Lencia Kebede
Lencia Kebede | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 3, 1993 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Education | Occidental College |
| Occupation | Musical theater actress |
| Years active | 2016–present |
| Known for | Wicked |
Lencia Kebede (born October 3, 1993) is an American actress and singer. She is best known for becoming the first Black actress to play Elphaba full-time in Wicked on Broadway.[1]
Early life
[edit]Kebede was born in Los Angeles, California to an Ethiopian American family.[2] She grew up performing in church choir and community theatre programs.[1]
Kebede attended Occidental College, double-majoring in Diplomacy & World Affairs and politics. She participated in the college's Glee Club, as well as its theater and music departments.[3] While pursuing her bachelor's degree, Kebede spent a semester interning at the United Nations headquarters in New York City, where she attended General Assembly meetings and took notes for the Guatemala ambassador.[1] She also has been playing soccer and basketball all her life.
Career
[edit]Upon graduation, Kebede decided to pursue professional theatre. Her first few jobs included a stint at Tokyo Disneyland[3] and the role of Joanne Jefferson in the 20th anniversary tour of Rent.[4]
Kebede joined the national tour of Hamilton in 2019[3] as an ensemble member. In 2023, she began performing as Angelica Schuyler, a role she played for two years.[1]
On March 4, 2025, Kebede made her Broadway debut as Elphaba in Wicked. Kebede is the first Black actress to play the role full-time in the 21-year-old Broadway production. She performed alongside Allie Trimm as Glinda.[5] Kebede played her final performance as Elphaba on March 1, 2026.[6] She has returned to Broadway in Hamilton, reprising her role as Angelica Schuyler.
Theatre
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Venue | Category | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018–19 | Rent | Joanne Jefferson | 20th anniversary non-Equity tour | Replacement | [4] | |
| 2019–23 | Hamilton | Ensemble | U.S. National Tour (Angelica company) | [3] | ||
| 2023–25, 2026 | Angelica Schuyler | U.S. National Tour (Philip company), and Broadway at the Richard Rodgers Theatre | Replacement | |||
| 2025-26 | Wicked | Elphaba | Gershwin Theatre | Original Broadway production | Replacement | [5] |
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 Tillet, Salamisha. "An Actress of Many Passions, Now Making History in ‘Wicked’" Deprecated link archived 2025-05-06(Date mismatch) at archive.today, The New York Times, May 6, 2025
- ↑ Kennedy, Mark (2025-03-07). "Broadway's 'Wicked' welcomes Lencia Kebede, its first Black, full-time Elphaba". Associated Press. Retrieved 2025-06-14.
- 1 2 3 4 "From 'Hairspray' to 'Hamilton'". Occidental College. 2020-03-19. Retrieved 2025-06-14.
- 1 2 Kennedy, Mark (2018-08-16). "Broadway's 'Wicked' welcomes Lencia Kebede, its first Black, full-time Elphaba". Playbill. Retrieved 2025-06-14.
- 1 2 "Get a 1st Look at the New, History-Making Cast of Broadway's Wicked". Playbill. Retrieved June 14, 2025.
- ↑ Hall, Margaret. "Lencia Kebede, Allie Trimm Announce Final Wicked Performance on Broadway". Playbill. Retrieved January 10, 2026.