Interview: Jennifer Laura Thompson

It's good to see her, isn't it? Jennifer Laura Thompson steps into the hit musical Wicked on July 20 as Glinda, a role originated by and written for Kristin Chenoweth. So, is Thompson nervous about her new gig? If she is, she's not letting anyone see her sweat. The redheaded soprano has a knack for playing off-center ingénues. In fact, she's probably best known for her Tony-nominated turn as Hope Cladwell, heiress of Urine Good Company, in Urinetown. Her other stage credits include Footloose on Broadway, Little Fish off-Broadway, Strike Up the Band! at Encores! and Carousel on tour. Thompson recently took a break from rehearsals to chat in the mammoth lobby of the Gershwin Theatre about motherhood, mean girls, the bubble machine and being a blonde.

How are rehearsals for Wicked going?
I've never replaced an actor in a show before, so I was intimidated by the whole prospect of trying to fit myself into a show. And it's not only fitting myself in, but fitting myself into Kristin Chenoweth's shoes! I don't think anybody could ever duplicate her so that's not what I'm trying to do. Hopefully what I do will work.

How long have you been working on the role?
It's been two weeks, and this week I have my big put-in. We do that for technical stuff as well as learning the lines and blocking. Did I mention the costume changes? They're numerous! There are so many! If I had worked my contract correctly, I would have cut a few of those out! [Laughs.]

If you had your way, you'd wear the same costume throughout the show.
That's right! Just one! I'm all for that idea. One costume. Anyway, that's where I'm at right now, and I go into the show on July 20.

Well, we have to talk about being a blonde [in the show].
[Laughs.]

When you were announced, people thought--
I know! She's the redhead! I mean, there's only one line in the show that requires Glinda to be blond, but it's a very important line apparently!

I saw a photo of you in costume and you look great. How did it feel to get into the Glinda get-up?
Thank you. I've never been a blonde--not even in a show. So, when we did the photo shoot, I swear to God I felt like The Swan because I was so completely transformed! The lips were drawn just beyond my natural lip size. There was a lot to it. I looked in the mirror, and I thought, 'Oh my God! I'm so beautiful!'

You felt transformed.
Completely. I mean I had to see myself after they put the wig and the makeup on because I could just feel the difference. I was in this pink dress, and I thought 'Oh my God!' I didn't feel like me. It also helped to find who she is. I'm so different from her as a person.

You're certainly more down to earth.
Yeah, I think I'm more grounded than Glinda. I like to believe that I am.

Have you been in the bubble machine yet?
Definitely. I haven't flown in it. I'm a little nervous about that. It goes up high. It waits above the proscenium in the beginning of the show, and I keep thinking about that moment before my first performance, waiting to start and being trapped--and it's not only claustrophobic on your sides; it's claustrophobic front and back because you're sandwiched in. I've definitely spent time thinking about that.

Have you ever flown in a show?
Never. I've been in heights, but I've never flown as high as this will go. I'm not very afraid of heights, but I did get nervous when we did what we called the bridge scene in Footloose. I think it was only eight feet above the ground; but it felt so much higher because it was narrow. And again with the bubble, it's a very small platform to stand on. My first thought when I saw that bubble, before even auditioning was: 'I won't get the job because I'm too tall.' [Laughs.]

That must have been a minor consideration; Kristin is probably not even five feet tall.
Right. And from my seat in the audience, it appeared the bubble machine touched the top of her head. I didn't know that she was in four-inch heels and has a four-inch crown on her head. I have to wear the same crown, and I won't wear the heels, and they're still sawing off the bubble.

They really have to cut into it for you?
Yes! They're really cutting that thing apart so that I can fit in it.

Had you read the novel Wicked before taking this role?
I didn't read the book. I had read the script. I'm sure it's drastically different now; I read a version of it when it was a just a reading about two or three years ago. I was intrigued about it then, but I initially thought of myself as more of an Elphaba, but that's because I felt my personality is closer to her.

I think most people relate to Elphaba more. Glinda can be so mean!
She doesn't know she's mean. She's a caricature of herself. She has no idea that she's a caricature of herself. She's over the top and has no idea that she is.

These characters sometimes seem like archetypes from every high school--despite the green-skin factor.
They are. I always had a hard time believing that the mean girl ever really existed--that she didn't go home at night and cry her eyes out because she was rotting inside. But I certainly knew girls like that.

You don't have to name names!
Phew! I don't want any of these types from my high school to come calling.

You never know.
This is true. They might show up.

What does your husband think? I know that you were a newlywed when you were in Footloose--
Mmm Hmm. Well, right after--I was a "newlyengaged."

So your relationship has followed your Broadway career?
Yes, yes, yes! And he's still a part of my life! Lucky me. Yeah, he loves to claim that he knew me when I was nobody.

And now you're heading into a monster hit!
He hasn't seen the show because I was pregnant when Wicked opened, and I wasn't going to the theater--I couldn't sit at that point for that long. So he has never seen Wicked. I saw it without him because he had to stay home with our newborn.

How old is your little one?
He's seven months now.

That's a big deal to balance a newborn with a Broadway show. How are you handling it?
This is my first attempt. I'm either presently in denial or realistically, I just have to take it one day at a time and try not to feel like I'm up against a wall. It's hard to do a show eight times a week without a child!

And it's hard to have a child without a show.
Definitely. Yeah. So, and I'm trying to find that balance. I love this show so much. I mean, if it was something that I didn't feel passionate about, I don't think I would be attempting to do this right now because I am so in love with my little boy and I miss him--I miss being with him. At the same time, this creative energy that Wicked allows me to exert is so important, and it's so rewarding even just in the rehearsals.

Do you have any experience with the company members? Idina Menzel has been away during this transition, right?
She was away and then she came back. I haven't seen her at all.

It's going to be interesting when everything comes together!
Oh yeah. I mean our put-in on Thursday is when I'll do everything with all the original cast members. And I think they've really done a great job with the understudies in that I don't think I'll be surprised when I get there on Thursday. I doubt anything will be drastically different.

It seems that when audience members come and see the understudies there's good feedback about them.
Of course, I've also heard stories about people crying because they found out Kristin wasn't on, and I'm like, Oh my God!

That's a lot of pressure!
What are they going to do when they find out I'm on instead of her? They're going to cry. What am I supposed to do about that?

They're going to have to get over it.
That's right!

How long are you scheduled to be in the show?
Through April, I believe.

Does that feel like a big commitment to you?
Yeah. I mean generally, in my experience with a lead role, they would ask you for a year, so I was thrilled that I didn't have to--not that I wouldn't want to be, but to commit yourself for as long as a year can be daunting. So it's, I think, nine months. I couldn't ask for a better situation.

What are your thoughts on Urinetown? It certainly seemed to open doors for a lot of the cast.
Oh yeah. I think that's one of those unique theatrical experiences that I'll never be able to duplicate and Hunter [Foster] and I have spoken about that. Now everything's going to pale in comparison. But in retrospect, I let that memory be what it is, I cherish it, and now I'm working in a different capacity and I don't intend on duplicating that experience, because if I tried to then I'd be disappointed.

A lot of people think that Avenue Q's Tony win owes a lot to Urinetown.
I hate to say it--but I agree.

I'm sure you would have wanted Wicked to win at this point!
Oh, believe me, to be on the sore end of both fields is not very exciting. I was upset that day. I was truly upset because--not that Avenue Q didn't deserve it, but because Urinetown did deserve it, and that's what broke my heart. It really got me that night. And I truly believe that Wicked deserved it.

I know this is a hard question for you because you haven't actually done it yet, but how do you think your Glinda compares to Kristin Chenoweth's take on her?
It is a hard question to answer because I haven't analyzed how she approached it versus how I approach it. I've only seen the show three times. When I first started rehearsing, I'd only seen it one time, and I didn't want to see it because I didn't want to be trapped and influenced. She's brilliant, and like I said I would never want to try to duplicate that because I think I would look foolish. So it's very difficult for me to say what's different. I just have been going with my gut on what I think the material lends itself to, and Joe Mantello will have to lead me otherwise.

Her voice is certainly hard to duplicate. Are they changing some of the music for you?
Fortunately, some of the notes that she took were optional. They were never in the score. I've never claimed to be a coloratura, and I never would pretend to be a coloratura. I'll hit a C and that's it. She was in the stratosphere with Ds and Es, I believe, and I've never even tried. I mean, maybe in a warm-up.

How are you doing with Wicked-speak?
Confusifying. Discoverate. Congratulotions. It's a lot of fun.

It's kind of George W. Bush.
Yes it is, unfortunately. Laura Bush was here a couple of weeks ago. I didn't meet her. I was just rehearsing. There were some members of the cast that weren't interested in being photographed with her, but it's a gesture. She's a patron.

Are you having fun with this role?
I am. There's so much room within this character to go, and I'm sure I'll be finding it in those first few weeks, even on stage because it's such a short rehearsal period. And I'm sure it'll continue to morph within the confines of the character.

You'll make it your own!
Yes! Eventually Glinda will be a redhead. [Laughs.]