Actress Claudia Bennett talks glimmer and Glinda ahead of Wicked run at Music Hall
Photo by Joan Marcus
As Dorothy taught us: there is no place like home. For actor Claudia Bennett, her home since January 2026 has been on set with the cast of Wicked. Bringing pink and popularity to the stage as the titular character Glinda, Bennett and the rest of the cast will be performing the Broadway show at the Music Hall from August 12 – 30.
“When I first saw the show, I just immediately identified with Glinda because I saw a lot of myself in both her comedic, humorous side and also the connection she forms with Elphaba,” says Bennett. “I saw that reflected in my own female friendships. I grew up doing community theater, and I think that the music really just drew me in from a young age.”
As a character, Glinda is often seen as a polarizing character because of her vain and selfish behavior in the first act of the musical. However, she is a lot more complicated than that, and Bennett aims to showcase this through her own acting.
“Glinda kind of gets written off as being shallow and self-centered, and I can see where that criticism comes from, but at the end of the day, Glinda really does mean what she says, and in the ‘Popular’ scene especially, that is her value system,” says Bennett. “Even though it comes off as shallow, it is so sincere, and that’s the fun part: allowing myself to find the truth in the absurdity.”
Photo by Joan Marcus
Not only is Glinda a lesson in character development, but she also allows the actor who plays her to show their bubbly and feminine side. The intricate costumes, ear-catching music, and heartfelt lines create a much more nuanced role than what audiences might see, even after watching the entire musical.
“Finding my Glinda has been so fun because I’ve really embraced my inner child. I have allowed myself to bring out that inner seven-year-old who just had fun,” says Bennett. “The joy of Glinda is really getting to peel away the layers of doubt and insecurity, and letting my comedic side out and be a fool onstage. Embracing the fun and joy of it all is really what Glinda is about.”
Famous iterations of Glinda such as Kristin Chenoweth and Ariana Grande threw her into the limelight, and with that comes a more “popular” way to play the character. For Bennett, she figured out how to put her own spin on the Good Witch.
“Glinda can be played in so many different ways, which is so fun because I’ve never seen a carbon copy of the role,” says Bennett. “I think that is what has made the show last so long. Each actor finds something new to highlight in their character, and it’s so inspiring to see how many women have been able to make the role of Glinda their own, just by bringing themselves into the role.”
With Wicked and Wicked: For Good coming out in 2024 and 2025, respectively, both movies broadened the show’s horizons and brought in a new array of theatergoers and fans.
“It’s exciting to see a different kind of audience come to the shows,” says Bennett. “Wicked really is a show for everyone, and embracing this younger audience has definitely been exciting, especially meeting them at the stage door in our costumes. It reminds me of when I was younger. I don’t think the show itself has changed, but maybe people are resonating with it in a different way.”
Photo by Joan Marcus
According to Bennett, the most special part of acting is seeing how audiences react to the theatre, as well as hearing what people take away from watching the performance. Wicked is, at its core, about how deep and meaningful female friendships are, and seeing women of all ages enjoy the show is what makes it worth it.
“It has been challenging, definitely the hardest thing I have ever done, but getting to do that alongside Aline [Mayagoitia Sixtos] specifically, who plays Elphaba, has been super rewarding,” says Bennett.
“Just knowing that we have each other and that we uplift and encourage each other, she’s really made this transition feel possible.”
Wicked runs at the Music Hall from August 12 to August 30.
