James T. Lane

James T. Lane is an American actor, singer, and dancer born on December 25, 1977, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is openly gay and has maintained an active presence on Broadway from 1996 to 2024.

Lane's early education took place at the Meredith School, where he studied from kindergarten through eighth grade, followed by attendance at the Girard Academic Music Program during high school. As a teenager, he also trained at the Ensemble Theatre Community School in Eagles Mere, Pennsylvania. He went on to study musical theatre at Carnegie Mellon University and Penn State University.

Lane made his Broadway debut in the 2006 revival of A Chorus Line, portraying Richie Walters, a role he held through 2008. In 2013, he reprised that same role in the West End production of the show. His Broadway work continued with Chicago: The Musical, in which he played Aaron, Amos Hart, and Billy Flynn across multiple stints in 2008–10, 2015, and 2023. Additional Broadway credits include The Scottsboro Boys, where he played Ozie Powell and Ruby Bates in 2010; King Kong as a member of the ensemble in 2018; Kiss Me, Kate as Paul in 2019; and A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical, in which he served as alternate Louis Armstrong in 2024. He also appeared in the Broadway production of Ain't Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations as Paul Williams, as well as the musical Kiss Me.

Beyond Broadway, Lane accumulated an extensive list of regional and off-Broadway credits. He appeared in multiple Encores! productions, including Promenade as 105, Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope as James, and Grand Hotel as Jimmy2, all in 2018. At The MUNY, he took on roles including Tin Man in The Wiz in 2018, Billy Flynn in Chicago: The Musical in 2021, and Lt. Eddie Souther in Sister Act in 2023. He played Bert in Mary Poppins at Drury Lane Theatre and Nicely Nicely in Guys and Dolls at Virginia Stage Company, both in 2019. His earlier regional work included productions at the Prince Music Theatre in Philadelphia, where he appeared in Dreamgirls in 2005 and Cole Porter's The Pirate in 2006. He also toured nationally with Jersey Boys as Barry Belson in 2012 and with Ain't Too Proud as Paul Williams in 2022. On the West End, he additionally played Ozie Powell and Ruby Bates in The Scottsboro Boys from 2014 to 2015.

In the summer of 2023, Lane brought his autobiographical solo show Triple Threat to Theatre Row. Written and performed by Lane, the piece traced his personal journey through the entertainment industry, from his rise against considerable odds to a near-death experience and his subsequent recovery. Lane has also worked in television, appearing on the soap opera One Life to Live as a James Brown impersonator.