Mary Kate Morrissey
Mary Kate Morrissey | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 18, 1989 (age 34) |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Stage actress |
| Known for | Playing Elphaba in "Wicked (musical)" |
| Spouse | Trevor Blake (m. 2021) |
Mary Kate Blake[1] (born June 18, 1989), known by her maiden name Mary Kate Morrissey, is an American stage actress known for playing Elphaba on the Broadway musical Wicked. She is also known for playing Sheila in the musical Hair and Janis in the Mean Girls musical.
Early life[edit]
Mary Kate Morrissey was born in Downingtown, Pennsylvania on June 18, 1989.[2][3] When asked how she decided what career path she wanted to follow, Morrissey said, "My grandfather used to sing on the Irish Radio and play in a band, and my dad would dress us up like the Rolling Stones when my brothers and sister and I were little and we would put on full-blown lip sync concerts. My parents recognized the performer bug in me and put me in the local high school's production of Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat, where my second-grade self played a sheep!"[2] In her later school years, she joined numerous choirs and her high school band.[2]
Morrissey saw Shoshana Bean and Megan Hilty act in Wicked on Broadway sometime around 2004, and since then, she has been a fan of the play.[4]
She got a BFA Degree in Music Theater from Syracuse University.[2]
Career[edit]
Morrissey's first role as an actress was playing Sheila in Broadway's US and Canada tour of Hair.[2][5][6]
In 2015, Morrissey served as the standby for Elphaba on the national tour of Wicked. She began to play the role full-time in 2017 alongside Ginna Claire Mason as Glinda[7][2][8] before taking a break from Wicked to play Janis in the Mean Girls musical national tour.[4][9] That same year, Morrissey served as a female standby on the set of the musical Joan of Arc: Into the Fire.[10] In 2023, Morrissey became the official standby for Elphaba on Broadway.[7] On March 5, 2024, she began playing the role full-time alongside Alexandra Socha as Glinda. Morrissey replaced Alyssa Fox as Elphaba, and Socha replaced McKenzie Kurtz as Glinda.[5][11][12]
Morrissey confessed to initially having doubts about whether she could play Elphaba, but her family supported her along the way and she eventually got her dream.[4]
Morrissey attended attended the 2013 Emery Awards in New York City alongside Ty Defoe.[13]
She performed songs from Wicked at Side By Side: A Celebration of Service on May 25, 2019 in New York City to celebrate United States Army veterans and their families.[14][15]
Personal life[edit]
In 2021, Morrissey revealed she had married her longtime boyfriend, Trevor Blake.[16] Though she changed her surname to Blake upon marrying him, she still goes by her maiden name, Morrissey.[1]
Morrissey identifies as queer and pansexual and is an advocate for queer rights and representation.[17]
References[edit]
- ^ a b "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 2024-05-15.
- ^ a b c d e f Abigail (2018-07-07). "Meet the Actresses Behind Two of the World's Most Beloved Onstage Characters". The Everygirl. Retrieved 2024-05-12.
- ^ Person, Some. "Mary Kate Morrissey Net Worth, Age, Height, Bio, Birthday, Wiki!". ZestSync. Retrieved 2024-05-12.
- ^ a b c "3 Remarkable Ways Mary Kate Morrissey Defied the Odds in the Theatre Industry". www.theatrely.com. Retrieved 2024-05-12.
- ^ a b "Mary Kate Morrissey and Alexandra Socha to Lead Wicked on Broadway; Donna McKechnie, Brad Oscar & More Join Cast". Broadway.com. Retrieved 2024-05-12.
- ^ "Performance of musical 'Hair,' showing at Kingsbury Hall". FOX 13 News Utah (KSTU). 2013-01-18. Retrieved 2024-05-12.
- ^ a b Smith, Paul Art (16 April 2024). "MEET MARY KATE MORRISSEY AND ALEXANDRA SOCHA, WICKED'S NEWEST WITCHES". Broadway Direct.
- ^ Rabinowitz, Chloe. "Interview: WICKED's Mary Kate Morrissey on Why Taking on Elphaba Full-Time 'Feels Right'". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2024-05-12.
- ^ Jones, Elinor. "Mean Girls: The Musical Star Mary Kate Morrissey Helps the Weird Art Kids Feel Less Alone". The Stranger. Retrieved 2024-05-12.
- ^ Clement, Olivia (15 March 2017). "Joan of Arc: Into the Fire Opens at the Public". Playbill.
- ^ Hilton, Lauren. "Photos: Mary Kate Morrissey Shares Photos from Rehearsals for WICKED on Broadway". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2024-05-12.
- ^ Gans, Andrew (5 March 2024). "Donna McKechnie Returns to Broadway in Wicked March 5 Alongside Mary Kate Morrissey, Alexandra Socha, More". Playbill.
- ^ "Mary Kate Morrissey at the 2013 Emery Awards with Ty Defoe". BFA.com.
- ^ "Side By Side: A Celebration of Service 2019" (PDF).
- ^ "Mary Kate Morrissey performs during the Side By Side: A Celebration..." Getty Images. 2019-05-25. Retrieved 2024-05-13.
- ^ "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 2024-05-13.
- ^ Williams-Jent, Ryan (2020-02-13). "Mary Kate Morrissey talks 'Mean Girls,' 'Wicked' and queer representation". Watermark Online. Retrieved 2024-05-13.