Rockford native Zoe Jensen to play Glinda in the latest national tour of ‘Wicked’

By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — Zoe Jensen’s first time seeing “Wicked” still replays in her mind nearly 19 years later.

The first sight of The Emerald City. The hotel employee who told her to remember to defy gravity. The sound of a live performance and the burst of energy she felt as she watched the musical with her parents in Chicago as a gift for her 11th birthday.

“We were pretty much in the nosebleeds. I remember my dad felt so bad. He had me sitting on his lap so I could see, but I did not care. That was one of the best nights of my life,” she said. “It completely changed my life. It made me want to become an actor. It drove my passion. I will never forget sitting in that theater.”

Jensen, now 29, will set out next month to bring that experience to theaters across the country. She has been cast as Glinda, one of the two leading roles, in the new national tour of the blockbuster Broadway musical.

Her debut as Glinda will happen May 20 at the Eccles Theater In Salt Lake City, Utah.

She hopes to recreate for others the energy and excitement she had in 2006, when “Wicked” was the first professional show she ever attended.

“I carry that feeling, that excitement, with me whenever I start a new show,” Jensen said in a phone interview with the Rock River Current from Salt Lake City, where she’s preparing for her first show of the tour. “But this is even more special because this is my absolute favorite show in the world and this is my dream role.”

From Rockford to Broadway

The 2013 Keith Country Day School graduate has starred in touring and Broadway plays before, most recently playing Paige in “The Heart of Rock and Roll” on Broadway. She made her Broadway debut in 2019 as an understudy in “Dear Evan Hansen.” Since then, she’s gone on to play the role of Eliza in the first national touring production of “Hamilton” and portray Katherine Howard in the Broadway production of “Six.”

“This is never expected. You’re lucky when you get one, so I am just floating in my Glinda bubble,” Jensen said. “I’m floating on Cloud 9 from this news.”

Her success is a point of pride for her alma mater, too.

“When we have a graduate who becomes famous like this I feel like it represent our community really well because our mission is to prepare children for lives of meaning and purpose,” said Annie Baddoo, co-head of school and co-lead for Keith.

“We are so proud of you, Zoe, and just grateful that the world gets to see what we got to see so long ago.”

Jensen is among several graduates of the small, private liberal arts school to find success in the entertainment business. The most notable is Shawn Ryan, a screenwriter and television producer who won a Golden Globe for “The Shield” and was behind multiple other series such as “Lie to Me,” “Timeless,” “The Night Agent” and “S.W.A.T.”

“One thing that brings me so much joy is that our children get to see the arts do pay off for some people, and I believe they pay off for everyone in very implicit ways,” Baddoo said. “To see the arts pay off even in a very public way is so inspiring for our students.”

Jensen’s role also continues a line of connections between Rockford and “Wicked.”

Joe Mantello, a Rockford native and 1980 Boylan Catholic High School grad, was the director for “Wicked” during its debut run in 2003. Sharon Sachs, also a 1980 Boylan grad, played Madame Morrible on Broadway and the national tour, and Emily Rogers, another Boylan grad, is a part of the “Wicked” ensemble and understudy for the protagonist role of Elphaba. All three were alum of Starlight Theatre in Rockford.

“I think Rockford is such a special place,” Jensen said. “I think there is something in the water there that creates really special, creative people.”

Jensen, whose parents still live in Rockford, said she loves hearing from her hometown.

“There was even a couple comments on the day of the ‘Wicked’ announcement that were saying, ‘Rockford loves you,'” she said. “That literally made me cry because I think about Rockford and I do this trying to make Rockford and the Rockford area proud.”

Becoming Glinda

Jensen said she never envisioned herself in the role of Glinda growing up as a fan of the show. With her dark hair, the Filipino-American actress didn’t picture herself as the glitzy blonde good witch. Instead, she gravitated toward the dark-haired, green-skinned Elphaba.

“I remember growing up thinking, well I love the Glinda songs, but I’m Elphaba because I’ve got the dark hair so I’ve got to sing the Elphaba songs,” Jensen said. “My mom lovingly says that I would always sing the Elphaba songs like Glinda.”

Jensen will now be the first Asian woman in the country to portray Glinda.

“What I think really came through when it came to auditioning is it’s all about the essence,” she said. “I’m really grateful that we’re in a place now where we’ve expanded our minds a little bit.”

Jensen said as she prepares for the role she stops listening to the soundtrack. Doing so helps her find her own voice for Glinda, rather than fall into an impersonation of stars like Kristen Chenoweth, who was in the debut Broadway cast, or Ariana Grande, who plays the good witch in the recent film adaptation.

Jensen said she tries to balance between honoring the performers that came before her and creating her own take on the role.

“Even if I’m the 200th Glinda, in my mind it doesn’t matter; it’s a brand new show,” she said. “I need to look at it from the roots up. That is how you make an authentic show. That is why Wicked just succeeds to this day.”

Jensen, who now lives in New York City, is in her second week of rehearsals leading up to her May 20 debut in Salt Lake City. After eight shows in six days there the tour heads to Tulsa, Oklahoma.

The closest stop to Rockford is at the Overture Center in Madison, Wisconsin, from July 9 through 27. Other Midwest stops include the Marcus Center in Milwaukee, the Murat Theatre in Indianapolis and the Peoria Civic Center later this summer.

“It means so much to me that I get to travel and do it, because I would not have gotten this feeling had it not been for a tour of a Broadway show and for those performers in Chicago,” Jensen said. “I take that responsibility very seriously to share the story around the country with people who can’t necessarily get to New York.”

She also takes pride in people seeing her story back home here in Rockford.

“I hope that there are aspiring artists in Rockford who see this and know that you are on the right path and I’m rooting for you,” she said. “I can’t wait to share the stage with you.”

This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas