US Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson makes Broadway debut in '& Juliet'

Sunday, December 15, 2024 10:31PM CT
NEW YORK -- Ketanji Brown Jackson has fulfilled another one of her life's goals.

The first Black woman to sit on the Supreme Court appeared in a Broadway show on Saturday when she took the stage in a one-night performance in "& Juliet."

After the walk-on role, Jackson participated in a talkback with the audience following the performance.

The show had not shared details about Jackson's role. The entertainment publication Deadline reported that the justice would take on an ensemble spot that was created for her.

In her memoir "Lovely One," which the show cited in its announcement, the justice shared that, in her application essay to Harvard University, where she earned her undergraduate and law degrees, she wrote that it was her fantasy to be "the first Black, female Supreme Court justice to appear on a Broadway stage."



"Let's make that teenage dream come true, Justice Jackson," the show said in the post.

In September, Jackson expressed her love for theater during a press tour for her memoir, singing a few lines from "The Wiz" during a sit-down with former CNN host and current "CBS Mornings" anchor Gayle King at the famed Apollo Theater, according to The Associated Press.

She revealed in a separate interview that, as a student at Harvard, she was a scene partner to future Academy Award winner Matt Damon. She recalled that the scene went well for her and she received rave reviews from her professor, who was less impressed with Damon's performance.

"I was like, 'Oh my god, I was better than Matt Damon in a scene,'" Jackson told CBS.

"& Juliet" is a modern take on "Romeo and Juliet," and it rewrites the ending of the Shakespeare tragedy, exploring what would have happened if Juliet did not die, according to the show's website.



Described by The New York Times in its review as a "super-poppy production," the show features pop hits such as Britney Spears' "...Baby One More Time" and Katy Perry's "Roar."

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