Who's Playing GLINDA in "Wicked" in the U.S., Australia, England, Germany, and Japan in 2010?

In 2010 replicated productions of "Wicked," the hit Broadway musical by Stephen Schwartz (born March 6, 1948) and Winnie Holzman (born 1954), were performed in eight worldwide venues. In the United States, "Wicked" was staged in San Francisco, where it closed on September 5, 2010, and on Broadway. The hit musical was available nationally through the First National Tour and the Second National Tour. Internationally "Wicked" continued to attract throngs of devotees in London, England, and in Osaka, Japan. The German production, closing in Stuttgart on January 29, 2010, previewed on March 5, 2010, with opening night on March 8, 2010. The Australian production closed in Sydney on September 26, 2010.

Glinda

The two principal roles in "Wicked" are that of Elphaba, the green witch, and Glinda, who was known as Glinda the Good in the Oz books by L. Frank Baum (May 15, 1856 – May 6, 1919) which are the predecessors of Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, the 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire (born June 9, 1954), and its musical interpretation, "Wicked." The role of Glinda is important in the musical, particularly vis-à-vis her interaction with Elphaba.

PLEASE NOTE: The venues for the role of Glinda in 2010 are covered in this hub. The sections for each venue include tables with information on principals, alternates, standbys, and understudies along with their start dates and replacement dates.

Broadway

In January 2010 Erin Mackey played Glinda to Dee Roscioli's Elphaba on Broadway until Katie Rose Clarke took over the role of Glinda on January 14th. Mandy Gonzalez, who replaced Dee as Elphaba on March 23, played opposite Katie Rose for the rest of 2010.

A native of Fullerton, California, Erin’s previous experience as lead Glinda included the Chicago production from October 24, 2006 until April 13, 2008 as well as the Los Angeles production from May 20, 2008 through September 28, 2008. The youngest singer in the musical’s history to play Glinda, Erin found personal as well as professional success with the play. In January 2009 she married Stanton Nash, who had played Boq, the Munchkin who is hopelessly in love with Glinda, in the Chicago production. Reflecting on this double success, Erin enthused:

“Wicked has been exciting for me in every way, but meeting my husband is definitely the coolest part.” (Kimberly Kaye, August 27, 2009)

A native of Friendswood, Texas, Katherine “Katie” Rose Clarke’s previous experience as lead Glinda was on the First National Tour from November 6, 2007 to August 16, 2009. Katie loves touring but she understands the honor of playing Glinda on Broadway:

“I cannot believe they asked me to be part of this company! Finding my place and how I can fit into a machine working so beautifully on Broadway is all part of the journey, and I’m humbled by it.” (Katie Rose Clarke on her Wicked Return to Broadway,” January 14, 2010)

First National Tour

The year opened with Chandra Lee Schwartz as Glinda and Donna Vivino as Elphaba on the First National Tour. On July 8, Jackie Burns replaced Donna as Elphaba and continued in the role opposite Chandra Lee Schwartz's Glinda for the rest of the year.

A native of San Marcos, a suburb of San Diego, California, Chandra Lee Schwartz assumed the role of Glinda on August 21, 2009 in familiar stomping grounds, the San Diego Civic Theatre. Was she nervous about debuting before a multitude of family, friends, even her eye doctor?

“I’m really so happy to be doing this in my hometown. It’s as if the stars have aligned correctly.” (Sherry Moore, August 20, 2009)

San Francisco

In San Francisco, Kendra Kassebaum performed as Glinda opposite first Teal Wicks and then, beginning on March 2nd, Eden Espinosa as Elphaba. On June 29, 2010, Alli Mauzey took over Glinda from Kendra, and Marcie Dodd replaced Eden as Elphaba. Alli's Glinda and Marcie's Elphaba closed the musical's run in San Francisco on September 5, 2010.

A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Kendra Kassebaum’s previous experience as lead Glenda includes originating the role on the First National Tour from March 9, 2005 to September 5, 2006 and reprising the role on Broadway in 2007 from January 9th through October 7th and in 2008 from May 13th to November 9th.

One of Kendra’s activities outside of the play was attending twice weekly sessions in Noe Valley with her Pilates instructor, Helena Talman, whose husband, Tim, played Elphaba’s father, in the production. Helena noted:

“Those costumes Kendra wears are 20 and 30 pounds, so she has to have core support.” (Meredith May, June 19, 2010)

A native of Anaheim Hills, California, Alli Mauzey’s previous experience as lead Glinda was on Broadway from November 11, 2008 until Erin Mackey took over on August 11, 2009. Alli finds it “really fun to be blonde every night” since she is a brunette in real life. Also she loves the role’s singing range:

“. . . I absolutely love singing this score. . .I don’t know many shows where you get to sing those high-high-high soprano notes and belt as well. The role is so big and there’s so much material, every performance is different.” (Kathy Henderson, June 29, 2009)

Second National Tour

Heléne Yorke, who had originated the role of Glinda on the first preview of the Second National Tour, played opposite Marcie Dodd, the Tour's original Glinda, until Natalie Daradich took over the role from Heléne on March 10, 2010. Natalie played Glinda to Marcie's Elphaba until Vicki Noon replaced Marcie on April 6, 2010, so that Marcie could take over the role from Eden Espinosa in San Francisco several months later on June 29, 2010.

Born in Vancouver, Canada, Heléne Yorke grew up in a number of American cities, including Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Minneapolis. Heléne’s favorite Glinda song is “For Good,” which is dueted with Elphaba and which epitomizes the friendship between the two who ostensibly are opposites. Her favorite song in the show, however, is Elphaba’s solo, “No Good Deed”:

“It’s an incredible song. It’s my favorite song of the whole show, especially when we have signers. The (sign language interpreters) are completely and emotionally connected to what she does. I’m in tears every time.” (Diane Nollen, September 21, 2009)

A native of Toronto, Canada, Natalie Daradich previously served as standby for the role of Glinda and understudy for Nessarose in the San Francisco and Los Angeles productions. But she started out in the musical as a swing, meaning that she was responsible for multiple roles. She appreciates her ascent to lead role, but she does not disparage the journey:

“The lead actors in any show tend to get a lot of credit, but it’s the ensemble members who really deserve the bulk of the credit. I’ve developed a real appreciation of how hard everyone works to make this show a success. Some of the ensemble actors have eight or nine costume changes during a performance, and have to play all these different characters to populate this world.” (James D. Watts, Jr., November 14, 2010)

The year opened in London's West End with Dianne Pilkington in the role of Glinda, whom she had played since July 16, 2007. Alexia Khadime had been performing as Elphaba since May 11, 2009. On March 29, 2010, Louise Dearman took over as Glinda from Dianne, and Rachel Tucker replaced Alexia.

A native of Wigan, a mining town in Greater Manchester County in northwest England, Dianne holds the record as the longest-running Glinda in a single contract in the musical’s history. Another high note in 2010 for Dianne was her marriage on October 10th to Jean-Claude Pelletier, whom she had met while they were both in the 2006-2007 UK tour of “Cats.” Dianne agrees with other Glindas and Elphabas that the phenomenal success of “Wicked” inheres in the unlikely friendship between the two lead females:

“The show tells the story, basically, of what it’s like to be different and not fit in and that ideal situation that then arises where the person bullying you says, ‘I was hideously wrong; let’s be best friends.’ I think a lot of that speaks to people if they feel they don’t fit in with the normal crowd and the ‘it’ crowd, so audiences get very attached to whoever plays those roles if they are played in a way people can identify with.” (Matt Wolf, May 19, 2010)

Hailing from Linslade in Bedfordshire in southeastern England, Louise Dearman feels that she has always been “a bit of a belter,” and therefore many expected her to play Elphaba. Instead she was offered the role of the popular girl, Glinda, which entailed a change in her speaking and singing voices:

“. . .I had never sung a soprano role before. And though I wouldn’t call myself ‘squeaky,’ there is a Glinda voice that goes with her being bubbly and spoiled and tactless at the beginning.”

Is a switch to the role of Elphaba in her future?

“You never know! Maybe in the future I’ll be green, but for now I’m very happy covered in glitter and being blonde.” (Matt Wolf, October 13, 2010)

Lucy Durack, who originated the role of Glenda in Sydney at its preview on September 5, 2009, remained in the role all the way through closing night on September 26, 2010. Opposite her in the role of Elphaba were Pippa Grandison and Jemma Rix, who had been sharing the role since December 17, 2009. On May 25, Patrice Tipoki took over Elphaba from Pippa Grandison, so she and Jemma played opposite Lucy's Glinda for the rest of the run in Sydney.

Hailing from Perth in western Australia, Lucy is the quintessential Aussie Glinda, having played the role to perfection since 2008 in the two stage productions and, beginning with the first preview on January 25, 2011, on the First Australian Tour. Lucy has been applauded for her comic timing, which, according to her, she has had to hone because “I’m the least funny person I know.” She feels that the excellent script for “Wicked” eases the comic atmosphere:

“Thankfully the script does so much of the work for me, Glinda has some knockout lines.” (Danika Armytage, p. 11)

Stuttgart

Lucy Scherer originated the role of Glinda in Stuttgart. She played Glinda from the first preview on November 1, 2007 all the way to closing night over two years later in 2010. Willemijn Verkaik had been the original Elphaba there and continued in the role until Roberta Valentini took over on January 7, 2010. Lucy's Glinda and Roberta's Elphaba performed together for the next three weeks, closing the run in Stuttgart on January 29.

Born in Munich, Lucy Barbara Eleonore Scherer grew up in Regensburg in eastern Bavaria. The soprano studied ballet and piano as a child and studied for a year, 1998 to 1999, at the School for Creative and Performing Arts in Cincinnati, Ohio. She graduated with distinction from the prestigious University of the Arts Berlin in 2006. While Lucy floated through the role, making everything about her portrayal of Glinda look easy and natural, she summoned considerable stamina, vocally and physically, throughout the almost twenty-seven months of performing. For instance, the ice blue many petalled-gown gown weighs about 33 pounds (15 kilograms), which is “about 30% of Lucy’s weight.” (Corbyjane, December 25, 2009)

Oberhausen

The German venue switched to Oberhausen early in 2010, with its first preview on March 5th and opening night on March 8th. Joana Fee Würz originated as Glinda there. Roberta Valentini played opposite her as Elphaba for the first preview and on opening night because of a scheduling conflict for Willemijn Verkaik, who was set to originate the role. Willemijn resumed the role of the green witch on March 9th.

Joana Fee Würz was born in Bad Wimpfen in southwestern Germany. While still a teenager, Joana studied for a year, 1998 to 1999, at the Tring Park School for the Performing Arts in southeastern England, about 30 miles (48 kilometres) northwest of London. She graduated from the Bavarian Theater Academy August Everding (Bayerische Theaterakademie August Everding) with a degree in musical theater in 2006.

Dates for cast replacement in Japan are unclear and are under research. Tomada Asako played Glinda throughout the year. The role of Elphaba was successively held by Ebata Masae and Chiaki Kimura.

Armytage, Danika. “The Interview: The Wicked Witch of the East,” Honisoit, Week 9 edition, September 23, 2009, p. 11.

Corbyjane. “Wicked: Glinda’s Buble Gown Directory.” Pink Goes Good with Green: A Broadway Musical Costuming Resource. December 25, 2009.

Henderson, Kathy. “Wicked’s Alli Mausey Loves Being Glinda the Good,” Broadway.com., June 29, 2009.

“Katie Rose Clarke on her Wicked Return to Broadway,” Broadway.com., January 14, 2010.

Kaye, Kimberly. “New Wicked Star Erin Mackey Enters the Broadway Bubble,” Broadway.com., August 27, 2009.

May, Meredith. “Kendra Kassebaum Stays in Shape to Play Glinda,” San Francisco Chronicle. June 19, 2010. sfgate.com.

Moore, Sherry. “Chandra Lee Schwartz (Eileen’s daughter) in NC Times Article,” Picture Perfect San Diego, August 20, 2009.

Nollen, Diane. “Something ‘Wicked’ this way comes: Hit Broadway musical set to land in Des Moines,” The Gazette, September 21, 2009. thegazette.com.

Watts, James D., Jr. “After playing every part, she’s now the star,” Tulsa World, November 14, 2010. tulsaworld.com

Wolf, Matt. “Louise Dearman, London’s Glinda, chats about being popular in Wicked,” London Buzz, October 13, 2010. Broadway.com.

Wolf, Matt. “Popular star Dianne Pilkington on flying from London’s Wicked to The 39 Steps,” London Buzz, May 19, 2010. Broadway.com.

Copyright October 5, 2010 by Derdriu