Transgender Performers on Broadway

[pollster2]

Posted: 3/19/20 at 1:31pm

I couldn't find a thread on this but I was curious if Broadway is ahead of other industries in terms of employing transgender artists. I could only think of three offhand: Peppermint, Kate Bornstein, and M. Collins Connley.

[Marianne2]

Posted: 3/19/20 at 1:50pm

Alexandra Billings was playing Madam Morrible in Wicked before the shutdown. And Ezra Menas was in the ensemble and understudy for Jo in Jagged Little Pill.

And M.J. Rodriguez played Angel in the off-Broadway production of Rent. I hope she makes her Broadway debut someday.

[BCfitasafiddle]

Posted: 3/19/20 at 1:57pm

Mars Rucker - Tina the Musical

[mailhandler777]

Posted: 3/19/20 at 4:14pm

BCfitasafiddle said: "Mars Rucker - Tina the Musical"

Mars is non binary. I don't think they are trans.

[treblemakerz]

Posted: 3/19/20 at 4:17pm

Collins Conley? Where in the world did you get that notion from?

[quizking101]

Posted: 3/19/20 at 5:52pm

Ezra is also non/binary, I believe.

In terms of Broadway, the first trans actress in a straight play was Alexandra Billings in THE NAP in 2018, slightly preceded by Peppermint, the first transgender actress in a musical.

Kate Bornstein falls in the identity of “gender non/conforming” though they did have a transitional operation.

[alogan1814]

Posted: 3/19/20 at 5:59pm

treblemakerz said: "Collins Conley? Where in the world did you get that notion from?"

I was also confused about that one.

[Marianne2]

Posted: 3/19/20 at 6:23pm

quizking101 said: "Ezra is also non/binary, I believe."

I think you are right. On their Instagram profile, it does say trans + non-binary. 

[sorano916]

Posted: 3/19/20 at 10:48pm

In the original Broadway cast of "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child," Jess Barbagallo played the role of Yann and for the third year, Jax Jackson takes over the role of Yann. 

[mailhandler777]

Posted: 3/19/20 at 10:53pm

Ezra is indeed also non binary. Kei Tsuruharatani in Jagged Little Pill is also non binary .

[alogan1814]

Posted: 3/20/20 at 2:19am

mailhandler777 said: "Ezra is indeed also non binary. Kei Tsuruharatani in Jagged Little Pill is also non binary ."

As is nora schell I believe who is also in the ensemble.

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 3/20/20 at 9:45am

Marianne2 said: "Alexandra Billings was playing Madam Morrible in Wicked before the shutdown. And Ezra Menas was in the ensemble and understudy for Jo in Jagged Little Pill.

And M.J. Rodriguez played Angel in the off-Broadway production of Rent. I hope she makes her Broadway debut someday."

I don't recall MJ being openly trans at the time, but I could be wrong. That said, I'd love to see her on Broadway, or just on any stage, soon. 

[MadAboutTheBoy]

Posted: 3/20/20 at 10:04pm

Is M. Collins Conley the one that plays "Sexy Corn"?

[mailhandler777]

Posted: 3/21/20 at 12:40am

MadAboutTheBoy said: "Is M. Collins Conley the one that plays "Sexy Corn"?"

This made me LOL. Yes she is Sexy Corn. Not sure where the OP got the idea she is trans but she is not. 

Updated On: 3/21/20 at 12:40 AM

[OKBroadwayFan]

Posted: 3/21/20 at 1:51am

sorano916 said: "In the original Broadway cast of "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,"Jess Barbagallo played the role of Yann and for the third year, Jax Jackson takes over the role of Yann."

Was this posted on the wrong thread?

[TheGingerBreadMan]

Posted: 3/21/20 at 2:54am

OKBroadwayFan said: "sorano916 said: "In the original Broadway cast of "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,"Jess Barbagallo played the role of Yann and for the third year, Jax Jackson takes over the role of Yann."

Was this posted on the wrong thread?"

Why would this be the wrong thread? Nothing that sorano916 said was inaccurate or off topic. 

[NotTheComfyChair]

Posted: 10/26/21 at 7:04am

quizking101 said: "

In terms of Broadway, the first trans actress in a straight play was Alexandra Billings in THE NAP in 2018, slightly preceded by Peppermint, the first transgender actress in a musical."

 

I would add to this Bianca Leigh, also in THE NAP, who was the understudy for Alexandra Billings' character as well as Stella Spokes, a cis-gendered character.

 

I missed the thread first time round and came across it in a search for something else.

 

[JBroadway]

Posted: 10/26/21 at 9:54am

I guess since this thread has been bumped, it's worth mentioning that Becca Blackwell is a trans actor in "Is This a Room." Interestingly, the role of Agent Taylor was played Off-Broadway by a trans actor, but I believe the actor playing the role on Broadway is cis. 

We've also seen Alex Newell on Broadway. They are genderfluid, and use a variety of pronouns. I believe they were mostly using "he/him" pronouns at the time, at least publicly, but even then they were gender non-conforming I believe. 

Also worth mentioning, since there was some discussion about it before: many non-binary  people consider themselves under the "trans" umbrella. Granted, I've also known some non-binary people who didn't feel the term "transgender" applied to them. But I think for the most part, when we talk broadly about trans issues and trans representation, non-binary people can be included in that conversation. As can gender-fluid and gender non-conforming people.