Brittney Johnson will make history when she takes over the role of Glinda in the international hit musical Wicked beginning February 14, 2022, at Broadway's Gershwin Theatre. Currently the Glinda standby, Johnson will be the first Black actor to assume the role of Glinda full-time.
Johnson, who has also appeared on Broadway in Les Misérables, Motown, Sunset Boulevard, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, and Kristin Chenoweth: For the Girls, will succeed Ginna Claire Mason. She will star opposite Lindsay Pearce as Elphaba (Jennifer DiNoia is currently playing Elphaba while Pearce recovers from an injury), Alexandra Billings as Madame Morrible, Michael McCormick as The Wizard, Sam Gravitte as Fiyero, Mili Diaz as Nessarose, and Michael X. Martin as Doctor Dillamond.
The production also welcomes Jordan Barrow to the company as Boq December 7. Barrow is making history of his own as the first Black actor to play the role on Broadway.
Wicked, which reopened on Broadway September 14, canceled performances December 4 and 5 due to the detection of positive COVID-19 test results combined with previously scheduled absences in the company. Wicked's next scheduled performance is December 7 at 8 PM.
The ensemble includes Alicia L. Albright, Alex Aquilino, Larkin Bogan, Randy Castillo, Meg Doherty, Hannah Florence, Dan Gleason, Josh Daniel Green, Jeff Heimbrock, Celia Hottenstein, Courtney Iventosch, Amber Jackson, Lindsay Janisse, Alison Jantzie, Colby Q. Lindeman, Chase Madigan, Micaela Martinez, Kevin Massey, Sterling Masters, Matt Meigs, Jo’Nathan Michael, Dashi Mitchell, Domonique Paton, Emily Rogers, William Ryall, Travis Taber, Jeremy Thompson, Christianne Tisdale, and Nicky Venditti.
Since opening October 30, 2003, Wicked has been performed in over 100 cities in 16 countries. In October 2019, the international hit musical surpassed Les Misérables to become the fifth longest-running production in Broadway history.
READ: 11 Elphabas Reflect on Playing Broadway's Not-So-Wicked Witch
Wicked, with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman, is based on the novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire.
The Joe Mantello-helmed production features musical staging by Wayne Cilento, 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. Casting is by the Telsey Office.
The musical is produced by Marc Platt, Universal Stage Productions, The Araca Group, Jon B. Platt, and David Stone.
