Katie Rose Clarke on Her Wicked Return to Broadway

Age: 25

Hometown: Friendswood, Texas

Currently: Taking over the role of bubbly, blonde witch Glinda in the Broadway musical megahit Wicked after two years with the show’s touring company.

Teacher’s Pet: This Lone Star State native had what she calls “a typical Texas suburban upbringing.” The youngest of three, the actress explains she was first drawn to a different kind of audience. “I really wanted to teach elementary school,” she says. “I got a chalkboard for Christmas when I was six and kept it for years. I’d literally be upstairs in our house playing school after school. I was kind of a nerd!” A former cheerleader and basketball player, Clarke studied voice as a hobby but didn’t take center-stage until high school, when she landed the prime role of Babe in The Pajama Game. “I made so many friends that I fell in love with [theater] then.” After graduating early, Clarke took her love affair with the stage to the next level, auditioning for and making it into the theater department at Sam Houston State University.

Young Gun: Clarke landed a prime role right out of the gate when she was cast as Liesl in the university’s production of The Sound of Music. “I enjoyed singing, but I never expected to get a solid role so soon,” she recalls. “It wasn’t until that moment that I got serious about acting as a career." Newly focused, she formulated a post-graduate plan Suze Orman would be proud of: “My plan was to graduate, move home, work and just save money for one whole year so I’d be set to move New York City to act.” Broadway, however, had other plans.

Lighting Up Broadway: A few months shy of graduation, Clarke got a call from a New York casting office. “My high school voice teacher was close friends with Kim Grigsby, who was conducting A Light in the Piazza. I had sung for Kim randomly once, and when it came time to find a replacement for [original star] Kelli O’Hara, she remembered me!” recalls Clarke. “I was blown away.” The young performer trekked to New York for what she assumed was a long shot—and was cast as Clara Johnson, beginning rehearsals immediately with Victoria Clark and Aaron Lazar, completing her college courses online at night. “I was 21 and had no idea what I was getting myself into! It was my first professional job ever. Fortunately the cast was amazing. They taught me how to be a better performer and a better person.” Reviewers who returned to the show gave Clarke high marks, though she laughingly calls her first performance "a blur. I was just trying not to fall down or crack."

Road Runner: After a seven-month run in Piazza, Clarke transitioned into life as a road warrior, reprising the role of Clara on tour before a stint at the Long Wharf Theatre in Craig Lucas’ Prayer For My Enemy. She also auditioned for the part of Glinda in Wicked’s touring company. “I was on the train back to Connecticut to do the play when my agent called to say I’d gotten Wicked. I wanted to run up and down the aisles screaming, but couldn’t—so I called my mom,” she laughs. The role launched another two years traveling the country. “I have more experience now touring than I do on a stationary stage. You have to learn to adjust to every new city, weather and allergy-wise, so your voice can handle the constant changes. But it wasn’t all work. When we stopped in San Diego I taught some of my castmates how to surf!”

For Good: Clarke couldn’t be prouder of her extended Wicked family, which now includes the Broadway company. “It’s a really special group. Aside from being an amazing show, Wicked takes responsibility for being such a big entity by promoting ‘green’ recycling efforts and volunteering at local Ronald McDonald houses on the road. We’re encouraged to set a positive example, which is unique.” There’s no question about whether the actress is excited to return to Broadway for the first time in three years. “I cannot believe they asked me to be part of this company!" she says. "Finding my place and how I can fit into a machine working so beautifully on Broadway is all part of the journey, and I’m humbled by it.”