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Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Idina Menzel is the best-known Broadway Elphaba: she originated the role and won the 2004 Tony Award for her performance. Other notable performers include Shoshana Bean, Stephanie J. Block, Lencia Kebede and, on the current official cast page, Keri René Fuller. There is no measured fame ranking, so this is a selection based on role history, award recognition and significant milestones—not a definitive ranking.
Who was the original Elphaba on Broadway?
Idina Menzel originated the role
Idina Menzel was the original Broadway Elphaba. IBDB records her engagement from October 8, 2003, to January 8, 2005. She won the 2004 Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical for Wicked. That combination of originating the role and earning its major award recognition makes her the clearest answer to who is most associated with Broadway’s Elphaba. IBDB’s performer record and the Tony Awards archive document those milestones.
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Which performers followed Menzel?
Shoshana Bean
Shoshana Bean took over as a Broadway replacement, with IBDB listing her Elphaba run from January 11, 2005, to January 8, 2006. That makes her a documented successor to Menzel, rather than the role’s originator. IBDB’s record for Bean gives the dates; Broadway Direct and the Associated Press also identify her among performers associated with the role.
Stephanie J. Block
Stephanie J. Block is another notable Broadway Elphaba, named in retrospectives and coverage of the role’s performers. Those sources establish her place in the role’s history, but do not support a comparative ranking of how widely known each performer is.
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What was Lencia Kebede’s Broadway milestone?
In March 2025, the Associated Press reported that Lencia Kebede became the first Black actor to assume Elphaba full time in the Broadway company. It is an important milestone in the role’s history. The report describes a full-time role assignment, not a standby or understudy credit. Read the AP report.
Who is playing Elphaba on Broadway now?
The official Broadway cast page lists Keri René Fuller as Elphaba. It also lists Emily Rogers as Elphaba understudy and Talia Suskauer as standby. Cast listings can change, so consult the production’s page for the latest assignment before attending.
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How do principal roles, standbys and understudies differ?
A principal performer holds the regular role; a standby or understudy is prepared to step in when needed. These credits are not interchangeable. The official Wicked study guide explains that understudies and swings learn roles to cover performers. A cover’s readiness to perform does not by itself mean they have taken over the principal engagement full time.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why isn’t this a definitive fame ranking?
“Most well-known” is subjective. The available records establish who originated the part, who replaced Menzel, which later performers are highlighted in coverage, and notable casting milestones. They do not measure audience recognition or provide a popularity ranking. The names here are therefore best understood as prominent points in Broadway’s Elphaba history, not a ranked list of fame.
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