Katie Rose Clark Assumes Role of Glinda in Broadway’s Wicked January 12
Beginning with performances starting on January 12, Wicked’s Broadway production will have a new Glinda. Katie Rose Clark will be taking over the role. In addition, beginning on January Jenny Fellner will be the new Nessarose. Clark and Fellner will join that Broadway cast that also includes Dee Roscioli in the role of Elphaba, P.J. Benjamin playing The Wizard, Tony Award winning actress Rondi Reed in the role of Madam Morrible, Alex Brightman playing Boq, Kevin Kern in the role of Fiyero and Timothy Britten Parker playing Dr. Dillamond. Erin Mackey will play Glinda through January 10 and the role of Nessarose will be played by Michelle Federer.
For almost two years Katie Rose Clark performed the role of Glinda for Wicked’s First National tour. She played Clara Johnson in the First National Touring Company, PBS broadcast and Broadway production of The Light in the Piazza under Bartlett Sher’s direction. She also played Marianne in the Wharf Theatre production of Prayer for My Enemy by Craig Lucas. In addition Clark was in the chorus for TUTS Houston Anything Goes. She earned a BFA degree at Sam Houston State University.
Wicked, which has received 26 major awards that include three Tony Awards and a Grammy Award, tells the untold Oz witches story. Well before Dorothy ever comes for a visit, two girls meet in Oz. One of the girls is misunderstood, fiery and smart and has emerald green skin. The other girl is very popular, ambitious and beautiful. The story of Wicked narrates their personal journeys about how the two girls become unlikely friends and grow up to be Glinda the Good Witch and the Wicked Witch of the West.
Variety declared Wicked “A Cultural Phenomenon” and Entertainment Weekly described it as “the Best Musical of the Decade.” The musical has productions currently in New York on Broadway, San Francisco, Sydney, Stuttgart, Osaka, London and two tours in North America. Wicked is based on Gregory Maguire’s novel. Lyrics and music are by Stephen Schwartz, Winnie Holzman wrote the book. Joe Mantello is the director, Wayne Cilento does the musical staging. Producers for Wicked are David Stone, Jon B. Platt, The Araca Group, Universal Pictures and Marc Platt.
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