Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson joined the Broadway cast of “& Juliet” in New York City this past Saturday. On the surface, Jackson is having fun and fulfilling what she said was a dream of hers, but the implications of such a stint are much more reprehensible than meets the eye.
“& Juliet” is a woke, jukebox musical reimagining of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet,” with a twist. According to the official website, “‘& Juliet’ asks: What would happen next if Juliet didn’t end it all over Romeo?”
Jackson was invited by the “& Juliet” team to perform a brief walk-on role written specifically for her, she told National Public Radio.
The musical also features a new character, “May,” Juliet’s nonbinary best friend who uses he/she/they pronouns. It is fitting for Jackson to join this type of show since she, when asked by Sen. Marsha Blackburn during her Supreme Court confirmation hearing to define the word “woman,” simply replied: “I can’t.”
Jackson’s time on Broadway highlights the stark contrast in the way conservative and liberal justices are allowed to live their lives in the public eye.
Conservative Justice Clarence Thomas faced an ethics controversy for vacationing with longtime friend and Republican donor Harlan Crow and not reporting it on financial disclosures. Thomas claimed in a statement he had no reason to report these trips since Crow had no “business before the court.”
Jackson, on the other hand, is given a Broadway debut simply because it’s supposedly her dream, and she is celebrated in the name of “female empowerment.”
While Jackson attracts a large audience of excited theatergoers, conservative justices like Brett Kavanaugh and Samuel Alito attract assassination attempts.
There is a demonstrable (and unsurprising) double standard in Broadway’s attitude toward conservatives, too. Brandon Dixon, a former cast member of “Hamilton” on Broadway, read a note to former Vice President Mike Pence from the stage at the conclusion of a performance Pence attended in 2016.
Dixon, speaking on behalf of the cast made up exclusively of racial minorities, lambasted the then-vice president-elect, who was still present, saying, “We are the diverse America who are alarmed that your new administration will not protect us.”
As Jackson takes time away from a still-in-session Supreme Court to grace the Great White Way, the stark contrast in attitude toward conservatives and liberals stares audiences right in the face.