Taye Diggs has had a long and decorated run on the Broadway stage, but there is one moment from his theater career that lives rent free in his head and it involves a wayward broomstick and a very surprised Idina Menzel.
The actor, who most recently appeared in Moulin Rouge! The Musical, spoke at the opening night of Joe Turner’s Come and Gone at The Barrymore Theatre in New York City on April 25. While reflecting on his most memorable stage moments, one particular night from his time in Wicked came rushing back.
Diggs stepped in to play Fiyero in the beloved musical in December 2003, joining the original cast opposite Menzel, who was playing Elphaba. The two were married that same year, making the run a rare and exciting opportunity to share the stage with his then wife. He was covering for Norbert Leo Butz, who had to step away from the role briefly due to a back injury.
The broom almost went offstage
During one performance, Diggs was meant to swing onto the stage and toss the broomstick to Menzel in what was supposed to be a smooth, crowd-pleasing moment. It did not go as planned.
The throw went wide, nearly sailing off the stage entirely. Menzel was caught off guard, the audience erupted in laughter, and Diggs has never quite let himself live it down. He said he had been eager to make an impression and play the cool, swaggering Fiyero especially with his wife watching from just a few feet away. The broom, apparently, had other ideas.
It is the kind of live theater moment that cannot be edited out or retaken, which is part of what makes it stick.
A Broadway career that started long before Wicked
Diggs is no newcomer to the stage. He got his start as part of the ensemble in the 1994 revival of Carousel, before landing his breakout role two years later as Benjamin Coffin III in the original production of Rent. That role opened the door to his career in television and film, though his connection to the stage has never fully faded.
The original Wicked cast that Diggs joined in 2003 also included Kristin Chenoweth as Glinda, Joel Grey as The Wizard, Carole Shelley as Madame Morrible, Michelle Federer as Nessarose, Christopher Fitzgerald as Boq, and William Youmans as Doctor Dillamond.
Diggs and Menzel were married from 2003 to 2014 and share a son, Walker.
Returning to Broadway after a decade away
Looking back, Diggs recollection of the broom mishap underscores the unpredictable charm of Broadway. While scripted performances aim for perfection, it is often the unscripted moments that resonate most with audiences.
These instances create a sense of authenticity that cannot be replicated in film or television. For performers, they also serve as reminders of the risks and rewards that come with live storytelling.
For Diggs, the experience remains a lighthearted highlight from his time in Wicked. It captures both the excitement of performing alongside Menzel and the joy of connecting with an audience in an unexpected way.
After years focused on screen work, Diggs returned to Broadway to play The Duke of Monroth in Moulin Rouge! The Musical and he said the experience was far more nerve wracking than he had anticipated. A decade away from live performance had not dulled his love for the stage, but it had made the return feel daunting in ways he had not fully prepared for.
Once he was back in front of a live audience, though, the reasons he fell in love with theater in the first place came back quickly. He told said the experience reminded him why the stage holds a different kind of energy than any other performance medium and that he hopes to return again, this time with a clearer sense of what the nerves will feel like going in.
EXCLUSIVE : PEOPLE
