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Brittney Johnson makes history as first Black actress to play Glinda in ‘Wicked’

Brittney Johnson will become the first Black actress to assume the role of Glinda in any “Wicked” company when she takes over the part this winter.  Johnson is currently the Glinda standby in “Wicked,” but will begin in the role full-time starting Feb. 14, the production announced Tuesday.

Brittney Johnson as Glinda in Wicked. Photo: Joan Marcus

Brittney Johnson will become the first Black actress to assume the role of Glinda in any “Wicked” company when she takes over the part this winter.

Johnson is currently the Glinda standby in “Wicked,” but will begin in the role full-time starting Feb. 14, the production announced Tuesday. The musical has been running at Broadway’s Gershwin Theatre since 2003, at the West End’s Apollo Theatre since 2006, and several international productions and tours have spawned since.

She has previously appeared on Broadway in “Les Misérables,” “Sunset Boulevard,” and “Beautiful,” among other productions.

Johnson will appear alongside Lindsay Pearce as Elphaba, Alexandra Billings as Madame Morrible and Michael McCormick as The Wizard, who will each continue their runs in the musical. Sam Gravitte continues as Fiyero, alongside Jordan Barrow as Boq, Mili Diaz as Nessarose and Michael X. Martin as Doctor Dillamond.