Shoba Narayan is a trailblazer. She’s made history not once but twice in four years. Her Broadway Principal debut in 2017 as Natasha in Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 was not only a personal milestone but one that also marked a key moment for the industry—she was the first South Asian female in a Broadway principal role since the 2004 premiere of Bombay Dreams. In 2020 (pre-shutdown), Narayan became the first South Asian actor to play Nessarose in Wicked on Broadway.
Being the “first” is often a cause for fanfare and celebration—it means records are set, glass ceilings are broken, and legacies are born. When “first” is attached to someone of one or more marginalized identities, it also means representation in the mainstream has been elevated in a new way.
But what does this moniker mean for the artist who is assigned the label? Their “first” title becomes a symbol of what their career means to the larger ecosystem, but who are they as an artist on their own terms? In a musical theatre career that has been filled with “firsts,” there’s no question that Narayan has still been able to define her own artistry on the Broadway stage and beyond. She has a full and rich history as a Bharatanatyam dancer—a classical South Indian dance style that is rooted in honoring her heritage and identity.
