- Since Wicked premiered on Broadway in 2003, more than 20 actresses have played Glinda, from original Tony Award nominee Kristin Chenoweth to current leading lady Emma Flynn.
- The retrospective looks back at every Broadway Glinda, highlighting when each actress took on the role, their paths to Oz through Broadway, national tours, and international productions, and notable milestones in their careers.
- Featured performers include Megan Hilty, Annaleigh Ashford, Katie Rose Clarke, Brittney Johnson, McKenzie Kurtz, Alexandra Socha, Allie Trimm, and many others who have helped shape one of Broadway's most iconic roles.
Glinda from Wicked has become one of the most beloved roles in the musical theater canon, from Kristin Chenoweth’s iconic performance to Ariana Grande’s take on the character in film adaptation. Here’s a look back at all the lead actresses who have played Glinda on Broadway full-time over the show’s 23 years.
Kristin Chenoweth
October 8, 2003, to July 18, 2004
Kristin Chenoweth originated the role of Glinda in Wicked, earning a nomination for the 2004 Tony Award for her performance alongside Idina Menzel, the show’s original Elphaba. She had previously won the Tony Award for her performance as Sally in You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown. She reunited with Menzel for a special cameo in the 2024 film adaptation of Wicked.
Jennifer Laura Thompson
July 20, 2004, to May 30, 2005
Jennifer Laura Thompson was the first person to play Glinda full-time after Chenoweth’s original run. She had previously been nominated for a Tony Award for her performance in Urinetown. Thompson is known for originating the role of Cynthia Murphy in Dear Evan Hansen, for which she won a Grammy Award alongside the show’s original cast for the show’s cast album.
Megan Hilty
May 31, 2005, to May 28, 2006
Megan 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. She was most recently seen playing Madeline Ashton in Death Becomes Her on Broadway and will soon return in It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play.
Kate Reinders
May 30, 2006, to January 7, 2007
Kate Reinders was the first Glinda in the Chicago production of Wicked and later became Glinda in the Broadway production. She was nominated for a Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Actress in a Principal Role for her work in the Chicago production. Audiences today might recognize her as Miss Jenn fro High School Musical: The Musical: The Series on Disney+.
Kendra Kassebaum
January 9, 2007, to October 7, 2007
May 13, 2008, to November 9, 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 11, 2008
Annaleigh 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 on Broadeay . Ashford went on to win a Tony Award in 2015 for her performance in You Can’t Take It With You and put her stamp on two iconic Stephen Sondheim roles, Dot in Sunday in the Park with George and Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd, on Broadway.
Alli Mauzey
November 11, 2008, to August 9, 2009
October 16, 2012, to April 21, 2013
September 24, 2013, to February 23, 2014
Alli 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, playing the role during the show’s 10th anniversary. She was most recently seen on Broadway playing Pattie in Kimberly Akimbo.
Erin Mackey
August 11, 2009, to January 10, 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. Fun Wicked fact: She married Stanton Nash, who played Boq alongside her in the Chicago production, in 2009.
Katie Rose Clarke
January 14, 2010, to September 25, 2011
April 23, 2013, to September 22, 2013
December 11, 2018, to April 7, 2019
Katie Rose Clarke is best known as Broadway’s longest-running Glinda, first playing 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. She will soon be seen starring as Dolly Parton in DOLLY: A True Original Musical.
Chandra Lee Schwartz
September 27, 2011, to October 14, 2012
Chandra Lee Schwartz joined Wicked on Broadway in September 2011 after previously playing the role on the first national tour. 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 23, 2014
Jenni Barber joined the company in February 2014,becoming one of the few actresses to step directly into the principal role of Glinda on Broadway, without first understudying the role or performing it in another production. She performed “For Good” alongside Christine Dwyer at the 2014 Tony Awards in honor of Wicked‘s 10th anniversary.
Tiffany Haas
November 25, 2014, to December 7, 2014
Tiffany Haas made her Broadway debut in Wicked as the Nessarose understudy in 2005. She later became the Glinda standby on Broadway before leading the role in November 2014. In addition to her time on Broadway, Haas also played the role full-time on the show’s national tour.
Kara Lindsay
December 16, 2014, to January 31, 2016
November 1, 2016, to July 29, 2017
After originating the role of Katherine Plumber in Newsies, Kara Lindsay joined the cast of the second North American tour of Wicked as Glinda from in 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. She has since been seen on Broadway in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical and Once Upon a Mattress.
Carrie St. Louis
February 2, 2016, to October 30, 2016
Carrie 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 before playing the role on Broadway in 2016. She was most recently seen as Sandra Dee in Just In Time and will soon be seen playing Dolly alongside fellow Glinda, Katie Rose Clarke, in DOLLY: A True Original Musical.
Amanda Jane Cooper
July 31, 2017, to December 9, 2018
February 2, 2022, to February 13, 2022
Amanda Jane Cooper played Glinda in both North American tours of Wicked, first joining in 2011, before making the leap to Broadway in 2017. Cooper performed alongside Jessica Vosk during the show’s 15th anniversary.
Ginna Claire Mason
April 9, 2019, to January 30, 2022
Ginna Claire Mason played Glinda in the Broadway and national touring productions of Wicked several times between 2015 and 2022. Starring as Glinda at the time of the COVID-19 shutdown in 2020, Mason resumed her role in September 2021, delivering the iconic “It’s good to see me, isn’t it?” to a rapturous audience during the musical’s first performance back after an 18-month hiatus.
Brittney Johnson
February 14, 2022, to February 12, 2023
Brittney Johnson joined the Broadway company of Wicked in June 2018. She performed in the ensemble and as the understudy for Glinda. On January 10, 2019, she went on as Glinda for the first time, making history as the first actress of color to play the role on Broadway. After becoming the standby later that year, she then assumed the role full-time in 2022.
McKenzie Kurtz
February 14, 2023, to March 3, 2024
McKenzie Kurtz joined as Glinda in the Broadway production of Wicked in 2023 after making her Broadway debut as Anna in Frozen three years earlier. She played the role of Glinda during Wicked‘s 20th anniversary. Kurtz was recently seen playing Heather Chandler in Heathers: The Musical and is now starring in the Tony Award-winning Schmigadoon!
Alexandra Socha
March 5, 2024, to March 2, 2025
Alexandra Socha joined the Broadway production of Wicked in March 2024. Previously known for her turns on Broadway in Spring Awakening and Head Over Heels, she played the role alongside Mary Kate Morrissey through March 2025.
Allie Trimm
March 4, 2025, to March 1, 2026
Allie Trimm made her Broadway debut in 2008 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
Emma Flynn made her Broadway debut as Glinda in March of this year. 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.
