Shoba Narayan (born November 5, 1989) is an American musical theatre actress. She was the first South Asian to play Princess Jasmine in the Broadway show Aladdin.
Narayan was born in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania to Indian immigrant parents. The only Indian family in town, Narayan has said she was mocked by her classmates for her name. She took dance classes in ballet and bharatanatyam, as well as classes in voice, violin, and Carnatic music. Interested in performing at a young age, her first leading role was as Dorothy in her eighth grade school production of The Wizard of Oz.
She graduated from the Boston Conservatory at Berklee in 2012 and moved to New York City to perform in theater.
Narayan's first Broadway role was as Natasha in Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812. In that role, she was the first South Asian woman in a lead role on Broadway since Bombay Dreams in 2004.
She played Eliza Hamilton in the North American tour of Hamilton and Nessarose in Wicked. She was the first South Asian actress to play Nessarose. She is also the voice of Emily on the TV show Hazbin Hotel.
Narayan has worked as a teacher of bharatanatyam and has performed at weddings.