J. Harrison Ghee

J. Harrison Ghee grew up the child of a Southern Baptist pastor and an educator in Fayetteville, North Carolina.^[6][7] They began playing cello in elementary school, later switching to play the bass. Ghee then learned to play trombone, so that they could be in the E. E. Smith High School marching band. After graduating high school in 2007, Ghee attended the American Musical and Dramatic Academy.^[6] Ghee first tried drag in college when they played a female wrestler.^[8]

In 2011, Ghee appeared as part of the ensemble in the Off-Broadway musical Little House on the Ferry, a contemporary gay love story set in Fire Island Pines, New York. The production also featured performers Seph Stanek, Colton Ford, and Kit Balcuns.^[9]

Ghee began working professionally at Tokyo Disneyland and on cruise ships.^[10] While in Tokyo, Ghee began creating their drag persona, Crystal Demure.^[6] When Ghee went to audition for Motown, they took the opportunity to share with the casting directors, who also worked on Kinky Boots, their story and connection with the Kinky Boots character Lola and were eventually cast as Lola in their Broadway debut.^[8] Ghee was the first established drag performer to take on the role. Ghee eventually joined the national touring production of the show.^[11]

Ghee joined the cast of Mrs. Doubtfire,^[12] and began previews before the 2020 closing of Broadway. In 2021, Ghee performed as Velma Kelly in The Muny's production of Chicago, before originating the role of Andre Mayem when Mrs. Doubtfire opened. In 2022, Ghee joined the cast of Some Like It Hot. They are playing Jerry/Daphne, the role played by Jack Lemmon in the film.^[13][14] In 2023, Ghee and Alex Newell became the first openly non-binary actors to be nominated for and win a Tony Award when Ghee won Best Actor in a Musical and Newell won Best Featured Actor in a Musical for Shucked at the 76th Tony Awards.^[14][15][16] In 2023, they were named as one of OUT Magazine's Out 100.^[17] In 2024, it was announced they would lead as the Lady Chablis in Jason Robert Brown and Taylor Mac's production of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. That same year, they starred as the Jester in Encores!’s production of Once Upon a Mattress at New York City Center.^[18]

They are currently starring in the Broadway production of Hadestown as Hermes as of March 2026.^[19]

Ghee is non-binary and pansexual,^[20][21][22] and uses he/she/they pronouns.^[21][23]