Anyone who sees Some Like It Hot on Broadway is likely to have J. Harrison Ghee’s performance dancing in their head long after they leave the theater. Indeed, Ghee’s own life as a nonbinary performer mirrors the themes of self-expression and freedom that they bring to their role as Jerry/Daphne—a bass player on the run in the late 1920s, whose experiment with drag prompts a real revelation—in the musical. “I put my friends in drag for the fun of it,” they told Vogue editor Chloe Schama last year. “It’s an experience I recommend for anyone. It can help you touch parts of yourself you don’t normally access. Free yourself to see yourself is my mantra.”
On Friday, Vogue spoke to Ghee—a Tony nominee for lead actor in a musical this year—about bringing their role to life, their outfit on Sunday night, and the emotional impact of being a role model for LGBTQ+ theater-lovers.
Vogue: How are you feeling, with Sunday’s awards around the corner?
J. Harrison Ghee: I am overjoyed. I’m so excited. I literally just came from a last fitting for my look, and the butterflies have begun.
Care to offer any spoilers on the look?
It’s giving fairy tale—I’ll say that.
How did it feel to come across and originate the role of Jerry/Daphne?
When I got the audition, I wasn’t familiar with the [Billy Wilder] movie, so I went and watched it. I fell in love with the movie, but I definitely saw room for improvement and, you know, ways to bring it forward. Reading the script made me so excited to just jump into the material and find ways to keep playing, and that’s exactly what we did—we just kept playing. Even through the pandemic, there were so many conversations about the material and the costuming. There was so much collaboration throughout the entire process, which I really appreciated.
How does it feel to be one of the first nonbinary actors nominated for a Tony, along with Shucked’s Alex Newell?
It proves the point that if a human is doing great work, it should be all about honoring that work. This definitely feels like it moves the needle forward, not only in our industry of entertainment, but in the world at large. Especially with all the legislation going on against the LGBTQIA+ community and against drag queens and trans and nonbinary people, I don’t take it lightly that I have the opportunity to do this role and to be a voice during this time.
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