What’s Up, Kathy Fitzgerald? Wicked’s Latest Madame Morrible Talks Elphaba Casting and Her New BFF Glinda

Kathy Fitzgerald is used to blockbuster musicals, but there's something special about her current gig as the villainous Madame Morrible in the mega-hit Wicked: it thrills her 11-year-old daughter. Fitzgerald, who spent an unbelievable six years in Broadway's The Producers opposite Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick, is loving her role as the malicious Morrible."I love that in Wicked, you never know who is really evil," says Fitzgerald, who is working again with Joe Mantello, who also directed her scene-stealing turn as pathetic office assistant Roz in 9 to 5 on Broadway. In a rare bit of downtime, the busy actress chatted with Broadway.com about her career highlights and her brand new Broadway BFF.

You're amazing as Madame Morrible. Had you had your eye on the role for a while?
No, I didn’t think I was old enough! I do think I’m the youngest person to ever play her, and I never would have but I was doing 9 to 5 with [director] Joe [Mantello], and I was joking with him about it and he said, “Nah, you could do it.” And that’s how it started.

What’s your take on the character?
People are saying I seem super sweet. It’s more interesting, I think, if the audience thinks she’s this sweet old school marm and she turns out to be horrible. I also really love that she has her own vocabulary with words like “despondiary” and “deciperated.” One night I went up on my lines in the balcony speech, and I just started making up my own Oz-ian phrases. They were really bizarre. I was terrified, but words came out and no one seemed to notice.

Well, except for the Wicked fans…
That’s true! The fans for this show are amazing. They come back and they come back, so you really feel a responsibility to give 120% every night.

They sure do love Mandy Gonzalez and Katie Rose Clarke.
I love them both so much too! Katie Rose Clarke and I are BFFs. It’s hilarious, there are like 30 years between us, but we totally hang out. She’s my bestie at work.

Aww!
I know! I got a new friend. She makes me laugh.

Moving on to the other crazy popular show you were in. How long were you with The Producers?
The whole dang time. I took a couple of leaves, because I had a baby right when the show was getting started, so I literally had a newborn and a Broadway show at the same time.

How on earth did you handle an infant and a show?
Well, I have a really good husband! When we were doing the show in Chicago, Sarah Jessica Parker was there with [husband] Matthew Broderick while we were in tech. One day I was breastfeeding and doing tech and totally exhausted and she came over and said, “How are you doing this?” I burst into tears and said, “I don’t know!” [The show] was a great gift, but it was crazy.

What an incredible company.
Laughing in a rehearsal room with Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick, Mel Brooks and Susan Stroman? It doesn’t get any better than that. And those long-running shows are rare. It’s 30 years now I can say I’ve made my living as an actor, which is nuts.

Did you ever do anything else?
I think when I was going to acting school in L.A. I had a sandwich job for about a week. Then I got my Equity card and that was it.

You seemed so at home in 9 to 5, do you have any experience in the corporate world?
None whatsoever! I had no idea what I was saying or doing.

Was playing the obsessive assistant Roz fun?
It was. I’d be in the middle of a song, and Joe Mantello would come up and say, “Do you think maybe Roz has cats?” and then all of a sudden you see her at home with 18 cats like a sad sack. Brilliant.

Do you think that movies make good musicals?
Well, 9 to 5 really worked, but they don’t all work so well. And it goes the other way, now they’re making Wicked into a movie!

What do you think about the rumored Elphaba choice, Lea Michele? 
She’d be great. She’d sing the poo out of it. We did a short little workshop together a few years ago; we didn’t have any scenes together, but she was lovely. I also think Idina could do it herself. She’s not too old.

Who should play Morrible in the film version?
Judi Dench would be a brilliant. If I were in casting, I’d pick her.