Broadway actor James Monroe Iglehart, who currently stars as Lance in “& Juliet,” took time to reflect on his role and the expansion of Shakespeare’s universe in a conversation with the AmNews on March 25 via Zoom.
“& Juliet,” which has run on Broadway since 2022 and was nominated for nine Tony Awards, reimagines a world in which a young Juliet, one of the titular characters in the William Shakespeare classic “Romeo & Juliet,” does not meet her infamous demise. “It did make me happy that someone stepped in and gave this young woman a chance,” Iglehart told the AmNews. “The fact that she is able to have this other choice is a lot of fun for me.”
Iglehart, who has performed on Broadway stages as iconic characters that include Genie in “Aladdin,” Thomas Jefferson in “Hamilton,” and King Arthur in “Spamalot,” has stepped into the role of Lance, the love interest of Juliet’s nurse, Angelique, and father of François, a young musician who is learning about his own identity and sexuality.
Iglehart succeeds several performers who have portrayed Lance on the stage, including NSYNC’s Joey Fatone, but has interjected his own experiences into the role, providing audiences with a fresh take on the character.
“Different people have played him, but I’m able to put my stamp on him and make him this kind of pseudo — in his mind — ‘cool dad’ … I totally identify with Lance,” Iglehart said with a smile. “Also, I’m a dad, a dad of a son who is gay,” drawing parallels between the play’s plot and his own life. “I [have] a different perspective because Lance doesn’t know and doesn’t see, and at first doesn’t understand. With my situation, my wife and I were very open and told our son, ‘Be who you are, and we love you regardless,’ so it was kind of fun to be able to bring that to the character. I play him a little different — I love the softer side of Lance.”
The show features several LGTBQ+ characters, Black and Latino actors, and perhaps an alternate viewpoint than is historically represented on the stage and screen. “Representation is important, just because you want to see yourself in these stories,” Iglehart told the AmNews. “As far as ‘& Juliet’ is concerned, I would love for people to walk away and know that just because life says you have to do one thing, that doesn’t mean that’s the path you have to choose … you don’t have to be locked into what the so-called story says. You make your own story and make your own path.”
For tickets to “& Juliet,” visit andjulietbroadway.com.