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Jennifer Laura Thompson

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Jennifer Laura Thompson
Thompson in 2017.
Born (1969-12-05) December 5, 1969 (age 54)
Southfield, Michigan, U.S.
Alma materUniversity of Michigan
Occupation(s)Actress, singer
Years active1992–present
Spouse
John Kain
​
(m. 1999)​
Children1

Jennifer Laura Thompson (born December 5, 1969)[1] is an American actress and singer, best known for her theatrical performances. She originated the role of Cynthia Murphy in the Tony Award-winning musical, Dear Evan Hansen, and received a Tony Award nomination for her performance as Hope Cladwell in Urinetown. She is also known for being the first replacement for Kristen Chenoweth as Glinda in Wicked on Broadway.

Career

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Thompson made her Broadway debut in 1998 as Ariel Moore in the original cast of Footloose. She also originated the role of Hope Cladwell in both the off-Broadway and Broadway productions of Urinetown. She received a Tony Award nomination for the 2002 Best Leading Actress in a Musical category for her performance as Hope in Urinetown; the award went to Sutton Foster for her performance in Thoroughly Modern Millie.

Thompson is also well known for being the first replacement actress for the role of Glinda in the Broadway hit musical Wicked at the Gershwin Theatre. Her first performance replacing Kristin Chenoweth was on July 20, 2004, and continued in the role for over ten months.[2] During her run as Glinda, she performed opposite Idina Menzel and Shoshana Bean as Elphaba. She departed the company on May 29, 2005.[3] She was replaced by Megan Hilty, who had served as her standby. Thompson would later return to the theatre on October 27, 2008, to take part in a one-off performance titled "The Yellow Brick Road Not Taken", a presentation of rough scenes and songs cut from early drafts of Wicked.[4]

Off-Broadway, Thompson played the lead role of Charlotte in the Michael John LaChiusa musical, Little Fish at the Second Stage Theatre. She also appeared in A Doll's Life at the York Theatre, Good News at the Westchester Broadway Theatre (as Connie), Pardon My English, Strike up the Band!, and most recently, Of Thee I Sing for City Center Encores!, and Tip-Toes at Carnegie Hall. She played Julie Jordan in the first national tour of Carousel, and appeared in national tours for Jesus Christ Superstar (as Mary) and The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber. Regionally, she has played roles such as Laura in The Glass Menagerie, Corie in Barefoot in the Park and Luisa in The Fantasticks. She has also made a guest appearance on television's Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

She also starred in the Encores! production of On the Town which ran from November 19 to 23, 2008.[5]

Thompson starred as Diana in the Broadway revival of Lend Me a Tenor, which officially opened April 4, 2010, at the Music Box Theatre.[6]

On December 17, 2010, it was announced that she would be featured in the premiere of the musical version of the film Little Miss Sunshine at the La Jolla Playhouse in La Jolla, California.[7] The musical ran at La Jolla from February 15 through March 27, 2011, with Thompson in the role of Sheryl Hoover. She did not play in the Off-Broadway production (which ran in November to December 2013).[8][9]

Thompson starred as Eileen Evergreen in the musical Nice Work If You Can Get It, which opened on Broadway in spring 2012 at the Imperial Theatre.[10]

Thompson has also starred in the role of Cynthia Murphy in the Broadway production of Dear Evan Hansen at the Music Box Theatre from December 4, 2016, to August 4, 2019.[11]

Personal life

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Thompson has a husband, John Kain, and a son, Thomas. She attended and graduated from Birmingham Groves High School in 1987. She graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre in 1991.[1]

Theatre credits

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Year Production Role Notes
1992 Jesus Christ Superstar Mary Magdalene Concert/Tour
1994 A Doll's Life Lady of the Evening/Jailed Woman/Helga/Brigit Off-Broadway
1995 Good News Constance Lane Regional
1996–1997 Carousel Heavenly Friend/Jenny Peters/Understudy: Julie Jordan National Tour
1998 Strike Up the Band Ensemble Encores!
Footloose Ariel Moore Broadway
2001 Urinetown Hope Cladwell Off-Broadway
Broadway
2003 Little Fish Charlotte Off-Broadway
2004 Wicked Glinda (Replacement) Broadway
Pardon My English Frieda Bauer Encores!
2006 Of Thee I Sing Mary Turner Encores!
Little Fish Ensemble Concert
2008 On the Town Claire de Loone Encores!
2009 Judas & Me The Virgin Mary Off-Broadway
2010 Lend Me a Tenor Diana Broadway
2011 Little Miss Sunshine Sheryl La Jolla Playhouse
Company Jenny Concert
Kiki Baby Marina Off-Broadway
2012 Nice Work If You Can Get It Eileen Evergreen Broadway
2015 Lady, Be Good! Josephine Vanderwater Encores!
Dear Evan Hansen Cynthia Murphy Arena Stage
2016–2019 Off-Broadway
Broadway
2019 Into the Wild Performer Playwrights Horizons[12]
2022 Parade Sally Slaton New York City Center

Filmography

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Films

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Year Title Role Notes
2011 Company Jenny Concert film
2015 Construction Janet

Television

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Year Title Character Episodes
2002 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Aimee Slocum 1 episode
2009 The Battery's Down Jess Wilson 1 episode
2011 Person of Interest Mrs. Kovach 1 episode
2014 Elementary Rachel Brown 1 episode
2016 The Mysteries of Laura Mindy Lewis 1 episode
2019 Tales of The City Maura Bradshaw 1 episode

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Work Result
2002 Tony Award Best Actress in a Musical Urinetown Nominated
2005 Broadway.com Audience Choice Awards Favorite Replacement (Female) Wicked Won
2012 Grammy Awards Best Musical Theater Album Nice Work If You Can Get It Nominated
2016 Helen Hayes Award Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Musical Dear Evan Hansen Nominated
2017 Broadway.com Audience Choice Awards Favorite Featured Actress in a Musical Nominated
2018 Grammy Awards Best Musical Theater Album Won
Daytime Emmy Awards Outstanding Musical Performance in a Daytime Program Won

References

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  1. ^ a b "Jennifer Laura Thompson". Masterworks Broadway. Retrieved August 22, 2017.
  2. ^ Andrew Gans (July 20, 2004). "Wicked Welcomes Trio of New Stars July 20". Playbill. Retrieved July 27, 2022.
  3. ^ Andrew Gans (May 29, 2005). "Thompson, Shelley and Hearn Depart Broadway's Wicked May 29". Playbill. Retrieved July 27, 2022.
  4. ^ Andrew Gans (October 17, 2008). "Ashanti, Bean, Behar, Block, Cantone and More Set for Yellow Brick Road Not Taken Concert". Playbill. Retrieved July 27, 2022.
  5. ^ Ernio Hernandez (November 7, 2008). "Photo Call: Encores! Goes On the Town". Playbill. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
  6. ^ Adam Hetrick (December 17, 2009). "Tucci to Direct LaPaglia, Shalhoub, Maxwell and More in Lend Me a Tenor Broadway Revival". Playbill. Archived from the original on October 11, 2012. Retrieved December 17, 2009.
  7. ^ Kenneth Jones (December 17, 2010). "Hunter Foster, Dick Latessa, Malcolm Gets, Jennifer Laura Thompson Will Star in Little Miss Sunshine". Playbill. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
  8. ^ Lindsay Champion (October 15, 2013). "Jump In! Little Miss Sunshine, Starring Will Swenson & Stephanie J. Block, Begins Performances". Broadway.com.
  9. ^ Lindsay Champion (September 3, 2013). "Tony Nominee Will Swenson to Replace Will Chase in Off-Broadway's Little Miss Sunshine". Broadway.com.
  10. ^ Nicole Rosky (December 8, 2011). "Michael McGrath, Judy Kaye, Jennifer Laura Thompson, et al. Join Cast of NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved December 11, 2011.
  11. ^ @DearEvanHansen (August 4, 2019). "2,228 performances of #DearEvanHansen, two true-blue originals. Thank you, @jltsayswhat and @park24hrs, for being part of the journey from the very beginning – and for all that you've given to this family along the way" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  12. ^ Amber Gray, Jennifer Laura Thompson, Ryan McCartan, More Featured in Industry Reading of Into the Wild Musical
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