3 (of Many) Reasons to Love Jennafer Newberry

‍Sentimental Men has released their latest episode and this week features none other than Wicked tour icon Jennafer Newberry. The star is currently playing Glinda around the U.S., with upcoming stops in Miami and Tampa, Florida.

Jennafer chatted with podcast hosts Quincy Brown and Kevin Bianchi about her fierce love of Wicked, driving around the country with her husband, and more. Check out the episode below and three highlights from her time as the Good Witch.

‍1. Preparation is the key to success

While starring as Nemo in Finding Nemo–The Musical at Disney World, she realized that in order to be prepared for future Wicked auditions, she should learn the audition dance combo to “Dancing Through Life.” So at the next dance audition, she was early, booked a studio to rehearse, and immediately panicked and worried that the audition would be the dance from the Oz Dust Ball and quickly learned that combo. Luckily, the audition ended up being the “Dancing Through Life'' and she nailed it (duh)!‍

2. Dearest darlingest Lissa…

Once Jennafer knew Lissa deGuzman would be joining the company as her Elphaba, she got her phone number and texted her the most Glinda text one could imagine, “Dearest darlingest Lissa, I hear we’re gonna be roommates at Shiz,” to which Lissa replied something along the lines of, “Keep your stuff on your side of the room.” Very Elphaba. From that moment, Jennafer knew they’d be fast friends.‍

3. I, Glinda

Spoiler alert: Jennafer’s a “Thank Goodness” Glinda (even though she kills all three song choices)! While breaking down the emotional and vocal complexity of the song, Jennafer compares the feeling of cracking but having to put up a facade Glinda feels to the scene in I, Tonya where Margot Robbie looks in the mirror, clearly breaking inside and overwhelmed, but has to smile through it and tell herself everything’s fine (you know the one that’s a great GIF).

Sentimental Men, presented by Theatrely, is a Broadway podcast inspired by Wicked. It is an interview-based ode to the women of musical theatre, with previous guests including Jessica Vosk, Eden Espinosa, and Tony Award winners Beth Leavel and Stephanie J. Block. You can listen to and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or anywhere you listen to your favorite podcasts.