S5E10: J. Harrison Ghee
Women & Theatre Podcast
How Jay Came to Theatre
Jay recounts growing up singing in church, moving to New York, early jobs, and the impact of Kinky Boots.
In this episode, Hayley and Amy talk with actor, singer, dancer, and creator J. Harrison Ghee about the transformative journey of freeing yourself to see yourself, spreading the ministry of love, connecting to your Divine Feminine, expanding the bounds of creative storytelling, and more. Click here for a transcript of the episode!
Episode Notes
Hosts: Hayley Goldenberg and Amy Andrews
Guest: J. Harrison Ghee
Music: Chloe Geller
Episode Resources:
Durham Performing Arts Center Rising Stars
PJ Morton - Smoke and Mirrors
New York Theatre Workshop - Saturday Church
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil - Broadway 2026
The Shindellas - Lullaby
Trailblazers of the Week:
Dylan Weinberger
Guest Bio:
Tony and Grammy Award winner J. Harrison Ghee (they/them, all pronouns with respect) made history as the first non-binary actor to win in the Leading Individual Performance category for creating the role as Daphne/Jerry in Some Like It Hot, which also garnered them Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards.
Also on Broadway, Ghee starred as Lola in Kinky Boots, created the role of Andre Mayem in Mrs. Doubtfire, and co-starred opposite Harry Connick, Jr. as Johnny Hooker in The Sting. Ghee captured audiences as the Lady Chablis in the musical premiere of Midnight in The Garden of Good and Evil. On television, Ghee was selected to play the title role in Robyn's Story on the hit Fox anthology series Accused, directed by Billy Porter; starred as Kwame in Netflix's Raising Dion, and guest starred on HBO's High Maintenance.
A Fayetteville, North Carolina native, Ghee moved to New York City to study at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy and began their professional career working at Tokyo Disney on cruise ships and national tours. They live by the mantra: “You have to free yourself to see yourself,” with the hope of inspiring people to dream big and to chase those dreams.
An outspoken advocate for the LGBTQIA+ community, Ghee has been involved with many organizations, including Broadway Cares, GLAAD, and God's Love We Deliver, among others. Ghee hopes to create roles and conversations that reach beyond what was and into a realm of infinite possibilities.
Find J. Online:
Follow The Zora Project on Instagram
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