J. Harrison Ghee is snatching Tonys and making nonbinary history
Some Like It Hot has long been an old cross-dressing classic, but it got some very welcome queer updates when it was brought to the stage as a musical in 2022.
The best of these comes from the adaptation of the Jerry/Daphne character; while the role was originally played by Jack Lemmon as a straight man in a dress, the musical sees the character come to live their truth as both Jerry and Daphne after getting engaged to an eccentric businessman.This new twist to the Jerry/Daphne character was debuted by nonbinary actor J.
Harrison Ghee, and done so to rave reviews. Their unique flair and take on the character captivated audiences and their show-stopping solo number “You Coulda Knocked Me Over With A Feather” brought down the house.Ghee’s performance garnered them a Tony nomination for Best Actor in a Musical, making them the first nonbinary Tony acting nominee in history alongside Shucked stand-out Alex Newell who was nominated for Best Featured Actor in a Musical.
Both won their categories at the 76th Tony Awards on June 11, marking both actors as the first nonbinary performers to ever win Tony awards.A groundbreaking night at the Tony Awards saw two nonbinary actors win for their performances.“My mother raised me to understand that my gifts that God gave me were not about me; to use them to be effective in the world; to help somebody else’s journey,” Ghee said during their acceptance speech. “So thank you for teaching me how to live, how to love, how to give.
