(ZENIT News / Rome, 03.08.2025).- Many are familiar with Will Smith’s performance in the Aladdin movie. However, on Broadway, the musical of the same name has been running for several years with a young actor and singer as the star of the show.
During Christmas 2024, one of the musical lead singers participated in a special program on the public broadcasting service. During the broadcast, he spoke about the importance of his Catholic upbringing in his life. The production combined classic Christmas songs—from Joy to the World to It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas—with a story inspired by the famous writer Victor Hugo, author of classics such as Les Misérables.
Who is Michael Maliakel?
Michael Maliakel is an Indian descent actor. His parents emigrated from India to the United States at the end of the last century, and both he and his siblings were born in North America. Although he grew up in a family with Indian roots, his parents always encouraged him to participate in activities that would help him integrate into American culture, such as playing the piano and singing.
His parents come from a Christian community in southern India. Since Christianity is a minority in that country, Michael felt from a young age that he was part of a small community within an even smaller one: that of Indian Christians in the United States. Additionally, after moving to New Jersey due to his father’s job, they had no close family in the area despite belonging to a large extended family.
Like other children his age, he had to adapt to American culture and find his own path. His parents supported him during this process, even choosing a Christian name, Michael, as a reflection of their Catholic faith.
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Unlike other Indian families, the Maliakels did not celebrate traditional festivities from their country of origin, which made Michael feel even more connected to American culture.
From a young age, his family was consistent in attending Sunday Mass, and it was in the parish choir that Michael began singing and discovering his passion for music. He also took piano lessons there, which became an outlet for expressing his energy and creativity.
From then on, he became increasingly involved in the world of theater and music, participating in different choirs until he finally auditioned for plays. After a couple of years in college, he decided to take a risk and pursue a career in the entertainment industry, despite the uncertainty of whether he would be able to achieve his dream.
Today, as a musical theater star, Michael reflects on the decision he made: “I think I owe a lot to the Catholic Church for what I do today… I grew up singing in the church choir, and thanks to that, I fell in love with music,” he said on the program. “When I was eight years old, my mom signed me up for the choir, and I’ve never looked back since… I don’t think at the time she imagined that decision would lead us down this path. But in many ways, those moments were crucial for me to be doing what I do today.”
As a Christmas message, Michael added: “I think we simply need to have compassion for those who don’t look like us, for those who have less, for those who are struggling… I believe the message of Christmas, and of this program in particular, is to show compassion towards these people and to be as generous as possible—not just at this time of year, but throughout the whole year.”
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