EDGE Interview: Jesse James Keitel Channels Christine Jorgensen in Off-Broadway Show

Following a sold-out run at the 59E59 Theater, "The Christine Jorgensen Show" underwent a slight revamping and is now playing off-Broadway at the HERE Arts Center in New York City.

Jorgensen, a demure trans woman in the 1950s, landed in the spotlight and, against all odds, became a household name and one of America's first trans celebrities. Though surprised by the nation's interest in her life, Christine parlayed it into a career as a nightclub performer, author, and regular on the talk show circuit.

"The Christine Jorgensen Show" is a retelling of her story set to the backdrop of her collaboration with Myles Bell, a song-and-dance man who helped her create a nightclub act. The witty banter, fabulous frocks, and delightful music set the perfect tone for the story of a trans woman living authentically in the 1950s.

The role of Christine Jorgensen is played by Jesse James Keitel, whose credits include "Big Sky" (ABC/HULU), "Queer as Folk" (Peacock), and "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" (Paramount), as well as the upcoming series "Obsession" (Amazon) and feature films "Riding Shotgun" and "The Designer." The trans actor was named one of Vogue's "Rising Stars Poised to Dominate" in 2022, and was awarded the Human Rights Campaign Equity Award the same year.

Recently EDGE chatted with Jesse as she was about to begin previews of the show.

EDGE: You just had a very successful run of the show and now you're back at it.

Jesse: Yeah, bigger and better. It's a slightly revamped script and a whole new opening to the show. The 59E59 production was lovely, and I learned so much. It was like my homecoming back to the stage. But this production, I'm really excited for it. It feels a lot more grounded, like it's really found itself. I think audiences will really like it.

EDGE: Who is your audience?

Jesse: That's a good question. I think it's a fun show, charming. It's an enjoyable 80-minute piece with two people. I think it's for anyone. I don't think you need to know who Christine Jorgensen was to appreciate the impact she had. But I definitely think if you like comedic, witty banter, fun, entertaining songs, and 1950s style, it's a charmer, for sure.

EDGE: It's called a play with music, but it's not a musical. Explain that.

Jesse: It doesn't feel like a musical to me, because the musical numbers are predominantly at the end when they're performing in a nightclub act. The characters are performing within the show, not necessarily as part of their world.

EDGE: Set it up for people who might not know the story.

Jesse: The play mostly takes place in 1953 in New York City where Christine Jorgensen, who had just had a swift rise to fame, is now trying to capitalize on it by making a nightclub act. However, she can't sing, can't dance, and has terrible stage fright. In real life, she had a very successful nightclub act that carried her well through the '50s. She toured everywhere, met everyone. This show is inspired by real life.

EDGE: Talk a bit about the actual story of Christine Jorgensen, the transition story. I find that incredible back in 1950s.

Jesse: You know what's funny? She often gets credited for being one of the first trans women to medically transition, but she wasn't. She was one of many trans women who were transitioning at that time, but her story was widely publicized and sensationalized, and she became a household name overnight. She became a media sensation with headlines like "blonde beauty" and "bombshell," but she was also well-spoken, kind, and witty. She really did a lot to educate the public. She was credited at one point with saying something to the effect of, "I didn't start the sexual revolution, but I sure did give it a swift kick in the pants." That feels true to her legacy.

EDGE: I didn't realize that she was one of many trans women.

Jesse: She's one of many. In Europe, there were so many. There was a lot of research and whatnot going on at the time. It was so buttoned up, but there were many advances being made. She had to get permission from, I believe it was the Danish government, to have her transition surgeries. It was still new, but not as unheard of as we thought it was. It wasn't everyday, and many times people did find her incomprehensible, but there was a fascination about her, too.

EDGE: And she had a successful career as a nightclub performer.

Jesse: She did. She went on talk shows and wrote her autobiography. She was a businesswoman.

EDGE: Was she more of an anomaly than an act?

Jesse: There's a really lovely interview with her where someone asked if audiences treat her like a freak show. And she said, "You know, sometimes people come in thinking that, but they leave applauding." I think that was her appeal. They often expected a sideshow act, but she wasn't. She was just a lady, a beautiful, well-spoken woman. She was always well dressed. She was quite conservative, and she was also of her time. I think when people – specifically, cis people – home in and focus on the transition of trans people, they ignore our humanity. They ignore that we are also just people. And she happened to be an amazing one, an amazing person.

EDGE: You've had quite a career so far. What do you think your big break was?

Jesse: [Laughs] I kind of feel like I'm still waiting for my big break. I would say commercially it was "Big Sky," but it was a short film I did that really changed my life. It was "Miller and Son," Asher Jelinsky's MFA thesis film from AFI [American Film Institute]. It catapulted my life in ways I never could have imagined. It was about a trans woman mechanic. It will always hold a very special place for me, but "Big Sky" really thrust me onto a different level of stage.