great to revisit it and see your interpretation.

[0:40] Michael Maliakel: Thank you.

[0:41] Joel Crump: To start off, what has it been like joining the cast of The Great Gatsby on Broadway?

[0:45] Michael Maliakel: It's been amazing. You know, the show I joined right after the show crossed the one-year threshold. And obviously that's a huge accomplishment for any Broadway show these days. And so the atmosphere in the building has just been like euphoric. I don't think anyone was expecting the show to run as long as it has. And so to get to join at that moment of celebration was like super, super special. We call it season two of The Great Gatsby because there's been a few new principal cast members. And so it's been amazing. They've welcomed me with open arms. And everyone in that building is so kind and supportive. And you know, it's this very interesting thing to do a show that has a source material that's so beloved by people.

But I think because of that, we all feel this great responsibility to deliver to all these folks that are coming to see the show with all kinds of expectations, whether from the book or the movies, whatever it might be. So I've been really loving it. I'm really grateful to be where I am. I mean, the fans love the show so much. And I feel like I'm 100 percent a part of that fan base. I mean, seeing the show, it's infectious and it's just a great big Broadway show. What has it been like interacting with those fans so far?

[2:04] Michael Maliakel: The fans have been awesome. I mean, it's really, really cool to be a part of something that already has such a following. I think, you know, because it is required reading for so many kids, everyone basically knows the story going into it. But I think it's a really interesting intersection of like the diehard theater nerds, of which I seriously consider myself to be a part of. Yeah. And then also, you know, the literary kids. And I think it's been really, really cool. Everyone has been, you know, on social media reaching out to like either congratulate me or say that, you know, I can't wait to see your take on this character that Noah so beautifully created and to step into his shoes feels really, really fun.

And I will also say that it's probably the first time I've replaced in a show where the whole team has been so open to me bringing my own interpretation to this role. And like that comes from the director, from the music director, from the choreography team. I mean, you know, Noah and I are very different people, obviously. And so our takes are going to be very different. And rather than trying to get me to fit into whatever Noah created, I have a lot of space to kind of just play and find it for myself, which has been super, super freeing. And it's like every actor's greatest dream when you're replacing to get to like really just come at it with fresh eyes. And I hadn't seen the show until I joined, really. And so I was able to really just kind of come at it with a clear perspective and put my own spin on it. It's been really fun.

[3:40] Joel Crump: I mean, you mentioned creating Nick and making Nick your own. Talk to me about what that was like putting your stamp on such a well-known character. I mean, this book has been around forever. Everybody's read it. So what was it like going into a role that so many other people know?

[3:50] Michael Maliakel: Yeah, I have a very interesting perspective because my wife is actually a high school English teacher. She has taught The Great Gatsby for the last I don't even know, like eight, nine years or so. And, you know, obviously has very strong literary ideas about the character and certainly a perspective on the story, having taught it for so long. And so when I first got this audition, she was like, oh, that's very interesting. Right. And she's been a great resource to just like, you know, bounce ideas off of and revisit the book. I, you know, obviously read the book before I auditioned and watched both of the iconic films to sort of familiarize myself with everything Gatsby and to talk to her about like all of my little quirky questions about the character and his place in the story, his perspective as the observer, as the narrator.

And it's, it's that was actually a very I feel very lucky to have that kind of like a secret weapon. So I walked in on my first day of rehearsal. I had all these like very literary, nerdy things to say and contribute to the conversation when it came to talking to David Ritterer, who was our associate director, in terms of like our table work and figuring out what my Nick might be like.

[5:14] Michael Maliakel: So that was really she took you back to school.

[5:16] Michael Maliakel: I truly did. She's like whipping out her book with her annotations and like finding the chapters that were relevant. And like, you know, she actually is also my self-tape reader and she helps me run lines. And so, hi, Sarah, I love you. And she, you know, every time we'd go through something, she'd be like, oh, that's verbatim exactly what's in the book. And so she could kind of identify those passages for me too, which is cool.

[5:41] Joel Crump: That's not fair. He had a secret weapon.

[5:43] Michael Maliakel: I really did. I cheated. I cheated big time.

[5:46] Joel Crump: Yeah, I love it. I haven't been here in a long time. OK, so this isn't your first time.

[5:57] Michael Maliakel: It's not my first time. No, no. I remember I think actually the first Broadway show that I took my parents to see. Yeah, I think we ate here before. Was that Wicked? I think it might have been Wicked.

[6:09] Joel Crump: So cool. Wicked. So many people share that they've like been to Carmine's before. It's such a classic like pre-theater spot.

[6:16] Michael Maliakel: Exactly. Yeah. Especially because I have a family. My family has three boys. And so we're all like very strong eaters. So having like, you know, these portions are very helpful.

[6:26] Joel Crump: It works out. Yeah. All right. Well, let's dig in, shall we? You know, you didn't start off on the theater journey. When did theater become something that you were like, oh, man, I want to do this. I want to be on stage?

[6:41] Michael Maliakel: It was late for me. It really was. And I think I grew up singing in the church choir and then in school choirs and started taking voice lessons through that. My first exposure to like music really was like either church music or like classical voice. And I actually ended up going to school for opera. And I thought that maybe that was something that I was going to do. I didn't do I didn't know. I mean, I didn't come from a family that was artistic at all, truly at all. My parents are very supportive, but it was a very like academic focused environment growing up. And I'm the child of Indian immigrants. And, you know, the focus was very much on like just building a life for ourselves here. And the idea of a career in the arts, like it was like you may as well like fly into outer space or something like it was so out there, truly.

And at the time there was no one who looked like me doing this. There was no one necessarily succeeding, I guess. And I didn't know what a Broadway show was, truly, until like I was in high school and I didn't see my first Broadway show until I was a sophomore in high school. And, and let alone, you know, seeing people that look like me doing it. So the idea of pursuing it as a career just never occurred to me. Right. I knew that I there was something I remember my first Broadway show that I saw was The Phantom of the Opera. And I had we sat like in the very last row of the Majestic. And it was this like mind-blowing experience of just like watching this because you're up there and you have the perspective not only of the stage, but of the whole audience to watch like during Music of the Night, just like watching everyone just like hold their breath as it was Hugh Panaro.

I will never forget my Phantom, like watching him just like hold the whole audience in the palm of his hand. It was like a life-changing moment. And I think that was probably the first time that I was like, what is this magic? Well, how do you what spell are you casting people right now? And I think that was the first time I was like aware that this was something people did for a living. And probably that's where there was seed was planted. But in terms of working up the courage and believing in myself that this was something I could pursue professionally, it took me a really long time, really a really long time. It wasn't until college, I think that I was like, Okay, I'm gonna give this a go.

Yeah. And it was really like a, you know, like a lot of people, you have a couple of mentors in your life that believe in you and support you and advise you and, and, and you just sort of take a blind leap of faith, I guess, and hope that the love and the training that you have and the persistence and dedication and luck will all sort of come together. And that's, that's really my story so far.

[9:42] Joel Crump: Wow, that's, that's insane. You know, having done so many huge IPs already from Aladdin, Phantom, and then The Great Gatsby, I mean, these are all shows that so many people know. What is it like joining shows like that? Yeah, you came back from the pandemic, Broadway debut in Aladdin, you were in The Greatest Show of All Time, Phantom, and now, you know, what, what is it like going into shows like that?

[10:01] Michael Maliakel: Yeah, I mean, it's incredible because you feel like you're part of a legacy, you're joining part of a legacy. And I think about shows like Phantom and like Aladdin, like how many careers those shows have launched and how many opportunities those have given to folks on stage, backstage, whatever, like the number of folks that have been touched by that show, both of those shows is really, really amazing. And so to feel like you're a part of that family, we call it the PH family with Phantom especially, is incredible. And it was like such an amazing first, you know, big equity gig for me to just learn about the business while doing it. At the same time, there's, you know, a very long tradition of folks that have played those roles before, both Raoul and Aladdin.

And, and, you know, the fans have their opinions on who their favorites are. And so they're obviously, you know, I think about my friends, who's the standby at Wicked right now. And like, that's a whole nother thing. You know, people have these very fervent, passionate ideas about who your favorite, who the best is. Yeah, absolutely. So it's, it can be intimidating and you have to really put your blinders on and bring what you have to those projects. And, and I tried my best to do that. And I think that's, that's the only way to really find happiness and success when you're, when you're stepping into something that has such a legacy is to respect everything that's come before, respect the story and the role that's been created for you to step into.

But then, but then you can only bring yourself to it. You know, that's, that's the only way that it comes across as authentic and real. And, and certainly with Gatsby, it's, you know, the show's not quite as long old, but I think the same time, you know, you've got the, you've got Tobey Maguire in the Leo DiCaprio movie and Sam Waterston in the Robert Redford movie. And so I think the book alone and the book on its own ideas of what Nick should write. And so I think there's certainly a big expectation there. And, and I think thankfully with the help of the team at Gatsby already, and then my own research and my help from my wife, I feel like I've, I've really started to understand who Nick is and who my Nick is and, and make that come to life on stage.

And, and it's been really wonderful through social media and stage door to hear from people that like, Oh, I really loved your take on Nick. Like you, you know, you brought him to life just as how I pictured him in the book or whatever it may be. And, and that feels really special, especially as someone who looks like me and who, you know, these spaces weren't created with, with Brown people in mind.

[12:37] Michael Maliakel: I am so happy to report that they could not, on top of being, first of all, phenomenally talented and with like the most incredibly inspiring work ethics, both of them, just like such consistent performers and just like giving their all at all times. They're just like so chill and down-to-earth and like level-headed and like, you know, goofy and unassuming. It's been really, really fun. They've welcomed me in as their colleague and it's been really, really great. I can't wait to get to know everyone even better as time goes on. Sam, too. She took time out of her, you know, busy show schedule in life to come and rehearse with me while I was learning the show, which, you know, doesn't always happen when you're replacing in a show and to get to know her and find our little chemistry together.

It's been really awesome. Terry Mann, I mean, talk about legends. Terry Mann has been a hero of mine for years and years and years and I was lucky to catch him on the tail end of his run as Wolfsheim in Gatsby. And I mean, again, like truly the man's career is something that we all dream of and he's had his imprint on so many iconic pieces of theater. Disney stuff like Andrew Lloyd Webber projects, TV, film, and backstage, he's just your buddy. Like he's just so chill and down-to-earth and sort of be able to just like be in his orbit for a little while and like be on stage, like speaking lines, like sharing a scene with him, things that I never dreamed would ever happen to me, like pretty surreal.

But, you know, again, like it's the thing where people only stick around in a long-running show if the vibes are good in the building and I can totally say that the vibes are great over at the Broadway Theater.

[17:02] Joel Crump: Is there a moment in the show that you look forward to at all? Every night? I mean, the show is so exciting. There's so many fun moments that I love. Personally, what are those moments for you? What are the most moments for you?

[17:13] Michael Maliakel: I have so many and I'm finding new ones every day. I think the first time the car comes out on stage during "New Money," like while Sam is just singing her face off, I have an interesting perspective. I can like watch the audience and I'm not really singing during that song so I can really just sort of spectate and watch everyone just like take it like, wow, there's a car on stage. That reaction is really, really great. I also love listening to both Ryan and Sarah sing. Like I'm lucky to just get to sit on stage and have them sing at me and honestly, it's sometimes so beautiful and gorgeous that I forget that I have cues and lines to say because I'm just so caught up by the beauty of their performances.

Don't tell Ryan or Sarah I said that, but it's true. Yeah, I think those are probably the main highlights for me right now. My favorite scene in the show, I think, is we call it the Met, but it's the scene at the Harlem apartment. Tom's little side apartment with Myrtle and it's just like it's my favorite scene in the book as well because I think it's like it's such a specific atmosphere that Fitzgerald portrays. It's like this crowded little tiny swelteringly hot apartment with all this debauchery happening and I think the way that the song was written, it really captures it and then the way that it's been staged both by Mark and Dom, our choreographer, you know that the perspectives are constantly changing and it serves to kind of like indicate the passage of time like the night is a very long night and people are just getting drunker and rowdier as the night goes on and I think it kind of like really perfectly captures like what I had in my head for what that scene looked like. So that's probably the most fun that I'm having on stage. I love it. I love it so much.

[19:08] Joel Crump: Yeah, that shows just it it's a blast watching it. I could imagine it's a blast doing it as well, you know. Pyro at the end of "New Money," like it's just it's great. We're going to play Broadway Time quick round. These are rapid-fire questions to learn everything you love about Broadway, okay?

[19:26] Michael Maliakel: Oh, okay. Let's do it. Favorite Broadway show?

[19:29] Michael Maliakel: Sweeney Todd. Dream Role?

[19:31] Michael Maliakel: Sweeney Todd. Funniest moment on stage?

[19:35] Michael Maliakel: Okay, so Aladdin, Magic Carpet, right? It's a long-running Broadway show. Sometimes things go wrong. It happens to every Broadway show. Elphaba doesn't fly sometimes, right? But the carpet, I remember this was like a year or two into my run. The carpet was having some issues and we got through "A Whole New World" just fine, all of that. And then we get to the end, the finale, the wedding scene and it ends with Aladdin and Jasmine hopping on the carpet and the carpet flies up into the wing and we just wave goodbye and then the curtain comes down and we come down and everyone does their bow. That's sort of how it the show ends. This particular show, the carpet went up just fine. Okay. It did not come down.

So we were just stuck up in the wing on this carpet for a solid like, I don't know, 10-15 minutes while the whole cast is bowing and just we were just up there laughing our faces off because in what show does like Aladdin and Jasmine not bow at the end of Aladdin the musical? And so I think at the stage door a bunch of people were like, where did you guys go? What happened? Anyway, so that's probably mine. That was also the funniest part, no one explained where we went. So the whole audience was just like, I guess that's how the show ends.

[20:59] Michael Maliakel: Favorite vocal warm-up?

[21:00] Michael Maliakel: Vocal warm-up. Oh, I love a straw. In fact, I have it in my pocket right now.

[21:06] Joel Crump: You're always ready.

[21:09] Michael Maliakel: I have it. Yes, right here. My little singing straw. This is my little secret weapon because I commute a lot. I live out in Connecticut and so I'm oftentimes like on the train or on the subway and this little thing I can sort of hum and just get everything moving a little bit. Just get some air moving. You activate your breath. You help relieve any kind of baseline inflammation that we all live with when you're doing an eight-show week and it really just helps get things started. So yeah. Favorite song to perform in the show? In The Great Gatsby? Oh, I think it's the opening. My favorite song to sing and perform is the opening because it really sets the scene for what you're about to see and I have like the whole ensemble on stage with me just like dancing their faces off and we're just wailing and just getting the crowd really riled up. It's electric. It's my favorite. It's my favorite.

[21:59] Michael Maliakel: Broadway inspiration.

[22:02] Michael Maliakel: So I because I studied music like classical music and now sing, you know, pretty like poppy score these days like my favorite thing is hopping between genres. That's always been my favorite thing and some of the singers that I admire the most are the versatile ones, the ones that can do it all. The Jessica Vosk's, the Stephen Pasquale's, like those are the guys that I really look up to and admire because they're always reinventing themselves. They know their technique down pat and they know their voices so well and they can just like slide in and out of different genres just effortlessly. That's my dream.

[22:36] Michael Maliakel: Yes. And lastly, best piece of advice you've ever received?

[22:42] Michael Maliakel: Oh, gosh, there's been so much. Man, I think the best piece of advice, I'm gonna go back to high school. The choreographer of my senior musical, we did Guys and Dolls. I played Skye Masterson and I had just gone through the craziest growth spurt of my life. I grew like I think like six inches literally that one year. Wow. And so you can probably imagine this like lanky kid who like didn't know how to carry himself at all. I had like terrible posture and I had to play the lead role in this show and he called me in for a rehearsal and it was just me and him and he just he literally just had me walk on the diagonal like across the stage for like half an hour. And his advice was don't be afraid to take up space.

And I think he meant that in a literal sense, like really just like you have the body that you have. Don't hide it. Don't hide your height. Like it's a beautiful part of who you are. And I think that applies to so many different people who might not know how to carry themselves. So many different people who might feel like they don't look like the archetypal leading man, leading lady, whatever it may be. And so that's I certainly think about still like I think, you know, how you hold yourself and your posture on stage says so much about your confidence and your character and all that. But beyond that, taking up space has come to mean so much more to me as an underrepresented voice in this business to just know that like that people like me who aren't often represented on the greatest stages in the world like deserve to be there.

I think if nothing else for the new generation that's coming up for young people that do look like me to see people like them, like doing it on stage, whether it's whether they aspire to do it themselves or or just, you know, to know that they are invited into the stories that we're telling and belong and that these stories are about all of us. I think that that's something that really motivates me and inspires me to keep getting better, to keep growing and to keep working hard so that I hopefully can be, you know, some sort of inspiration in a way that I was so desperate for that when I was a kid, you know, so that's take up space.

[24:51] Joel Crump: I love that. Well, thank you so much for joining me, Michael.

[24:55] Michael Maliakel: Of course.

[24:55] Joel Crump: Well, if you'd like to go see him at the Broadway Theater, The Great Gatsby as Nick Carraway. But thank you so much for joining me today for another episode of Broadway Time at Carmine's. This has been awesome. Thank you so much for having me.

[25:05] Michael Maliakel: Yes.