The release of Wicked: For Good on November 21 marked Ariana Grande’s return to the iconic role of Glinda. Grande has been nominated for a Golden Globe and a Critic’s Choice Award for best supporting actress. Here’s a look back at all the lead actresses who played Glinda on Broadway.
Kristin Chenoweth
October 30, 2003, to July 18, 2004
Chenoweth originated the role of Glinda in Wicked, earning a nomination for the 2004 Tony Award for best actress in a musical for her performance. She had previously won the Tony Award for best performance by an actress in a featured role in a musical for her performance as Sally in You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.
Jennifer Laura Thompson
July 20, 2005, to May 30, 2005
Thompson is known for replacing Chenoweth as Glinda in Wicked. She had previously been nominated for a Tony award for her performance in Urinetown.
Megan Hilty
May 31, 2005, to May 30, 2006
Hilty was the standby for Glinda in Wicked on Broadway before taking over the role full-time in May 2005. She continued with the show on tour and in the Los Angeles production, playing the role for a total of four and a half years. During her time in Los Angeles, a 5-foot fight wand unexpectedly flew out of her hand and landed in the audience, which temporarily stopped the show.
Kate Reinders
May 30, 2006, to January 9, 2007
Reinders was the Glinda in the original Chicago production of Wicked and later became the Glinda for the Broadway production, replacing Megan Hilty on May 30, 2006. She was nominated for a Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Actress in a Principal Role for her work in the Chicago production.
Kendra Kassebaum
January 9, 2007, to October 9, 2007
May 13, 2008, to November 11, 2008
Kendra Kassebaum is known for originating the role of Glinda on the first national tour of Wicked and later reprising the role on Broadway. She also starred in the original Broadway cast of Come From Away as Janice and Others.
Annaleigh Ashford
October 9, 2007, to May 13, 2008
Ashford played Glinda in the Broadway production of Wicked after initially joining the national tour as an ensemble member and understudy for the role. She left the tour to originate the role of Margot in Legally Blonde on Broadway, but returned to Wicked to take over the role of Glinda full-time. After her run on Broadway, she transferred to the Chicago production, where she performed until its closing in 2009.
Alli Mauzey
November 11, 2008, to August 11, 2009
October 16, 2012, to April 23, 2013
September 24, 2013, to February 25, 2014
Mauzey first joined the Broadway cast as a standby in 2007 before taking over the lead role in 2008, and then returning in 2012 and 2013. She reprised the role of Glinda in the San Francisco company from June 29, 2010, until its closing on September 5, 2010. Mauzey returned to the role of Glinda on the first national tour of Wicked in 2012.
Erin Mackey
August 11, 2009, to January 14, 2010
Erin Mackey has played the role of Glinda in Wicked across multiple productions, including the national tour, and the Chicago, Los Angeles, and Broadway companies. She began her time with the show as a swing on the national tour before taking over the role of Glinda, which she has played on and off for many years, even returning to the tour after a decade away. She married Stanton Nash, who played Boq alongside her in the Chicago production, in 2009.
Katie Rose Clarke
January 14, 2010, to March 25, 2011
April 26, 2011, to September 27, 2011
April 23, 2013, to September 24, 2013
December 11, 2018, to April 9, 2019
Clarke is best known as Broadway’s longest-running Glinda, originating the role on the first national tour and playing it multiple times on Broadway. She joined the tour in 2007, moved to Broadway in 2010, and has since returned for other limited engagements.
Laura Woyasz
March 25, 2011, to April 26, 2011
Woyasz was a Glinda standby in the Broadway production. She has also been in the Los Angeles production of the show, and in April 2011, she took over the role of Glinda on Broadway temporarily while Katie Rose Clarke was absent. Over the summer of 2011, she was replaced by Kate Fahrner as the Glinda standby.
Chandra Lee Schwartz
September 27, 2011, to October 16, 2012
Schwartz replaced Katie Rose Clarke as Glinda on the first national tour in August 2009, playing her final performance on tour in April 2011. She then reprised her role of Glinda on Broadway beginning performances in September 2011, playing her final performance in October 2012. Following her departure, Schwartz returned to the first national tour in July 2014, closing the production at the Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles on March 15, 2015.
Jenni Barber
February 25, 2014, to November 25, 2014
Barber and Christine Dwyer were guest stars on Project Runway: All Stars for the challenge of “Good vs. Wicked” in the Glinda and Elphaba costumes. The pair performed the duet “For Good” together at the 68th Tony Awards.
Tiffany Haas
November 25, 2014, to December 16, 2014
Haas made her Broadway debut in Wicked as the Nessarose understudy in 2005. She was the Glinda standby on Broadway before leading the role in November 2014. Haas ended her run as a Glinda standby on February 1, 2015.
Kara Lindsay
December 16, 2014, to February 2, 2016
November 1, 2016, to July 31, 2017
After originating the role of Katherine Plumber in Newsies, Lindsay joined the cast of the second North American tour of Wicked as Glinda from April to November 23, 2014. She assumed the role of Glinda, alongside Caroline Bowman as Elphaba, on Broadway on December 16, 2014. After her Broadway run, Lindsay returned to the role in November 2016, playing her last performance in July 2017.
Carrie St. Louis
February 2, 2016, to November 1, 2016
St. Louis made her Broadway debut as Sherrie in Rock of Ages in 2014. Later that year, she went on the road as Glinda in the national tour of Wicked. In 2016, she returned to the role on Broadway.
Amanda Jane Cooper
July 31, 2017, to December 11, 2018
February 2, 2022, to February 14, 2022
Cooper has played Glinda in the Wicked North American first and second national tours and in the Broadway production. Cooper joined the Broadway production on July 31, 2017, replacing Kara Lindsay.
Ginna Claire Mason
April 9, 2019, to March 13, 2020
September 14, 2021, to February 2, 2022
Mason played Glinda in the Broadway and national touring productions of Wicked several times from 2015 and 2022. After the COVID-19 shutdown, Mason resumed her role as Glinda in Wicked, ending her run in February 2022.
Brittney Johnson
February 14, 2022, to February 14, 2023
Johnson joined the Broadway company of Wicked in June 2018. She performed in the ensemble and as the understudy for Glinda. She replaced Lisa Livesay as the standby for Glinda on July 1, 2019. Then, Allie Trimm replaced Johnson as the standby for Glinda on December 14, 2021. Johnson replaced Amanda Jane Cooper as lead Glinda on February 14, 2022. She played her final performance on February 12, 2023, and was replaced by McKenzie Kurtz on February 14, 2023.
McKenzie Kurtz
February 14, 2023, to June 20, 2023
June 27, 2023, to December 12, 2023
December 18, 2023, to March 5, 2024
Kurtz replaced Brittney Johnson as Glinda in the Broadway production of Wicked on February 14, 2023. She made her Broadway debut as Anna in Frozen, replacing Patti Murin, and reprised the role in the national tour alongside Caroline Bowman and Ryan McCartan. She currently plays Heather Chandler in Heathers Off-Broadway.
Alexandra Socha
March 5, 2024, to March 4, 2025
Socha replaced McKenzie Kurtz in the Broadway production of Wicked on March 5, 2024. She left the company on March 2, 2025, and was replaced by Allie Trimm. Socha is married to Etai Benson, a former Boq.
Allie Trimm
June 20, 2023, to June 27, 2023
December 12, 2023, to December 18, 2023
March 4, 2025, to March 1, 2026
Trimm made her Broadway debut as Patrice in 13 alongside Ariana Grande, who portrayed Glinda in the Wicked movie. In 2021, Trimm became the standby for the role of Glinda on Broadway, making her debut on December 25, 2021. She left the production in 2024 before returning on March 4, 2025, this time playing Glinda full-time.
Emma Flynn
March 3, 2026, to present
Flynn made her Broadway debut as Glinda. Prior to stepping into Wicked on Broadway, she most recently played the lead role of Cher in the West End musical Clueless.
Photos by Joan Marcus.
