‘Know that it’s possible’: L Morgan Lee on her trailblazing Tony nomination.
nytimes.comL Morgan Lee made theater history on Monday, becoming what production officials described as the first openly transgender performer to be nominated for a Tony Award for her performance as a featured actress in “A Strange Loop.” Lee’s Tony nod was one of 11 for the musical, which opened April 26 and is a meta-work about a Black gay writer trying to make art while being distracted by his intrusive thoughts.
Lee plays one of those thoughts — “Thought 1.” In a telephone interview on Monday hours after learning of her nomination, Lee, who made her Broadway debut in the musical, said she found her nomination “overwhelming.” “I know of many trans and nonbinary and gender-expansive people who are out here trying to be seen and trying to put stories out into the world,” she said. “Having this happen today helps more people know that it’s possible.” Here are edited excerpts from the conversation.
This was your Broadway debut. Tell me about what it was like to see your name on the screen this morning with a Tony nomination.
I’m still trying to wrap my head around the importance of a Black trans woman in a principal role on a Broadway stage, period.
