Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, renowned as the first Black woman to serve on the highest court in the United States, is set to achieve another milestone this weekend, making her Broadway debut in the hit musical & Juliet.
This special one-night performance will take place on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET and will include a post-show discussion with the audience.
A Teenage Dream Realized
Justice Jackson’s appearance on the Broadway stage fulfills a decades-old aspiration.
In her memoir, Lovely One, Jackson revealed that her college application essay to Harvard University expressed her dream to become “the first Black, female Supreme Court justice to appear on a Broadway stage.”
The announcement of her participation, shared on & Juliet’s official Instagram account earlier this week, echoed her youthful ambition, declaring, “Let’s make that teenage dream come true, Justice Jackson.”
Details of Jackson’s role remain under wraps, but entertainment publication Deadline reports that she will take on a specially created ensemble spot.
Her performance underscores her long-standing passion for the arts, which she has openly celebrated in recent public appearances.
A Justice with a Love for the Stage
Justice Jackson’s connection to theater runs deep. During a September promotional tour for her memoir, she joined Gayle King at the Apollo Theater, where she sang a snippet from The Wiz.
Jackson also revealed in an interview with CBS that, as a student at Harvard, she was once a scene partner with future Academy Award winner Matt Damon.
Reflecting on their acting exercise, Jackson humorously noted, “I was better than Matt Damon in a scene,” based on her professor’s feedback.
The Musical That Rewrites History
& Juliet, a contemporary reimagining of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, explores an alternate ending where Juliet survives and writes her own story.
Featuring chart-topping pop songs like Britney Spears’ …Baby One More Time and Katy Perry’s Roar, the show has been hailed as a “super-poppy production” by The New York Times.
Jackson’s walk-on role will add a unique historical layer to the production’s themes of rewriting narratives.
Broadway and the Bench: A Symbolic Intersection
Justice Jackson’s involvement in & Juliet exemplifies her belief in the transformative power of storytelling, whether through the law or the performing arts.
Her Broadway debut represents a symbolic convergence of cultural and legal history, inspiring others to pursue their dreams across disciplines.
