Jade Jones Plays by Their Own Rules in “Bigfoot!”
Jade Jones, center, in the new musical Bigfoot!, currently running at New York City Center. Photo: Marc J. Franklin.
In Bigfoot!, Jade Jones is living their dream and not wasting a second of it.
Now playing at New York City Center through April 26, Bigfoot! tells the story of a lovable cryptid named Bigfoot (Grey Henson), who wants to be where the people are — the fictional town of Muddirt. Bigfoot’s mother (Crystal Lucas-Perry) has convinced him that it would be safest to live on the outskirts of town, but the myth of the creature proliferates in the community. Muddirt’s crooked mayor (Alex Moffat) stokes the townfolks’ curiosity into rage to distract them from his plan to demolish the town and build a waterpark, partnering with a local billionaire — played by Jade Jones.
Jones, as a plus-sized, Black, queer, nonbinary performer, was discouraged from pursuing acting at the start of their career. They were told that there was something “different” about them that wouldn’t appeal to the market. Jones persisted and became a local theater sensation in the Washington, DC, area, earning two Helen Hayes nominations, including one for a memorable run as Little Red in the Ford’s Theatre 2019 production of Into the Woods.
Jones’s career drastically changed when, during their run as Belle in the 2021 Olney Theatre Center production of Beauty and the Beast, their performance of “Home” went viral on social media. This experience showed Jones the power of representation. “This was at a small theater in Maryland, and it just blew up into an international sensation. I never realized how important it was for so many people to see themselves represented onstage. Me, as a queer nonbinary, plus-sized person, there was something that someone could identify with that they haven’t seen, especially in the Disney multiverse,” said Jones.
Jones credits the experience of playing Belle with instilling a newfound confidence in them. “I was always really comfortable with my role of being the ensemble character or the funny best friend.… [Belle] was really the first time that I saw myself in a leading role.”
Now, Jones is bringing their talents to Bigfoot!, and they couldn’t pick a better show to introduce themselves to New York City. “I think it’s a great launchpad for me. [A chance] for the city to see what I can do.… Bigfoot! encompasses everything that I love about musical theater.” The madcap style of Bigfoot! gives Jones a chance to showcase a variety of skills as a singer, actor, and comedian, and, because the show is an original musical, Jones has more freedom to explore, without the expectations that come along with portraying an established character like Belle or Little Red.
“I never imagined any of this for myself at all. I’m really a testament to the fact that the universe can have bigger plans for you.”
Their journey with the musical began when they were brought in as a last-minute replacement for the workshop in 2025. Jones jumped at the opportunity to join the cast because they’ve long admired Bigfoot! writer and queer icon Amber Ruffin: “I look up to her so much.” Ruffin and the rest of the writing team, composed of Kevin Sciretta and David Schmoll, gave Jones plenty of space to play around and craft their character, especially when it comes to their gender expression.
Jones’s billionaire character is male, complete with husky voice and fake mustache, and the musical never makes a joke of it. The humor comes from Jones’s performance, not the fact they’re gender-bending. According to Jones, their track is gender blind and their understudy is a cis male performer.
The musical’s absurdity gives them the freedom to stretch themselves and have fun without scrutiny or having to contend with the audience’s understanding of what is “normal” or “realistic.” “I mean, we’re talking about a mythical creature here, so if you’re gonna complain about seeing a nonbinary person expressing themselves as a man, then we’ve got bigger problems here.” In one moment, Jones plays both the billionaire building the waterpark in town and the townsperson protesting him — so who cares if one of the characters has a mustache?
One of Jones’s characters is a billionaire in cahoots with Muddirt’s mayor (Alex Moffat) to destroy the town and build a waterpark. Photo: Marc J. Franklin.
This sentiment encapsulates Jones’s vision for a more gender-inclusive theater industry. Jones is grateful that the creative team was open-minded, and urges more creatives to expand their thinking. “At the end of the day, we’re just playing pretend. People are coming to see us tell a story. If you’re telling the story, it shouldn’t matter,” they said. “If you’re male or female or nonbinary, it shouldn’t matter. If you can’t sing a high G or whatever, it doesn’t matter. We can change the key.”
As a child growing up in Chantilly, Virginia, Jones didn’t have much access to the theater. They couldn’t enroll in any theater camps or after-school activities, and though they continuously applied to participate in their middle school’s theater program, they were never selected. They found more success working in community theater and in high school, but still couldn’t imagine a career on the stage.
“I just thought it would be something I would do for fun. I never imagined any of this for myself at all. I’m really a testament to the fact that the universe can have bigger plans for you,” they said. For now, those plans include continuing to create, whether on the musical theater stage or performing as their rap alter ego Litty Official.
If Bigfoot! is Jones’s “launchpad,” there’s no telling where they’ll soar next.