Broadway's 'Wicked' casts its first Black Glinda

The population of the Emerald City is about to become more diverse.

On Tuesday, the producers of "Wicked" announced that on Feb. 14, Brittney Johnson will become the first Black actor to assume the role of Glinda full time during the 18 years that the show has been on Broadway.

"If this is a dream, don't wake me. I cannot WAIT to be your Glinda. I'm honored, grateful, and speechless. I simply couldn't be happier. See you Feb 14th, 2022!," Johnson tweeted Tuesday morning.

Johnson, 31, is no stranger to "Wicked." She joined the Tony Award-winning musical in 2018 in the ensemble and as an understudy in the role. She did get to play Glinda on Jan. 10, 2019, marking the first time a Black performer ever portrayed the character.

The show, which features the hit song "Defying Gravity," takes place long before "The Wizard of Oz" and centers on the relationship between Glinda, who would become the Good Witch of the North, and Elphaba before she became the Wicked Witch of the West. "Wicked" is currently the fifth-longest-running show in Broadway history and has played 6,926 performances.