Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson achieved a historic milestone this past weekend by making her Broadway debut, becoming the first member of the U.S. Supreme Court to perform on the iconic stage.
Jackson participated in a special one-night-only walk-on role in the Tony-nominated musical & Juliet, which reimagines the fate of Shakespeare’s female protagonist by showcasing her newfound independence and strength.
The show had announced Jackson’s unique performance ahead of time, noting that she would engage in a talkback session with the audience afterward. She discussed her upcoming role in an interview recorded shortly before taking the stage.
Excited about her opportunity, Jackson said, “They have invited me to do a special walk-on role that I’m told they wrote for me. So I’m very excited.”
Behind-the-scenes footage released during the event highlighted Jackson rehearsing and preparing for her performance, showcasing her vibrant teal costume and capturing the electrifying moment when she was introduced onstage as the night’s “very special guest.” The audience welcomed her with thunderous applause.
Delighted, Jackson exclaimed, “I did it! I made it to Broadway!” as she took her final bows to an enthusiastic crowd.
Jackson has a long-standing passion for theater, expressing her love in her memoir, Lovely One. She recounted how, in her Harvard University application, she had written that she hoped to fulfill her dream of being the first Black woman on the Supreme Court to perform on a Broadway stage.
During her time at Harvard, she not only pursued her legal education but also engaged in theater, performing in productions like Little Shop of Horrors and collaborating with future stars like Matt Damon.
“We did the scene, and it was some play that didn’t have a whole lot of action, where you’re just sitting on the stage,” Jackson recalled humorously, reflecting on her acting experiences.
Jackson made history in 2022 as the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court, and now, just two years later, she has turned the page on another dream of hers by stepping into the spotlight of Broadway.
In sharing her journey, Jackson remarked, “I got a call, and someone said, ‘We heard that this was your lifelong dream.’ And it is — to be a Broadway performer and a justice.”
Jackson is not the only Supreme Court justice with an affinity for the arts; the late Justices Antonin Scalia and Ruth Bader Ginsburg famously connected over their shared love for opera, which even led to the creation of a comic opera. In a noteworthy tribute to the performing arts, Ginsburg made her own stage debut at age 83 in a Washington National Opera production.
