Michael James Scott is 13 years old, in ninth grade, when he goes to New York City for the first time and sees a Broadway show. Little does he know the transformative experience he’s about to have.
“Our first show happens to be at the Palace Theatre,” recalls Scott, who today plays the show-stopping role of the Genie in during the Broadway musical’s 10th anniversary celebration. “The ‘Be Our Guest’ number has all these dancing utensils, and I see this one little Black chocolate spot: a spoon. It’s a dancing spoon. When I tell you he was living, he was , OK? I’m like, ‘Oh, my god, I could be that spoon.’ In that moment, I saw someone who looked like me on the stage. That dancing spoon changed my outlook on what was possible. Physically seeing your dream right in front of you…it’s
