Keri René Fuller Has Gone From Elphaba Standby to Full Time in Wicked

Earlier this month, the Broadway production of the international hit musical Wicked welcomed several new principal players, including Keri René Fuller, to the Gershwin Theatre.

Fuller, who had been the standby for the role of Elphaba, assumed the part full time, succeeding Lencia Kebede. She is the latest actor to play the not-so-wicked, green-faced witch, created on stage by Tony winner Idina Menzel over two decades ago. 

The new leads of the record-breaking Stephen Schwartz-Winnie Holzman musical, which explores the back story of The Wizard of Oz, also include Emma Flynn in her Broadway debut as Glinda; Ellen Harvey (Cabaret) as Madame Morrible; Blake Hammond, arriving on Broadway from the musical's national tour as The Wizard; London's Carl Man, making his Broadway debut and Broadway history as the first actor of Asian descent to play Fiyero full-time; and Oluchi Nwaokorie in her Broadway debut as the new Elphaba standby. 

Fuller has also been seen on Broadway in Six, Jagged Little Pill, and Waitress, while her Off-Broadway and touring credits include The Last Bimbo of the Apocalypse and Cats, respectively. Regional audiences have seen her performances in [title of show], Murder Ballad, Les Misérables, Lizzie Borden, A Chorus Line, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Titus Andronicus. The actor—also seen on TV in Law & Order: SVU—pens, performs, and releases original music with an alt indie rock vibe under the name DITTA on all streaming platforms.

In the interview below for the Playbill series How Did I Get Here—spotlighting not only actors, but directors, designers, musicians, and others who work on and off the stage to create the magic that is live theatre—Fuller shares how she manages eight performances a week as the high-flying and high-belting Elphaba, and why it's important for an artist to create her own work. 

Where did you train/study?
Keri René Fuller: I was very lucky to train in community theatre growing up in Oklahoma. My teachers really invested in me for the really formidable times in my life. I also went to a small liberal arts college in Ohio, Baldwin Wallace University, and that really set the precedent of professionalism that would carry me into my career in NYC.  

Was there a teacher who was particularly impactful/helpful? What made this instructor stand out?
My director in college was really massive to my growth. She was tough with me, but honest and really pushed me to not accept anything less than my everything. I learned that what I do onstage is a belief system and not about any singular performance—and that has really changed my career for the better.

Who was the first Elphaba you ever saw perform? How do you go about making the role your own?
Lencia was my first Elphaba! It was so amazing to see her perform the role and then stand by for her—so full circle. For me, I am finding ways that I personally align with Elphaba and bring that into the show. That is the only way I can ever think of to embody a role—to bring myself to it.

Elphaba is probably one of the most demanding roles in the musical theatre. Can you share some of your routine to be able to perform the part eight times a week?
It really is very demanding onstage, but it is also quite demanding offstage as well. My whole day tends to lead up to playing the role each night—not much of my days are for myself in the same way, which I honestly get very excited about. I have to get eight hours of sleep, non-negotiable. Then it is steam and coffee upon waking, which my husband so lovingly preps for me while I have a bit of a lie in. It is then time to give my husband and my dog a cuddle, of course. I go for a run or a cycling class or yoga class, eat breakfast, and shower.

My first words of the day tend to be spoken around 12:30–1 PM, just trying to give the cords the rest they need. Then I warm up gradually, do work around the house, and head into the theatre! It varies based on what commitments I have, but I am really enjoying figuring out the routine that works for me.

Do you have a favorite moment in the show for Elphaba and why?
"No Good Deed" is really a wonderfully delicious moment for me. There is something about the decisiveness of Elphaba and her role in society that scratches an itch for me. It is the quiet knowledge of the truth of where she is in her life at this point: the acceptance that no matter what the truth is, people "see" her as wicked...and the sinking truth that we need someone to be wicked for another to be good. It is also just so yummy to sing.

Excluding Wicked, do you have a favorite theatrical experience? What was particularly special about that show?
I was trained early days in classical theatre—and those were truly some of my favorite moments. Eating into words and painting pictures with fellow cast mates; it sounds so dreamy and woo woo, but speaking words written in the 1500s will always hold a very special place in my heart. 

Do you have any dream stage roles or actors you would like to share the stage with?
More so than roles or actors, I crave doing a play. Some of my favorite experiences as an audience member have been watching plays. I have been singing all of my life, and I know I hide behind my voice at times—Elphaba is helping me look into that. I would like to really dive into what it is like to not hide behind vocal technique and really trust my instincts as an actor. That is really a life-long pursuit.

What do you consider your big break?
I owe so much to the Broadway.com video of me singing "Memory" from Cats. It really paved the way for a lot of opportunities, and I am so so grateful.

What advice would you give your younger self or anyone starting out?
I always walked into the room asking for the job. And I would never say no. I have now learned that if I walk in being the solve to their problem and not being afraid to say no to what my gut tells me isn't for me, my career will align how it was always meant to.

What do you wish you knew starting out that you know now?
Sometimes the greatest gift you can give yourself is to create your own works. Make your own things happen. I have so much respect for people who are seeing what they feel is missing and then trying their best to throw it into the industry's orbit. I waited for people to give me my opportunities for so long, and now I am utterly fixated on what I want to make happen—overcoming obstacles gives a sense of achievement that is unparalleled. It also shows us that no one can do this alone.

In such difficult times in this country and around the world, how do you think theatre can play a positive role, either for yourself and/or the community at large?
I learned in high school the quote "theatre is a mirror to nature," and I still think about that every time I step on a stage. I don't think theatre always has to be shiny or happy in order to be inspiring, and I really love seeing more risks being taken with pieces. People saying things that we are all thinking or taking on subject matter that is scary and courageous to tread into—that is the theatre community I always dreamed of being a part of. I am so happy to see how we are moving more towards that, but also so excited to see how far we can go.

One final question: Which takes longer, greenifying or de-greenifying?
Greenifying takes longer!