Milton High grad stars in Broadway’s ‘Wicked’

By DELANEY TARR delaney@appenmedia.com

MILTON, Ga. — Milton High School graduate McKenzie Kurtz has filled a childhood dream as she starts her run as Glinda in the award-winning musical “Wicked.”

Kurtz debuted in the role Feb. 14 at the Gershwin Theatre on Broadway as the musical enters its 20th year.

“I have dreamt of being in this show, specifically playing Glinda since I saw it for the first time when I was 9 years old,” Kurtz said.

Watching that performance years ago was part of what spurred Kurtz to pursue musical theater. Few shows run for as long as “Wicked,” though.

“I remember being like ‘Please let this show be around when I make it to New York’ and of course it was, because it’s one of the most insane and amazing shows of all time,” Kurtz said.

“Wicked” the musical is the fifth longest-running show in Broadway history and has won over 100 international awards including a Grammy Award and three Tony Awards.

The role is a dream come true for Kurtz, who debuted on Broadway as Anna in the Tony-nominated theater adaptation of the 2013 Disney film “Frozen” in February 2020.

Kurtz only had about a month of performances at the St. James Theatre before COVID-19 shut down Broadway. The theater star had to move home to Milton and reconnect with her roots. It was hard at first, but Kurtz carries the experience with her.

“Coming back to New York, I feel like that time that I spent in Georgia, especially with my family, was so valuable, and I’m carrying all of that love and support,” Kurtz said.

The actress spent her time at home doing theater in Atlanta, like the Alliance Theatre production of the musical adaptation of 1983 film “Trading Places.”

Kurtz said she’s lucky to have grown up in Georgia with strong support from her friends, family and the theater community.

“I got so many opportunities being in the theater program at Milton,” Kurtz said.

As a part of the Milton High School theater program, the actress racked up two Shuler awards, which honor Georgia-based high school theater. Kurtz was named Best Leading Actress for Milton’s 2015 production of “Mary Poppins” and Best Leading Actress for 2012 in the program’s “Spamalot” production. She was also nominated for Best Leading Actress in 2011 and 2014.

Kurtz also performed at the Jimmy Awards, a national competition known as

“the Tonys for teenagers.”

With several awards under her belt, Kurtz received a scholarship for Carnegie Mellon University’s pre-college program and later attended the University of Michigan to study musical theater.

“My time in Milton High School was absolutely instrumental in getting me to where I am today,” Kurtz said.

In her second Broadway role, Kurtz is focused on making the iconic role of Glinda her own. Kurtz said after she was cast, people asked if she had watched bootlegs of other performances to figure out her rendition of famous songs like “Popular.”

“I really tried not to, and just tried to come up with my own bits, my own feel,” Kurtz said.

The creative team at the show welcomed her approach, and Kurtz said she can now take “creative liberties and comedic liberties” to add something new to every show.

While the actress admits she wants to pull from previous performances of Glinda, she often instead pulls from her time as Anna in “Frozen” as a source of inspiration.

“Frozen” centers on two sisters Anna and Elsa, and the complicated dynamics in their relationship. “Wicked” focuses on a pair of unlikely best friends, Glinda and Elphaba — characters from the 1939 classic film “The Wizard of Oz.”

“They both focus on this relationship between two women and that relationship evolves,” Kurtz said. “I think I carried my experience from ‘Frozen’ into this role because it is almost like a sister relationship.”

The actress said she also pulls from her own relationship with her sister to perform the dynamic between Glinda and Elphaba.

Kurtz has already set her sights on her next dream: originating a role that goes to Broadway.

“There’s nothing like that process of helping create a role and create a show,” Kurtz said. “That would be something I would really love to do next.”

KING’S