ON THE MARQUEE: For the past few weeks since reopening on Broadway, long running Green Girl Jennifer DiNoia has been back once again playing “Elphaba” every night in WICKED. The actress (currently serving as the standby once again) has been filling in for current leading lady Lindsay Pearce who has been out of the show these last few weeks due to a foot injury.
Filling in for DiNoia as the standby (and now once again being a temporary fulltime leading lady) is another returning cast member Alyssa Fox (previously seen on Broadway as the standby for “Elsa” in Disney’s Frozen).
With Pearce is continuing to recover, DiNoia will once again now be playing the smart, fiery, misunderstood, and not-so Wicked Witch of the West herself fulltime all month long. With that in mind, an update has been made outside the show’s front of house billboard of the Gershwin Theatre featuring DiNoia’s photo as “Elphaba”.
Lindsay Pearce is expecting to return to the cast in November.
Jennifer DiNoia is one of WICKED’s longest running and legendary Green Girls. She has played the role on 4 CONTINENTS. She has performed this role on and off for the last 14 YEARS!!! Her journey with the Stephen Schwartz musical began in 2007 as part of the Chicago company initially being the Dance Captain which she later got plucked from being emergency cover to standby for the role of “Elphaba” where she played the role for about 1,500 performances covering for Dee Roscioli and Lisa Brescia.
Since the Chicago company closed in 2009, DiNoia immediately got plucked to serving as the standby for “Elphaba” in the New York production marking it her Broadway debut covering once again for Dee Roscioli along with Mandy Gonzalez, and Teal Wicks. A few months into her first stint standing by there, DiNoia went on to serve as an Emergency standby for Jemma Rix in the show’s Australian company out in Sydney for a month. She returned to the Broadway production afterwards where she continued to DEFY GRAVITY as the standby till 2011.
After a year away, DiNoia returned to THE MERRY OLD LAND OF OZ in 2012 joining the Asian Touring Company of WICKED serving as the first ever “Elphaba” alternate going on twice a week. During that time, she shared the role once again with Jemma Rix.
Immediately after a Summer in Asia, DiNoia returned to the Broadway production serving as a temporary filling in for Donna Vivino as the standby a month…..who at the time was covering for Jackie Burns.
Finally in 2013, DiNoia was offered and landed the role of “Elphaba” fulltime. She succeeded Christine Dwyer in the role on the 2nd (and on-going) Munchkinland Touring company for a whole year.
A year after the tour in 2014 (with Laurel Harris taking over), DiNoia went back AGAIN to the Broadway production as a temporary standby for Christine Dwyer in the role….. and also filling in before future Tony nominee Lilli Cooper joined as the standby.
Immediately afterwards, DiNoia got the ultimate once-in-a-lifetime offer to go join Wicked‘s London production replacing Kerry Ellis as “Elphaba” fulltime for a 5 month run. This milestone marked her it her West End debut. Along with it being her 4th Continent, DiNoia’s stint in London marked becoming the 2nd American actress to join the London company after the musical’s original Tony winning star Idina Menzel.
Right after returning overseas to the United States in February 2015, DiNoia jumped into the Emerald City 1st National Tour of WICKED replacing Emma Hunton fulltime as “Elphaba” where she stayed till the company’s closing after 10 years on the road.
After the 1st National Tour closed, DiNoia went back to the Broadway company as a temporary principal while Caroline Bowman was recovering from an injury. She shared this temporary run for 3 weeks alongside Christine Dwyer.
Finally in the Summer of 2016 and after having a baby girl, Jennifer DiNoia replaced Rachel Tucker as “Elphaba” full time on Broadway for a whole year. She stayed till Summer of 2017 where she was replaced by another fellow long running Green Girl Jackie Burns.
DiNoia recently rejoined the Broadway production in 2019 till at the time when Broadway was shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the show returned, she’s still going it. As the standby during this stint, she has been covering for BOTH Hannah Corneau and now Lindsay Pearce.
Congrats Jennifer DiNoia!!!
Get well Lindsay Pearce!!!
Isn’t Jennifer DiNoia such a WICKED legend?!!!
How THRILLIFYING is that?
Any Jennifer DiNoia fans out there?!!!
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Mike Haber
Author: Mike Haber