Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson swapped her judge’s robes for a Broadway costume Saturday night, stepping onto the stage for a one-time performance in the hit musical comedy “& Juliet.” The sold-out audience was treated to a special moment as Jackson made her Broadway debut, impressing both her fellow performers and the crowd.
In an exclusive interview with “CBS Mornings” co-host Gayle King after the show, Jackson reflected on the experience. “I think that it means that anything is possible,” she said. “Five years ago, I was a district court justice; nobody knew who I was. To have both of the pieces of my fondest dreams come true in this little bit of time has been extraordinary for me.”
“I’m overwhelmed with the joy of this experience. I’m so grateful to the staff and crew of ‘& Juliet’ for helping my dream come true. It was phenomenal,” Jackson added.
When King asked what was going through her mind before stepping on stage, Jackson responded, “I was just like, ‘Wow, this is really gonna happen.’ And I was going through my lines.”
Childhood dream
In her memoir “Lovely One,” Jackson revealed her lifelong love for theater and shared her aspiration to become the first Supreme Court Justice to perform on Broadway.
“I just always loved theater. And I felt very comfortable on stage. You know, I was always performing from when I was really young. It just felt like the theater people were my people,” Jackson said during an exclusive interview with “CBS Mornings” at the Civilian Hotel in New York just before her first rehearsal.
“My best friend was a girl named Sunny Schleifer, and the two of us would make up skits and dress up and do all of these things. When I got into high school, I did speech and debate. I had these two different loves, the law and theater,” she said.
Jackson’s Broadway debut included two scenes written specifically for her in “& Juliet,” a musical that celebrates female empowerment and controlling one’s own destiny. “It’s a wonderful message and obviously very fun,” Jackson said.
Before stepping onto the Broadway stage, Jackson participated in table reads, scene walkthroughs and vocal sessions, preparing for the performance.
Reflecting on her early days as an aspiring actor, Jackson recalled a drama class at Harvard where she acted alongside a classmate who would later become famous: Matt Damon. “We just were in a drama class together,” Jackson said. “I memorized my lines, and I’m ready to go and it’s over and the professor says, ‘Ketanji, you did such a good job. Matt, we’ll talk.'”
She even debated between her two loves and which path she should pursue.
“I mean, there were times when I considered doing acting. I’d always wanted to be a lawyer, but I thought, ‘Well, maybe I’m pretty good at this,'” she said.
Jackson reflected on the experience after her performance, “I think the lesson is: don’t give up and don’t be deterred, that you can do it. And again, that anything is possible.”
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