Justice prevails: Supreme Court’s Ketanji Brown Jackson makes Broadway debut

NEW YORK — Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson fulfilled a lifelong dream on Saturday, making her Broadway debut.

Jackson, 54, who in 2022 became the first Black woman appointed to the nation’s highest court, also made history as the first member of the Supreme Court to appear in a Broadway play, NPR reported.

Jackson appeared in a one-night-only walk-on role on Saturday night in the Tony-nominated romantic comedy musical, “& Juliet,” the news outlet reported. The production is a modern version of the classic play by William Shakespeare, with a plot twist that examines what would have happened if Juliet Capulet had survived.

“It’s a story about female empowerment and women’s ability to do what they want to do, to control their own destiny. I think it’s a wonderful message, and obviously very fun,” Jackson said during an interview with that aired Monday on “CBS Mornings.”

“I had these two different loves: the law and theater,” Jackson added, according to The Hill, which cited the CBS interview. “And so being the first Black woman Supreme Court justice to appear on a Broadway stage, that has been a dream of mine for all of these years.”

The company that produced “& Juliet” posted behind-the-scenes footage on social media showing Jackson rehearsing songs and choreography, NPR reported. It also shows the moment when Jackson appears onstage at New York City’s Stephen Sondheim Theatre, according to the news outlet.

She took her final bows to rousing applause.

“I did it!” Jackson yells at the end of the video. “I made it to Broadway.”

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