In the six months since he arrived in New York City, Carl Man has experienced a lot of firsts. On March 3, he made his Broadway debut as Fiyero in Wicked, becoming the first British and first Asian actor to play the part on Broadway. But before any of that happened, he touched down in the States — a mere four days after departing Wicked in London's West End — just in time for his first NYC blizzard.

"I've had about 20 different seasons being in New York," Man, recounting his journey on a sweltering summer day, said with a laugh.

Luckily, unlike the weather, the Wicked community's embrace of Man was warm from the start. Some superfans even crossed the pond right along with him. "A few people at stage door, they come up to me and say, 'We saw you in London. We're so happy you're here,'" he said. "I feel very welcome."

He's also had support from his fellow Fiyeros. As it happens, Man basically switched places with Jordan Litz, who just wrapped a nearly-three-year run in the Broadway production and is now making his debut in the London one. Man, meanwhile, has two years as Fiyero under his belt.

"We talk to each other and see how we're getting on. It's really nice; it's like a brotherhood," Man said.

Just because the role is the same, though, doesn't mean the West End and Broadway productions are. One thing he misses are the full-cast warmups before each London performance, which don't happen on Broadway. But he delights in the fact that NYC theatregoers are more vocal. "That's probably my favorite thing that's different to London," he enthused: "The audiences come on a journey with us."

That's due in no small part to the fact that Wicked, about witches Elphaba and Glinda (and Fiyero, caught between them) in the land of Oz, is one of the most popular shows for Broadway newbies of all ages. In the latest installment of New York Theatre Guide's Broadway first-timers series, Man shares his own journey from first-time Broadway-goer to Broadway star, as well as practical tips and recommendations for today's rookie theatregoers.

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What was the first show you ever saw?

The first West End show I saw was Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. My grandma took me to see it. I was just in awe of what I saw on stage, and I was like, "Okay, I want to do that."

The first Broadway show I saw — do you know what? I feel like it was Beauty and the Beast. I was here on vacation, and I got to see that and some other shows like Next to Normal, which was probably my favorite show I've ever seen.

Walk me through the day of your first Broadway performance. How were you feeling? How did you prepare?

My first day on Broadway was wild. First of all, the difference between London and New York is that in New York, you don't even rehearse with the ensemble before you set foot on stage. I did my dress run on the day of the show. I didn't know pretty much anyone on that stage apart from Keri [René Fuller, as Elphaba] and Emma [Flynn, as Glinda] and some of the principals. That was an experience in itself to just dive in [at] my dress run, meet the ensemble on stage.

Doing the show for the first time on Broadway was something I didn't know I needed. Because I've done the show for a year in the West End and a year on tour, it was a really exciting moment to fall in love with it again and have those nerves. I don't get nervous anymore, so to have that night where I was like, "Okay, I'm on Broadway, this is happening," was really, really special.

What specific things about Wicked are you newly falling in love with?

I love hearing the show in an American accent. [...] To hear it in its original form is really, really cool. To hear Keri and Emma singing the songs how they sound on the original Broadway cast recording is really, really cool.

Wicked fans always remember their first Elphaba, their first Glinda, their first Fiyero, etc. Who was your first Fiyero?

The first Fiyero I probably saw was Adam Garcia. This is the original West End production. Later, I've come to work with [Garcia] and see [him] as a friend, which is so cool because I saw him in Coyote Ugly, which is a classic film.

What makes Wicked a good show for a first-time Broadway-goer?

Wicked is a fantastic show to come and see for your first Broadway show because, first of all, it's one of the longest-running shows on Broadway. At this point, it's a classic, and it's legendary, and it has all the elements of a spectacle: the songs everyone knows already, and the sets and the costumes. And the story is also just really, really empowering, and so many people can relate to the story. It's still relevant today. It will always be relevant, about finding your own superpower in being different.