Wicked to Welcome Clarke and Fellner in January

By Andrew Gans
17 Dec 2009

Katie Rose Clarke as Glinda
Katie Rose Clarke as Glinda
Photo by Joan Marcus

Katie Rose Clarke, who spent two years as Glinda in the first national tour of Wicked, will assume that same role in the Broadway production of the musical beginning Jan. 14, 2010, at the Gershwin Theatre.

Jenny Fellner will also assume the role of Nessarose at that performance.

The two actresses will join a cast that includes Dee Roscioli as Elphaba, Tony Award winner Rondi Reed as Madame Morrible, P.J. Benjamin as The Wizard, Kevin Kern as Fiyero, Alex Brightman as Boq and Timothy Britten Parker as Dr. Dillamond.

Through Jan. 10, Erin Mackey will perform the role of Glinda and Michelle Federer will perform the role of Nessarose.



Clarke made her Broadway debut in The Light in the Piazza. Fellner has been seen on Broadway in Mamma Mia! and the revival of Pal Joey.

Based on Gregory Maguire's novel, which turned every Oz myth inside out, Wicked explores the early life of the witches of Oz: Glinda and Elphaba. The two main characters meet at Shiz, a school where both hope to take up sorcery. Glinda is madly popular and Elphaba is, well, green. By a misunderstanding, they wind up roommates and, after an initial period of mutual loathing, begin to learn something about each other. Their life paths continue to intersect through a shared love, entry into the Emerald City and interaction with the Wizard himself. Eventually, their choices and convictions take them on widely different journeys.

Wicked features a score by Schwartz, a book by Holzman, direction by Joe Mantello and musical staging by Wayne Cilento. The creative team also includes scenic design by Eugene Lee, costume design by Susan Hilferty, lighting design by Kenneth Posner, sound design by Tony Meola, projections by Elaine J. McCarthy, wig and hair design by Tom Watson, music supervision and arrangements by Stephen Oremus, orchestrations by William David Brohn and dance arrangements by James Lynn Abbott.

For more information visit wickedthemusical.com.