Holiday at Peace: Greenville’s favorite family Christmas tradition

MICHAEL MALIAKEL (pronounced “Molly-uh-kell”) recently completed a historic three-year run as the title role in Disney’s Aladdin on Broadway, leading the show through it’s 10th anniversary celebration. A trail-blazing Indian-American performer, Michael was the guest artist in “Christmas with the Tabernacle Choir,” PBS’s widely popular annual television special. He was also featured on two other recent PBS concert specials: “Broadway’s Brightest Lights,” alongside Broadway luminary Megan Hilty, and “An Evening with Lerner and Loewe.” This summer, Michael appeared in Titanic at NY City Center’s Encores and debuted at the MUNY in St. Louis as Prince Eric in Disney’s The Little Mermaid. He made his Kennedy Center debut in the critically acclaimed production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Sunset Boulevard starring Tony award winner Stephanie J. Block. Prior to the pandemic, Michael toured North America with the 25th Anniversary production of The Phantom of the Opera. Other recent stage highlights include Bernstein’s MASS (Ravinia Festival), Georg in She Loves Me (PlayMakers Repertory Company), and the record-breaking world premiere of Mira Nair’s Monsoon Wedding (Berkeley Repertory Theatre). Michael’s on-screen work includes roles on CBS’ “BULL” and “FBI,” “Before” alongside Billy Crystal (Apple TV+), as well as appearances on “Good Morning America” and “The View.”

A classically trained baritone, Michael’s wide-ranging repertoire spans the Golden Age of Broadway, American Songbook standards, and contemporary musical theatre hits. Michael’s versatility has been featured with orchestras and ensembles across the country including the National Philharmonic, the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square, the American Pops Orchestra, the Asheville Symphony, the Tallahassee Symphony, the Savannah Philharmonic, the Albany Symphony, and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s. He has received top awards from several organizations including the American Traditions Vocal Competition, the Lotte Lenya Competition, and the NATS National Music Theater Competition.