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American Broadway actors Alex Newell and J Harrison Ghee created history by becoming the first openly non-binary winners at the 2023 Tony Awards. Both actors won it in different categories: Newell earned the accolade for their memorable performance as Lulu in Jack O’ Brien’s Shucked in the category of Best Featured Actor in a Musical. Similarly, Ghee grabbed the award as Best Lead Actor for their role as Jerry or Daphne in Some Like It Hot by Casey Nicholaw.
Alex Newell happens to be a 30-year-old Massachusetts-born actor-singer, of Glee fame, where they played the role of Unique Adams.
Likewise, J Harrison Ghee, the 34-year-old actor, singer, dancer, and drag artist hailing from North Carolina is known for their exemplary performance on stage as Lola for Kinky Boots, and more recently, on the Netflix sci-fi drama series, Raising Dion.
2023 Tony Awards winners Alex Newell and J Harrison Ghee are more than just Broadway stars
Alex Newell
Born as Alexander Eugene Newell, the winner of this year’s Tony has been performing since 2010. Their obsession with the acting world began during their school days when they were actively involved in the school choir, improv club, and costume club, among others.
Alex Newell started their career with The Glee Project where they were declared as the runner-up of the first season alongside Lindsay Pearce. Thereafter, Newell starred in the third season of Glee.
Interestingly, it was supposed to be a two-episode gig and they were to go off to the reputed Berklee College of Music. But looks like fate had other plans and Alex Newell became a recurring appearance in the teen sitcom for the next two seasons. The rest is, of course, history.
Alex Newell identifies as gay. They were also part of the 2013 teen dramedy, Geography Club, following which, Newell signed their debut album with Atlantic Records. Their Broadway debut came in 2017 in Once on This Island, where they played the role of Asaka.
Newell got emotional during her victory speech at the Tony Awards. They began by thanking Broadway for seeing them.
“I should not be up here as a queer, non-binary, fat, Black, little baby from Massachusetts. And to anyone that thinks that they can’t do it, I’m going to look you dead in your face that you can do anything you put your mind to,” they said.
J Harrison Ghee
Long before joining Broadway, J Harrison Ghee was a professional theatre performer working for the Tokyo Disney Sea Resort to Norwegian Cruise Line as a lead vocalist and drag artist with the persona Crystal Demure.
However, after traveling the world for several years, Ghee returned to New York in 2017 and was almost instantly cast as Lola in the Broadway musical, Kinky Boots. This marked their Broadway debut.
Ghee has also starred in other musicals over the years, most notable ones being Mrs. Doubtfire and Chicago.
Ghee dedicated their win to their mother, saying that it was she who made them realise that the gift they were blessed with was less about them and more about the world.
“For every trans, nonbinary, gender non-conforming human — whoever was told they couldn’t be, couldn’t be seen, this is for you. ‘Some Like It Hot’ and that ain’t bad,” Ghee added.
In brief, about the Tony Awards
Tony Award, originally called the Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, is a prestigious honor in the field of American Broadway. It is presented by the American Theatre Wing in collaboration with The Broadway League every year.
This year, it was the 76th Tony Award that happened at the United Palace in New York’s Washington Heights. It was hosted by Oscar winner Ariana DeBose and live streamed on Paramount+. It was also broadcast by CBS.
