Michael Iván Carrier was such a shy child that they didn’t find their voice until they were “like, nine.” Growing up a proud “swamp person” in Lafayette, Louisiana, they never envisioned they would make it to the Broadway stage, much less while wearing a full “stage natural” copper and violet beat every night in & Juliet at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre. “Musical theatre is something that just happened for me,” Carrier says. “And it didn't stop happening.”
Though they were voted Most Likely to be on Broadway by their Catholic high school, Carrier says the bright lights felt so far away. “You just never think it’s going to happen to you,” they say. “It’s crazy, right? People where I’m from don’t go to Broadway.”
Carrier has been with & Juliet, a retelling of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet using the music of Max Martin, long enough to have covered 12 roles. All of which they can rattle off by name. They have skillfully skipped, twirled, and swung through nearly every ensemble track in the show since 2022.
“I truly do believe that anyone can swing,” Carrier assets. “You have to trust yourself. You have to trust your training. You have to trust your rehearsal. You have to trust your dance captains.”
Then, last October, Carrier was promoted to May, Juliet’s best friend, who also gets a pivotal love story in the show.
“May is Juliet’s rock, essentially,” Carrier says. “We are constantly told by the creatives that May is that grounded friend. We’re so often told not to be that comical gay best friend. That is so…easy.”
As someone who identifies as non-binary, Carrier says the opportunity to portray a non-binary principal character on Broadway makes their job even sweeter. “Being myself is enough,” they say. “Especially in a world where people don’t want people like me to exist. They don't want queer people to exist. Sometimes, seeing someone on stage with blush is going to do the trick.”
They are reminded of the ever-so-shy nine-year-old they used to be when they interact with young theatregoers at the stage door, who are often too nervous to ask for a photo or a signature. “You are saying everything you need to say by being here and supporting,” says Carrier. “It means the world to them that I’m participating and having a conversation with them.”
Adds Carrier with an infectious smile: “I’m really proud of myself. And I’m really proud of everyone who came before me and made this possible.”
Learn Carrier’s best tips for looking more sparkly than “sweaty spaghetti” and which Taylor Swift song was cut from & Juliet by watching the video above.
Company of & Juliet
Company of & Juliet
Company of & Juliet
Company of & Juliet
