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 Monday, Vogue spoke to Ghee—a Tony winner for lead actor in a musical (they took their mother to the ceremony)—about bringing their role to life, celebrating their win at the White House, and the emotional impact of being a role model for LGBTQ+ theater-lovers.
Vogue: How are you feeling in the aftermath of your win?
J. Harrison Ghee: Oh, I’m floating. I still have not come down from this high of adrenaline and love from every direction; it’s just incredible.
How are you celebrating today?
Oh, I’m just casually going to the White House and carrying my Tony around all day. I’m doing some press for Pride, which I was so humbled and honored to do; it was grounding, in a way. There was so much history made yesterday, and it wasn’t lost on me that I had the opportunity and the availability to show up in my full, queer, Black joy for such a historic moment in my life.
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 did it feel to be one of the first nonbinary actors nominated for 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. I just felt so much love being poured out on me last night when I walked up on that stage, and it is not beyond me what this means not only for our community as queer people, but for our industry as artists and creatives.
Is there any particular audience or fan reaction to Some Like It Hot that’s stuck with you?
There have been so many, but Leon, our security guard, watched the show for the first time on opening night and was sitting next to a cisgender white man who turned to the lady he was with after I finished my big song in Act II and said, “I need to treat my son better.” That’s why I do what I do; to hopefully touch someone in a way that they think a little differently, or that they leave the theater better than when they came. When Leon shared that story with me, I was so moved by it. Then, last week, there were a group of students from California, and a lot of them were trans and nonbinary, and one of them was so happy and elated and just jumping up and down at the stage door. They said to me, “I’ve never been so validated by a character,” and to see the hope and the joy in their face when they said that made all of it worth it.
This conversation has been edited and condensed.
