Broadway legend André De Shields doesn't walk, he floats

Episode Summary

Executive Summary: Terry Gross interviews Broadway legend Andre De Shields about his career arc, resilience living with HIV, and his current stage work in Cats: The Jellicle Ball and the filmed version of Hadestown. De Shields reflects on Black theater history, drag and ballroom culture, his early influences, and how performance, identity, and survival have shaped his artistry.

Main Topics: Career longevity and artistic vitality at 80 (Priority: 5/5): De Shields discusses performing on Broadway at 80, managing arthritis and age-related limitations, and how stage presence and audience energy make pain disappear. HIV, survival, and advocacy (Priority: 5/5): He recounts living with HIV since 1991, believing he was symptomatic years earlier, caring for partners who died of AIDS, and becoming an advocate against stigma. Hadestown, mythology, and the role of Hermes (Priority: 4/5): De Shields explains returning to Hermes in the film version of Hadestown and connects the story’s underworld journey to myths, memory, and his own life experience. Black theater, The Wiz, and Broadway access (Priority: 5/5): He reflects on how The Wiz opened Broadway to Black audiences and artists, and how Black performance traditions shaped his career and cultural identity. Drag, ballroom culture, and performance as illusion (Priority: 4/5): In discussing Cats: The Jellicle Ball, he traces links between queer ballroom culture, the Jewel Box Revue, and the performer's task of creating fantasy and transformation. Early influences and education as escape (Priority: 3/5): De Shields describes growing up in Baltimore, pursuing higher education, early stage experiences in college, and inspirations like John Bubbles, Judy Garland, and the Harlem Renaissance.

Key Arguments: De Shields argues that his longevity is not accidental; he has long believed his destiny would meet him and that he would continue on his path despite HIV. He says performance can override physical pain: arthritis and joint issues fade once he is under stage lights and receiving audience response. He frames HIV as both a personal and public issue, arguing that stigma should be removed because everyone is affected by it even if not everyone is infected. He argues that Black history and Black excellence are central to American culture, and that The Wiz helped bring Black audiences and performers onto Broadway. He presents drag and ballroom performance as part of a wider tradition of illusion, fantasy, and self-making that all performers use. He believes embodying Walter Lee Younger in A Raisin in the Sun helped dissolve his own resentment and sense of being blocked as a Black man.

Data Points: Age: 80 - De Shields is performing on Broadway and discussing his career at age 80. Year Tony Award won for Hadestown: 2019 - He won a Tony for playing Hermes in the original Broadway production of Hadestown. Tony Awards won by Hadestown: 7 other Tonys - The Broadway production won seven additional Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Year HIV diagnosis: 1991 - De Shields says he was diagnosed with HIV in 1991 and believes he had it earlier. Possible earlier symptom period: 1980–1991 - He describes swollen lymph nodes in 1980 and says he was symptomatic for about 11 years before diagnosis. T-cell count: 16 T cells - He says his clinical diagnosis came when he had only 16 T cells. Years in relationship with first partner: 17 years - He cared for a partner of 17 years who later died of AIDS. Years in relationship with second partner: 2 years - He also cared for a second partner who died of AIDS. Closing date for Cats: The Jellicle Ball: August 8 - The Broadway production De Shields is in is nearing closing. Opening date for Hadestown film: Friday - The filmed version of Hadestown is scheduled to open in theaters on Friday. Broadway debut era: 1970s - He notes that he started on Broadway in the 1970s. Length of first college performance milestone: Age 19 - He performed Walter Lee Younger in A Raisin in the Sun at 19. Duration of sustained note: 44 seconds - He says the note he holds in Cats: The Jellicle Ball has been timed at 44 seconds.

Pivotal Quotes: "I believed from my very first conscious thought that my destiny would rise up and meet me." — Andre De Shields: On his lifelong confidence in becoming a performer and surviving adversity. "When I stand on that stage, and when those lights come up, and when the audience greets me the pain disappears." — Andre De Shields: On performing at 80 despite arthritis and joint pain. "not everyone is infected with HIV, but everyone is affected by HIV." — Andre De Shields: On stigma, public responsibility, and advocacy around HIV/AIDS.

Implications: De Shields’ story links artistry, survival, and cultural history, showing how performance can become both resistance and healing. His perspective underscores Broadway’s evolving inclusivity and the ongoing need to confront HIV stigma and preserve Black and queer theatrical traditions.