Marcie Dodd
Encyclopedia
Marcie Dodd is an American stage performer, best known for playing Elphaba
and Nessarose
in various US companies of the hit musical Wicked
.
, the third of four children. Her father is an agricultural consultant and her mother is a piano teacher. She attended Bethany College
in Santa Cruz County, California
with a major in music from 1997 to 1999. In 1999, she transferred to Azusa Pacific University
, where she graduated in 2001. After graduation, she was cast as a singing princess in Disneyland. During a three-year run, she performed as Belle and Snow White. At Disneyland, she met her husband, Colin Follenweider, a stunt-double in many major Hollywood films. The couple were married in 2006.
Dodd's first non-Disney role was as Sandy in a regional production of Grease
. She then took understudy roles in the Las Vegas productions of We Will Rock You
and Hairspray
, before becoming a cast member of the musical Wicked
.
and Nessarose
. Her first performance as Nessarose was at the matinee on March 25, 2007, and her first performance as Elphaba was at the matinee on April 7, 2007.
After a year on tour, she replaced Jenna Leigh Green
as Nessarose in the Los Angeles
sit-down production. Her first performance took place on December 13, 2007. From late March through early May 2008, she temporarily took over the position of understudy Elphaba, due to the injury of fellow cast member Courtney Corey. Her first performance as Elphaba in Los Angeles took place on April 22, 2008. On May 15, 2008, she replaced Teal Wicks
as the standby for Elphaba, due to Wicks' promotion to full-time lead. In addition, she returned to understudying Nessarose, with Briana Yacavone replacing her in the lead role. She departed the Los Angeles company on October 26, 2008. Dodd was succeeded by Vicki Noon
as the standby to Elphaba.
Marcie then joined the Broadway production, replacing Kerry Ellis
in the lead role of Elphaba on November 11, 2008. Upon her move to Broadway, Dodd became the first, and only actress to date, to have performed in the lead roles of both Nessarose and Elphaba. She ended her limited Broadway engagement on January 11, 2009, and was replaced by Nicole Parker
.
Dodd then originated the role of Elphaba on the second national touring company of the show, which began performances March 7, 2009 and officially opened March 12. Dodd exited the touring company on April 4, 2010, and was once again succeeded by Vicki Noon.
She then succeeded Eden Espinosa
as Elphaba in the San Francisco sit-down production of the show on June 29, 2010. She remained with the production until it closed on September 5, 2010.
Elphaba
Elphaba Thropp is a fictional character in Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire, as well as in the Broadway and West End adaptations, Wicked. In the original L. Frank Baum book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the Wicked Witch of the West is unnamed and little...
and Nessarose
Nessarose
Nessarose Thropp is the name of the woman who becomes the Wicked Witch of the East in Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire, as well as in the Broadway adaptation, Wicked...
in various US companies of the hit musical Wicked
Wicked (musical)
Wicked is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman. It is based on the Gregory Maguire novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West , a parallel novel of the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz and L. Frank Baum's classic story The Wonderful Wizard...
.
Early life and career
Dodd was born in Yuba City, CaliforniaYuba City, California
Yuba City is a Northern California city, founded in 1849. It is the county seat of Sutter County, California, United States. The population was 64,925 at the 2010 census....
, the third of four children. Her father is an agricultural consultant and her mother is a piano teacher. She attended Bethany College
Bethany University
Bethany University was a four-year private Christian university located in Scotts Valley, California in Santa Cruz County. It operated from 1919 until closing in 2011 and was endorsed by the Assemblies of God USA, a Pentecostal denomination, and was the denomination's oldest college at the time of...
in Santa Cruz County, California
Santa Cruz County, California
Santa Cruz County is a county located on the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California, on the California Central Coast. The county forms the northern coast of the Monterey Bay. . As of the 2010 U.S. Census, its population was 262,382. The county seat is Santa Cruz...
with a major in music from 1997 to 1999. In 1999, she transferred to Azusa Pacific University
Azusa Pacific University
Azusa Pacific University is a private, inter-denominational, evangelical Christian university located near Los Angeles in suburban Azusa, California. It was founded in 1899, with classes opening on March 3, 1900 in Whittier, California. It began offering degrees in 1939...
, where she graduated in 2001. After graduation, she was cast as a singing princess in Disneyland. During a three-year run, she performed as Belle and Snow White. At Disneyland, she met her husband, Colin Follenweider, a stunt-double in many major Hollywood films. The couple were married in 2006.
Dodd's first non-Disney role was as Sandy in a regional production of Grease
Grease (musical)
Grease is a 1971 musical by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. The musical is named for the 1950s United States working-class youth subculture known as the greasers. The musical, set in 1959 at fictional Rydell High School , follows ten working-class teenagers as they navigate the complexities of love,...
. She then took understudy roles in the Las Vegas productions of We Will Rock You
We Will Rock You (musical)
We Will Rock You is a jukebox musical, based on the songs of Queen and named after their hit single of the same name. The musical was written by British comedian and author Ben Elton in collaboration with Queen members Brian May and Roger Taylor...
and Hairspray
Hairspray (musical)
Hairspray is a musical with music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman and Shaiman and a book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan, based on the 1988 John Waters film Hairspray. The songs include 1960s-style dance music and "downtown" rhythm and blues...
, before becoming a cast member of the musical Wicked
Wicked (musical)
Wicked is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman. It is based on the Gregory Maguire novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West , a parallel novel of the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz and L. Frank Baum's classic story The Wonderful Wizard...
.
Wicked
Dodd made her Wicked debut on December 5, 2006, as part of the ensemble of show's first national touring company. She also understudied both ElphabaElphaba
Elphaba Thropp is a fictional character in Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire, as well as in the Broadway and West End adaptations, Wicked. In the original L. Frank Baum book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the Wicked Witch of the West is unnamed and little...
and Nessarose
Nessarose
Nessarose Thropp is the name of the woman who becomes the Wicked Witch of the East in Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire, as well as in the Broadway adaptation, Wicked...
. Her first performance as Nessarose was at the matinee on March 25, 2007, and her first performance as Elphaba was at the matinee on April 7, 2007.
After a year on tour, she replaced Jenna Leigh Green
Jenna Leigh Green
Jenna Leigh Green is an American actress and singer best known for her performances as Libby Chessler on the television show Sabrina, the Teenage Witch and on Broadway and on tour in the musical Wicked.-Early life and career:...
as Nessarose in the Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
sit-down production. Her first performance took place on December 13, 2007. From late March through early May 2008, she temporarily took over the position of understudy Elphaba, due to the injury of fellow cast member Courtney Corey. Her first performance as Elphaba in Los Angeles took place on April 22, 2008. On May 15, 2008, she replaced Teal Wicks
Teal Wicks
Teal Wicks is an American singer and stage actress, best known for her performance as Elphaba in the Broadway, San Francisco, and Los Angeles productions of the musical Wicked.-Education:...
as the standby for Elphaba, due to Wicks' promotion to full-time lead. In addition, she returned to understudying Nessarose, with Briana Yacavone replacing her in the lead role. She departed the Los Angeles company on October 26, 2008. Dodd was succeeded by Vicki Noon
Vicki Noon
Vicki Noon is an American theater performer, who played the lead role of Elphaba on the Second National Tour of Wicked, a role she had previously covered in various other productions of the musical.-Early life:...
as the standby to Elphaba.
Marcie then joined the Broadway production, replacing Kerry Ellis
Kerry Ellis
Kerry Jane Ellis is an English stage actress and singer who is best known for her work in musical theatre and subsequent crossover into music...
in the lead role of Elphaba on November 11, 2008. Upon her move to Broadway, Dodd became the first, and only actress to date, to have performed in the lead roles of both Nessarose and Elphaba. She ended her limited Broadway engagement on January 11, 2009, and was replaced by Nicole Parker
Nicole Parker
Nicole Frances Parker is an Emmy Award-winning actress and singer best known for her work on Fox's sketch comedy show MADtv. In July 2009, she concluded her run as Elphaba in the Broadway production of Wicked...
.
Dodd then originated the role of Elphaba on the second national touring company of the show, which began performances March 7, 2009 and officially opened March 12. Dodd exited the touring company on April 4, 2010, and was once again succeeded by Vicki Noon.
She then succeeded Eden Espinosa
Eden Espinosa
Eden Erica Espinosa is an American singer and stage actress, who is best known for her performances as Elphaba for the Broadway, Los Angeles and San Francisco productions of the musical Wicked....
as Elphaba in the San Francisco sit-down production of the show on June 29, 2010. She remained with the production until it closed on September 5, 2010.