Aladdin, the new musical directed by Casey Nicholaw (The Book of Mormon), has been nominated for five Tony Awards, including best musical and best choreography. You already know most of the songs by heart, but Nicholaw’s production throws in a few new numbers and characters, and upgrades the old ones. But don’t worry, our star-crossed lovers are still there, taking joyrides on magic carpets and singing lovingly into each others’ eyes.

But let’s talk about Jasmine.

The thing about Jasmine is that she was the first—and I say this with a little wiggle room—feminist Disney princess. (Your writer may or may not have owned Jasmine pajamas at one point in her childhood.) She throws a douchey prince from her quarters as if he were overripe fruit; she huffs and puffs and doesn’t let her father force her into any arranged marriages; and she wears the hell out of a crop top.

On Broadway, Jasmine is played by Courtney Reed, who was plucked from the Midwest (Elgin, Illinois, to be exact) for Mamma Mia!, in 2007. We spoke with Reed about playing her childhood hero, the dangers of magic carpets, the Jasmine-abs workout, and why so many Broadway actors have Law & Order credits.

VF Daily: What was your first experience onstage?

Courtney Reed: My first show was when I was six, I played a mouse in Cinderella and it was the most amazing thing ever, in community theater. I was always playing a lot of dress up. I was obsessed with British accents and pretending to have high tea with my friends, making costumes.

So is the kid in you excited to play Jasmine?

She’s the best Disney princess of all time. She’s extra special, because for me, someone of mixed ethnicity, you grow up and they have blond hair and blue eyes, and you wished that you looked like them, but you don’t.

What’s your mixed ethnicity?

I always identity myself as mixed, because I get cast as a bunch of different ethnicities and I don’t want to be pigeonholed. I get cast as everything from Native American to Middle Eastern to Latin . . .

It’s tricky in this business, because when you’re someone who’s mixed ethnicity, they have a hard time putting you in certain categories, because maybe you’re not Latin enough, or Native American enough, or Asian enough, or white enough. It’s really hard when they’re looking for something very specific. So, a lot of times, for me, it’s better for them to guess, or want me to be what they see. I guess most people don’t identify me as one ethnicity very much, but then again I get cast pretty much Latin most of the time. So yeah, it’s interesting. That’s a totally different beast.

Tell me about the magic carpet. I was so nervous watching you and Aladdin [Adam Jacobs] flying around up there.

Were you really? We’re totally strapped in. People ask if it’s scary. It’s totally fun, especially the first couple of times. We’ve never been able to just ride it. We always have to be singing and thinking about a million other things, where the lighting is hitting you in certain ways. It’s all pre-set and they just click go and then it does the whole thing. It was very rollercoaster-y the first time. Now that I’ve done it so much, it’s not scary at all. It’s sort of normal to ride a magic carpet every day!

And is there a Jasmine workout? Every female in the play seems to wear a costume that exposes her midriff. I sound like a school principal, sorry.

Totally. When I found out I officially booked [the role], I was like, O.K., I’m getting a personal trainer, I’m going to be totally strict about my diet. I got a personal trainer who’s so awesome. He does a lot, like, a lot, of core exercises. He’ll make you jump up on the blocks and stuff. He makes me do a lot of jumping, which I totally hate. I’m always so exhausted.

So I have to ask this. I’ve always noticed in Playbills that tons of Broadway actors have appeared on Law & Order. Why is that?

I know. That was one the best experiences. I don’t know why! Broadway actors are really great, and into the city. It’s been running for, like, 14 years, something crazy, and they’re running out of actors, so they keep finding everybody else. That was my last [television] show. I played a rookie cop, and I shoot Mariska Hargitay’s love interest. I shoot him in the middle of the episode and everyone freaks out, and of course they come and they interrogate me in the park, in the classic Law & Order[way]. I’m almost unrecognizable in the show; my hair is completely slicked back, in a really tight bun, most people wouldn’t even know it was me. I’m wearing jeans, a sweater, and a jean jacket—very low key. It was really fun. I got to work with Mariska, and I got to come out of cop car and shoot a gun, and work with stuntmen. It was so exciting, and it was a dream come true. I can call myself a real actor now.