Bruce Glikas/WireImage James Monroe Iglehart tells PEOPLE exclusively about Kamala Harris's visit to seeA Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musicalon Broadway The former vice president and her husband, Doug Emhoff, saw the show on Feb. 15 "I was just in awe," the Tony nominee says of the big day Kamala Harrisspreads inspiration everywhere she goes. Speaking with PEOPLE at the 2025Tony Award'Meet the Nominees' event, Broadway starJames Monroe Iglehartlooks back on the special day the former vice president, 60, made a trip to see his musical,A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical, based on the life and career of Louis Armstrong. Harris and her husband,Doug Emhoff, visited the show on Feb. 15, when it was playing at Studio 54 Theatre in New York City. "First of all, they didn't tell us," Iglehart, 50, recalls of the big day. "They just kept saying, 'There's somebody here and you guys all have to stay back.' We were like, 'Who is here?' " The anticipation grew as the show started, but the seasoned actor, who played the titular character in the musical, eventually shook it off. "We couldn't look into the audience," he explains. "As Louis, for the first time in my life, I felt like a serious actor. I was like, 'Just concentrate on what you're doing. Don't worry about what's going on. You'll see it at the end.' So I forgot there was somebody there." Bruce Glikas/WireImage Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories. After the show, as Iglehart was taking off his costume, he heard an announcement. "They were like, 'Ladies and gentlemen, please come down because Vice President Kamala Harris is here.' A scream came out of my mouth, I couldn't get dressed fast enough," he remembers. "I got down there and I was just in awe." Then came the big moment. What do you say to a person of such caliber? "I walked up to her and I didn't even get to say anything," Iglehart says. "I was like, 'Hi, I'm…' And she said, 'What you're doing here is so important. The story you're telling is so important. I just want to thank you for that and thank you for your artistry.' And I was like, 'Oh...' I didn't speak to her." The starstruck actor proceeded to speak with Emhoff, who complimented his performance. Then, he found himself becoming "a normal person again." The encounter remains etched into the actor's memory, especially given that it was just weeks afterPresident Donald Trump was sworn into officefollowing his race against Harris. "It was one of those moments where I really saw what theater could do," Iglehart says. "Sometimes you forget that other people come to what we do to just chill out and get away from the world for a little bit. And our job is to entertain you for a couple of hours and take you away from whatever's going on in the world. The fact that we could do that for Vice President Kamala Harris, I was like, 'Okay, yeah, we did our job.' She was so sweet. We took pictures." View this post on Instagram A post shared by JM Iglehart (@jmiglehart) The PEOPLE Appis now available in the Apple App Store! Download it now for the most binge-worthy celeb content, exclusive video clips, astrology updates and more! Iglehart starred in the musical during its Broadway staging from November 2024 to February. He also co-directed the production alongside Christopher Renshaw and Christina Sajous, after having played Louis in the show'searly runs in New Orleansand Chicago. The actor also took away a valuable lesson from playing the singer. "Louis didn't try to be anybody else. He didn't try to act like anybody else or sound like anybody else. He was completely comfortable in his own skin, but he had to learn to be that," Iglehart says. "And through this process, I have had to learn to be that." Bruce Glikas/Getty Now, the actor feels "more comfortable being me than I ever have in my entire life," which he credits to living through the jazz crooner. It's been over a decade since Iglehart won a Tony for playing the Genie in Broadway'sAladdin. When it comes to being back on the awards circuit, he describes the experience as "surreal." "I literally did not expect this," the actor says. "I can't believe I'm here. Last time, I was excited because I was a newbie. This time, I'm just glad to be among the folks. I didn't know if I'd have a second time, so this time I'm just going to let the ride go and enjoy what happens." The 2025 Tony Awards will air live from N.Y.C.'s Radio City Music Hall Sunday, June 8 on CBS. Read the original article onPeople
