Has a brunette actress EVER played Glinda in WICKED?

#1

Has a brunette actress EVER played Glinda in WICKED?

Posted: 4/3/08 at 5:25pm

Just curious. Has a real-life brunette EVER played Glinda (or a real-life blonde ever played Elphaba)? Yes, they'd be in character specific wigs in the show but their real-life hair color was opposite from the characters they are/were playing.

Seems every photo I've seen of an actress playing Glinda has been blonde in her real life and vice-versa with actresses playing Elphaba. Thanks to wigs no one needs to die their hair so what's up with this?

Just curious with this WICKED scenario.

#2

re: Has a brunette actress EVER played Glinda in WICKED?

Posted: 4/3/08 at 5:27pm

Alli Mauzey is a brunette who played Glinda, as is Stacie Morgan Lewis.

Kristy Kates is a blonde Elphaba.

#3

re: Has a brunette actress EVER played Glinda in WICKED?

Posted: 4/3/08 at 5:29pm

Thanks for the prompt response.

Now I can sleep easier tonight -- this inquiry has been bugging me and I keep forgetting about it until today.

Thanks again.

#4

re: Has a brunette actress EVER played Glinda in WICKED?

Posted: 4/3/08 at 5:29pm

Didn't/Doesn't Jennifer Laura Thompson have brown hair? That's the first one that came to mind.

And I know Megan Hilty had really dark hair for some time.

Lisa Brescia (standby for Elphaba) has blonde hair. And also Chelsea Krombach(?) the understudy too, I think.

#5

re: Has a brunette actress EVER played Glinda in WICKED?

Posted: 4/3/08 at 5:30pm

Jennifer Laura Thompson, who replaced Cheonweth as Glinda, is not a natural blonde. Her hair color is a reddish brown.

#6

re: Has a brunette actress EVER played Glinda in WICKED?

Posted: 4/3/08 at 5:30pm

Yeah, Jennifer Laura Thompson had/has brownish/redish hair.

Updated On: 4/3/08 at 05:30 PM

#7

re: Has a brunette actress EVER played Glinda in WICKED?

Posted: 4/3/08 at 5:34pm

Christina Decicco is a brunette. She played Glinda on the tour opposite of Victoria Matlock.

Updated On: 4/3/08 at 05:34 PM

#8

re: Has a brunette actress EVER played Glinda in WICKED?

Posted: 4/3/08 at 5:36pm

Isn't Christina DeCicco from the tour a brunette as well?

#9

re: Has a brunette actress EVER played Glinda in WICKED?

Posted: 4/3/08 at 5:43pm

JLT was the *Best* Glinda...and I wish they would have let her keep the red hair.

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#10

re: Has a brunette actress EVER played Glinda in WICKED?

Posted: 4/3/08 at 5:49pm

Stacie Morgain Lewis, Dianne Pilkington are also brunettes. Erin Mackey is a redhead.

#11

re: Has a brunette actress EVER played Glinda in WICKED?

Posted: 4/3/08 at 5:51pm

Kerry Ellis is blonde.

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#12

re: Has a brunette actress EVER played Glinda in WICKED?

Posted: 4/3/08 at 5:55pm

Jennifer Laura Thompson almost did the show in a strawberry-blonde wig, but they decided to just go with the basic blonde.

There is a picture of it somewhere.

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#13

re: Has a brunette actress EVER played Glinda in WICKED?

Posted: 4/3/08 at 6:05pm

Interesting that this question comes up. I'm not talking about Wicked now, but I never understood why in Spamalot Sara Ramirez was wearing a wig. Only because she did have really long dark hair. Or is it just easier to do that since she had the wig change for Knights of the Roundtable, and she just has a lot of hair to pull up? However, I did notice that in Diva's Lament she had her real hair out, so I don't know.

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#14

re: Has a brunette actress EVER played Glinda in WICKED?

Posted: 4/3/08 at 6:06pm

Coleen Sexton was at one point a blonde (through her Jekyll & Hyde days). But I don't know if she still has it or she may have actually dyed it for the Wicked tour. She was the Elphaba standby!?

#15

re: Has a brunette actress EVER played Glinda in WICKED?

Posted: 4/3/08 at 6:10pm

I would think is would be incase of if an accident were to occur involving her hair, the wig would come off and not rip her hair out, and because of the roundtable costume.

#16

re: Has a brunette actress EVER played Glinda in WICKED?

Posted: 4/3/08 at 6:21pm

Check out the West End. We have a blonde Elphaba and a brunette Glinda. Although they still have the wigs, so you wouldn't really tell.

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#17

re: Has a brunette actress EVER played Glinda in WICKED?

Posted: 4/3/08 at 6:55pm

Sabrina Weckerlin - Elphaba standby in Stuttgart:

#18

re: Has a brunette actress EVER played Glinda in WICKED?

Posted: 4/3/08 at 7:06pm

Dianne Pilkington

#19

re: Has a brunette actress EVER played Glinda in WICKED?

Posted: 4/3/08 at 7:12pm

I never understood why in Spamalot Sara Ramirez was wearing a wig.

In a Norwegian Les Mis production they put a dark wig on Fantine. The actress had naturally blonde, long hair which looked great on her. Still haven't worked that one out ...

Edit again:
I get the mike part - what puzzled me was that she didn't have a blonde wig. (Like I said, it suits her - and the character.)

Updated On: 4/3/08 at 07:12 PM

#20

re: Has a brunette actress EVER played Glinda in WICKED?

Posted: 4/3/08 at 7:13pm

Wigs are almost always worn because it's the easiest place to hide the microphone.

Plus, it's easier toput on a wig than to style your hair every night.

A rare exception is South Pacific, in which Kelli O'Hara had her won hair cut short becasue she has to wash iton stage every night. Obviously, she cannot have a mike in her hair for that number. I assume the mike is built into her costume or the set.

Of course, Mary Martin didn't need no stinkin' mike.

#21

re: Has a brunette actress EVER played Glinda in WICKED?

Posted: 4/3/08 at 7:36pm

Here's an image of JLT in the strawberry blonge wig; there's another, better one out there somewhere of just her, but I don't have it.

#22

re: Has a brunette actress EVER played Glinda in WICKED?

Posted: 4/3/08 at 7:47pm

Caissie Levy had blonde hair up until she was cast as Elphaba.

#23

re: Has a brunette actress EVER played Glinda in WICKED?

Posted: 4/3/08 at 7:52pm

I've always wondered this... Do the Nessas wear wigs? It always looked like the actress's real hair to me, whoever was playing Nessa. Jenna Leigh has really dark hair, Cristy on broadway has redish hair, Briana Yacavone has (really shiny!) dark hair too. It just looks like their real hair to me.

#24

re: Has a brunette actress EVER played Glinda in WICKED?

Posted: 4/3/08 at 7:56pm

Interesting about the wig thing, I never knew that. I guess it does make sense. I remember seeing pictures of Sara practicing for the 2005 Tony Awards, and she had some headband thing on and I couldn't figure out what it was for, since it wasn't really holding back her hair. Well, I did see a tiny microphone attached, so that is probably one of the main reasons the Lady of the Lake wears a wig. Also, safety does come in too since she does come up from the floor a couple of times. But I really did wonder why Sara had to wear the wig since she has absolutely gorgeous hair. But seriously, I think Diva's Lament she wasn't wearing one at all.

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#25

re: Has a brunette actress EVER played Glinda in WICKED?

Posted: 4/3/08 at 8:06pm

Caissie Levy has red hair now. And she's VERY nice at the stage door in Los Angeles. I know most of the actors who have played Glinda DO NOT have naturally blonde hair.