Brittney Johnson makes history as 1st black woman to play Glinda in 'Wicked' on Broadway
"My heart is bursting with gratitude," she told ABC News
Brittney Johnson made her debut as Glinda in "Wicked" on Broadway in New York Thursday night and in the process, the actress broke down barriers and made history.
"Simply Grateful. See you at 7! #BlackGlinda," the actress posted to Instagram last night.
Johnson made history in the famed musical as the first black actress to star as the legendary "Good Witch" in an English version of the show.
The actress tells ABC News in a statement, "My heart is bursting with gratitude. God is so good! I am so humbled to be the first Black Glinda and honored to fulfill the dreams and hopes of so many! I feel like my feet have yet to touch down."
She continued, "The importance of this moment in history is only amplified by the message of this beautiful show: Love, friendship, and kindness are stronger than the fear of "otherness". Love can break down barriers to change the world. I'm so grateful to the Wicked team for trusting me to tell this story. My hope and prayer is that people see my story and have faith that they can achieve their dreams too. Nothing is impossible! And no dream is too big.”
"Wicked" just celebrated 15 years on Broadway in 2018 and Glinda is the role that actress Kristin Chenoweth took on first and put a modern take on. Previously, Glinda made her first appearance in film in "The Wizard of Oz."
An official Broadway photographer captured a beautiful shot of Johnson about to take the stage, captioning the pic, "Just photographed Brittney Johnson, the first Glinda of color, as she prepares to go on in 'Wicked' for the first time."
Fellow actors and Broadway fans were overjoyed with this sign of progress and growth in the arts.
"YES MAAM. WE DID IT. WE GOT THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN GLINDA," one fan who attended the show last night wrote.
It was an iconic night for sure and one that fans voiced really shows how much representation matters.
In June, Johnson announced she was joining the show with an inspiring quote.
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"I am a member of the fearless and fabulous Ensemble, and I understudy GLINDA! I cannot begin to explain what it feels like to even be able to write those words," she wrote. "The magnitude of this moment in history continues to sneak up on me in waves of gratitude and I am truly at a loss for words. I am just so honored, grateful, and I feel so blessed. And EXCITED! God is so good!"
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