Actress Brittney Johnson has become the first Black woman to play “Glinda” the “Good Witch” in Broadway’s “Wicked.”
The highly-anticipated musical play “Wicked” debuted for the first time last week, making history with a Black woman, Johnson, playing Glinda for the very first time in history. This was also the first time a woman of color received the role since the musical first debuted in 2003. Back in June, Johnson joined the cast as Glinda’s understudy but played her for the first time on Thursday, reports Essence.com.
“My heart is bursting with gratitude. God is so good!” Johnson told ABC News in a statement. “I am so humbled to be the first Black Glinda and honored to fulfill the dreams and hopes of so many! I feel like my feet have yet to touch down.”
She continued, “The importance of this moment in history is only amplified by the message of this beautiful show: Love, friendship, and kindness are stronger than the fear of ‘otherness.’ Love can break down barriers to change the world. I’m so grateful to the Wicked team for trusting me to tell this story. My hope and prayer is that people see my story and have faith that they can achieve their dreams too. Nothing is impossible! And no dream is too big.” This isn’t Johnson’s first rodeo with theater; she also starred on Broadway in ”Motown,” ”Beautiful,” ”Les Misérables,” and ”Sunset Boulevard.”
”Wicked” is the second highest grossing theater show, having earned over $1 billion since its debut in 2003. Lion King sits at No.1 for the highest grossing play.
Congratulations, Brittney!
