{{short description|American actor-singer (born 1969)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=December 2019}} {{Infobox person | name = Jennifer Laura Thompson | image = JLT2017.jpg | caption = Thompson in 2017. | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1969|12|5}} | birth_place = Southfield, Michigan, U.S. | alma_mater = University of Michigan | occupation = Actress, singer | spouse = {{marriage|John Kain|1999}} | children = 1 | years_active = 1992–present }}
'''Jennifer Laura Thompson''' (born December 5, 1969)<ref name=master/> is an American actress and singer, best known for her theatrical performances. She originated the role of Cynthia Murphy in the Tony Award-winning musical, ''Dear Evan Hansen'', and received a Tony Award nomination for her performance as Hope Cladwell in ''Urinetown''. She is also known for being the first replacement for Kristin Chenoweth as Glinda in ''Wicked'' on Broadway.
==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.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://playbill.com/article/wicked-welcomes-trio-of-new-stars-july-20-com-120923|author=Andrew Gans|title=''Wicked'' Welcomes Trio of New Stars July 20|work=Playbill|access-date=July 27, 2022|date=July 20, 2004}}</ref> During her run as Glinda, she performed opposite Idina Menzel and Shoshana Bean as Elphaba. She departed the company on May 29, 2005.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://playbill.com/article/thompson-shelley-and-hearn-depart-broadways-wicked-may-29-com-126169|author=Andrew Gans|title=Thompson, Shelley and Hearn Depart Broadway's ''Wicked'' May 29|work=Playbill|access-date=July 27, 2022|date=May 29, 2005}}</ref> 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''.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://playbill.com/article/ashanti-bean-behar-block-cantone-and-more-set-for-yellow-brick-road-not-taken-concert-com-154344|author=Andrew Gans|title=Ashanti, Bean, Behar, Block, Cantone and More Set for ''Yellow Brick Road Not Taken'' Concert|work=Playbill|access-date=July 27, 2022|date=October 17, 2008}}</ref>
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 to 23, 2008.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.playbill.com/article/photo-call-encores-goes-on-the-town-com-154998|author=Ernio Hernandez|title=Photo Call: Encores! Goes ''On the Town''|work=Playbill|access-date=July 29, 2022|date=November 7, 2008}}</ref>
Thompson starred as Diana in the Broadway revival of ''Lend Me a Tenor'', which officially opened April 4, 2010, at the Music Box Theatre.<ref>{{cite news|date=December 17, 2009 |url=http://www.playbill.com/news/article/135382-Tucci-to-Direct-LaPaglia-Shalhoub-Maxwell-and-More-in-Lend-Me-a-Tenor-Broadway-Revival |author=Adam Hetrick |title=Tucci to Direct LaPaglia, Shalhoub, Maxwell and More in ''Lend Me a Tenor'' Broadway Revival |work=Playbill |access-date=December 17, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121011193130/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/135382-Tucci-to-Direct-LaPaglia-Shalhoub-Maxwell-and-More-in-Lend-Me-a-Tenor-Broadway-Revival |archive-date=October 11, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
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.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.playbill.com/article/hunter-foster-dick-latessa-malcolm-gets-jennifer-laura-thompson-will-star-in-little-miss-sunshine-com-174562 |author=Kenneth Jones |title=Hunter Foster, Dick Latessa, Malcolm Gets, Jennifer Laura Thompson Will Star in ''Little Miss Sunshine'' |work=Playbill |date=December 17, 2010 |access-date=July 29, 2022}}</ref> 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).<ref>{{cite web |author=Lindsay Champion |title=Jump In! ''Little Miss Sunshine'', Starring Will Swenson & Stephanie J. Block, Begins Performances |url=https://www.broadway.com/buzz/172330/jump-in-little-miss-sunshine-starring-will-swenson-stephanie-j-block-begins-performances/ |website=Broadway.com |date=October 15, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Lindsay Champion |title=Tony Nominee Will Swenson to Replace Will Chase in Off-Broadway's ''Little Miss Sunshine'' |url=https://www.broadway.com/buzz/171515/tony-nominee-will-swenson-to-replace-will-chase-in-off-broadways-little-miss-sunshine/ |website=Broadway.com |date=September 3, 2013}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{cite news|author=Nicole Rosky|url=http://broadwayworld.com/article/Michael-McGrath-Judy-Kaye-Jennifer-Laura-Thompson-et-al-Join-Cast-of-NICE-WORK-IF-YOU-CAN-GET-IT-20111208|title=Michael McGrath, Judy Kaye, Jennifer Laura Thompson, et al. Join Cast of NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT|work=BroadwayWorld|date=December 8, 2011|access-date=December 11, 2011}}</ref>
Thompson has also starred in the role of Cynthia Murphy in the Broadway production of ''Dear Evan Hansen'' at the Music Box Theatre from December 4, 2016, to August 4, 2019.<ref>{{cite tweet |user=DearEvanHansen| number=1158128590275395594 |date=August 4, 2019 |title= 2,228 performances of #DearEvanHansen, two true-blue originals. Thank you, @jltsayswhat and @park24hrs, for being part of the journey from the very beginning – and for all that you’ve given to this family along the way.}}</ref>
==Personal life== Thompson has a husband, John Kain, and a son, Thomas. She attended and graduated from Birmingham Groves High School in 1987. She graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre in 1991.<ref name=master>{{cite web |title=Jennifer Laura Thompson |url=https://masterworksbroadway.com/artist/jennifer-laura-thompson/ |website=Masterworks Broadway |access-date=August 22, 2017}}</ref>
==Theatre credits== {| class="wikitable" !Year !Production !Role !Notes |- | 1992 | ''Jesus Christ Superstar'' | Mary Magdalene | Concert/Tour |- | 1994 | ''A Doll's Life'' | Lady of the Evening/Jailed Woman/Helga/Brigit | Off-Broadway |- | 1995 | ''Good News'' | Constance Lane | Regional |- | 1996–1997 | ''Carousel'' | Heavenly Friend/Jenny Peters/Understudy: Julie Jordan | National Tour |- | rowspan=2| 1998 | ''Strike Up the Band'' | Ensemble | Encores! |- | ''Footloose'' | Ariel Moore | Broadway |- | rowspan=2| 2001 | rowspan=2| ''Urinetown'' | rowspan=2| Hope Cladwell | Off-Broadway |- | Broadway |- | 2003 | ''Little Fish'' | Charlotte | Off-Broadway |- | rowspan=2| 2004 |''Wicked'' | Glinda (Replacement) | Broadway |- | ''Pardon My English'' | Frieda Bauer | Encores! |- | rowspan=2| 2006 | ''Of Thee I Sing'' | Mary Turner | Encores! |- | ''Little Fish'' | Ensemble | Concert |- | 2008 | ''On the Town'' | Claire de Loone | Encores! |- | 2009 | Judas & Me | The Virgin Mary | Off-Broadway |- | 2010 | ''Lend Me a Tenor'' | Diana | Broadway |- | rowspan=3| 2011 | ''Little Miss Sunshine'' | Sheryl | La Jolla Playhouse |- | ''Company'' | Jenny | Concert |- | Kiki Baby | Marina | Off-Broadway |- | 2012 | ''Nice Work If You Can Get It'' | Eileen Evergreen | Broadway |- | rowspan=2| 2015 | ''Lady, Be Good!'' | Josephine Vanderwater | Encores! |- | rowspan=3| ''Dear Evan Hansen'' | rowspan=3| Cynthia Murphy | Arena Stage |- | rowspan=2| 2016–2019 | Off-Broadway |- | Broadway |- | 2019 | ''Into the Wild'' | Performer | Playwrights Horizons<ref>[https://playbill.com/article/amber-gray-jennifer-laura-thompson-ryan-mccartan-more-featured-in-industry-reading-of-into-the-wild-musical Amber Gray, Jennifer Laura Thompson, Ryan McCartan, More Featured in Industry Reading of Into the Wild Musical]</ref> |- | 2022 | ''Parade'' | Sally Slaton | New York City Center |}
==Filmography== ===Films=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes |- |2011 |''Company'' |Jenny | Concert film |- |2015 |''Construction'' | Janet | |- |}
===Television=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Character ! Episodes |- |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 |- |2019 |''Tales of The City'' | Maura Bradshaw | 1 episode |}
== Awards and nominations == {| class="wikitable" !Year !Award !Category !Work !Result |- |2002 |Tony Award |Best Actress in a Musical |''Urinetown'' |{{nom}} |- |2005 |Broadway.com Audience Choice Awards |Favorite Replacement (Female) |''Wicked'' |{{Won}} |- |2012 |Grammy Awards |Best Musical Theater Album |''Nice Work If You Can Get It'' |{{nom}} |- |2016 |Helen Hayes Award |Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Musical | rowspan="4" | ''Dear Evan Hansen'' |{{nom}} |- |2017 |Broadway.com Audience Choice Awards |Favorite Featured Actress in a Musical |{{nom}} |- | rowspan="4" |2018 |Grammy Awards |Best Musical Theater Album |{{Won}} |- |Daytime Emmy Awards |Outstanding Musical Performance in a Daytime Program |{{Won}} |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{IMDb name|1876908}} *{{IBDB name}} *[http://www.broadway.com/gen/Buzz_Story.aspx?ci=40347 Jennifer Laura Thompson Interview by Beth Stevens on Broadway.com]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Thompson, Jennifer Laura}} Category:1969 births Category:Actresses from Michigan Category:American stage actresses Category:American television actresses Category:American musical theatre actresses Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Living people Category:People from Southfield, Michigan Category:University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance alumni Category:21st-century American women