Jennifer Laura Thompson

Jennifer Laura Thompson
Jennifer Laura Thompson after a performance of Dear Evan Hansen
Born (1969-12-05) December 5, 1969
Southfield, Michigan, U.S.
Alma mater University of Michigan
Occupation Actress, singer

Jennifer Laura Thompson (born December 5, 1969[1]) is an American actress and singer.

Career

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. During her run as Glinda, she performed opposite Idina Menzel and Shoshana Bean as Elphaba. She departed the company on May 29, 2005. 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.[2]

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 19–23, 2008.[3]

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

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.[5] 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).[6][7]

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.[8]

Thompson currently stars in the role as Cynthia Murphy in the Broadway production of Dear Evan Hansen at the Music Box Theatre.

Personal life

Thompson has a husband, John, and a son, Thomas. She graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre in 1991.[9]

Theatre credits

Year Production Role Notes
1994 A Doll's Life Lady of the Evening/Jailed Woman/Helga/Brigit Off-Broadway
1998 Strike Up the Band Ensemble Encores!
Footloose Ariel Moore Broadway
2001 Urinetown Hope Cladwell Off-Broadway
Broadway
2003 Little Fish Charlotte Off-Broadway
Wicked Glinda Broadway
2004 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!
2010 Lend Me a Tenor Diana Broadway
2012 Nice Work If You Can Get It Eileen Evergreen Broadway
2015 Lady, Be Good! Josephine Vanderwater Concert
Dear Evan Hansen Cynthia Murphy Regional
2016 Off-Broadway
Broadway

Filmography

Films

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

Television

Year Title Role Notes
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

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Work Result
2002 Tony Award Best Actress in a Musical Urinetown Nominated
2016 Helen Hayes Award Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Musical Dear Evan Hansen Nominated

References

  1. ↑ Jennifer Laura Thompson on IMDb
  2. ↑ Andrew Gans. "Ashanti, Bean, Behar, Block, Cantone and More Set for Yellow Brick Road Not Taken Concert". Playbill. Retrieved October 17, 2008.
  3. ↑ Ernio Hernandez. "Photo Call: Encores! Goes on the Town". Retrieved November 8, 2011.
  4. ↑ Hetrick, Adam.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.
  5. ↑ Kenneth Jones (December 17, 2010). "Hunter Foster, Dick Latessa, Malcolm Gets, Jennifer Laura Thompson Will Star in Little Miss Sunshine". Playbill. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved February 23, 2014.
  6. ↑ Champion, Lindsay. "Jump In! 'Little Miss Sunshine', Starring Will Swenson & Stephanie J. Block, Begins Performances" broadway.com, October 15, 2013
  7. ↑ Champion, Lindsay. "Tony Nominee Will Swenson to Replace Will Chase in Off-Broadway’s 'Little Miss Sunshine' " broadway.com, September 3, 2013
  8. ↑ "Michael McGrath, Judy Kaye, Jennifer Laura Thompson, et al. Join Cast of NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT". December 8, 2011. Retrieved December 11, 2011.
  9. ↑ "Jennifer Laura Thompson" masterworksbroadway.com, retrieved August 22, 2017
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