Kate Reinders | |
|---|---|
 Reinders atBroadway on Broadway in 2006 | |
| Born | (1980-12-10)December 10, 1980 (age 44)[1] Seattle,Washington, U.S. |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1995–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
Kate Reinders (born December 10, 1980[1]) is an American actress and singer, who has performed as lead andunderstudy in severalBroadway shows.
She is best known for appearing as Miss Jenn in theDisney+ musical mockumentary seriesHigh School Musical: The Musical: The Series (2019-2023), and for appearing on stage asPortia in the original Broadway cast ofSomething Rotten!, for which she was nominated for aGrammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album in 2016.
Reinders' Broadway debut was inThe Adventures of Tom Sawyer as aswing and understudy for characters Amy Lawrence and Becky Thatcher. She next joined the 2002 Broadway revival ofInto the Woods as an understudy for Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Milky White, and Rapunzel. Her first starring role was in the 2003 revival ofGypsy as June; she went on to play Caroline in the 2005jukebox musicalGood Vibrations.
Reinders playedGlinda in the 2005 Chicago production ofWicked, alongsideAna Gasteyer asElphaba; for this role, she received aJoseph Jefferson Award nomination for Best Actress in a Principal Role. She and Gasteyer finished their runs in the Chicago company on January 22, 2006. On May 30, 2006 Reinders replacedMegan Hilty as Glinda in the Broadway production.[2] While playing this role she performed "Popular" in a Daily Double aboutWicked on an all-celebrity episode ofJeopardy!. TV personalityNancy Grace gave the correct question. Reinders ended her run on January 7, 2007, along with former Chicago co-star Ana Gasteyer.
Reinders performed in the showParty Come Here, which ran as part of the Williamstown Theatre Festival from July 25 through August 5, 2007. She appeared in the playThe Fabulous Life of a Size Zero at theOff-Broadway DR2 Theater in 2007.[3]
Reinders was also a member of the band Tastiskank, along withSarah Litzsinger.[4] Reinders and Litzsinger co-starred oppositeConstantine Maroulis in an independent TV pilot calledTeachers. She also had a recurring role as Ginger on the third season of the television seriesUgly Betty. Reinders starred as a regular character, "Paula Morgan", on theLifetime seriesSherri starring formerThe View co-hostSherri Shepherd. The show premiered on October 5, 2009.
Reinders returned to theGershwin Theatre on October 27, 2008, and took part inThe Yellow Brick Road Not Taken, a selection of scenes and songs cut from early drafts of the musicalWicked.[5]
Reinders appears in theMohegan Sun commercial "Everyone's Invited", singing to the tune of theRick James song "Super Freak" alongside former Wicked co-starSaycon Sengbloh.[6] She appears in the concert revueFor The Record: Baz Luhrmann in Los Angeles, presented byROCKLA forShow at Barre. It opened February 12, 2011, and closed June 30, 2011, withJenna Leigh Green,Arielle Jacobs, andTracie Thoms.[7] Reinders voices the character Jezebel in the video gameSaints Row: Gat out of Hell.
Reinders originated the role of Portia in the Broadway musical comedySomething Rotten!, which opened April 22, 2015, at theSt. James Theatre.[8] Her last performance was on July 16, 2016.[9]
Reinders was seen recently on Broadway as the standby for Corky inMeteor Shower.
It was announced on October 8, 2018, that Reinders would assume the role ofCynthia Weil in the Broadway production ofBeautiful: The Carole King Musical, replacingKara Lindsay on October 19.[10] As of 2019, she has been portraying Miss Jenn in theDisney+ seriesHigh School Musical: The Musical: The Series.[11][12]
Reinders was born on December 10, 1980, inSeattle,Washington. She married fellow actor Andrew Samonsky in May 2016.[13][14]Reinders gave birth to her son Luke in 2017.[15]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | While You Were Sleeping | Beth | |
| 2004 | Kinsey | Female Student #1 | |
| 2008 | Gerkie | Kate | short |
| Transferants | Mother | short | |
| 2009 | Freegan Love | Her Friend | short |
| 2011 | Certainty | Mary | |
| 2013 | Grudge Match | Groupie in Bar | |
| 2014 | Such Good People | Chloe | |
| #Stuck | Alex | ||
| 2015 | Russell Madness | Colleen |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Blind Justice | Kim Chenowith | 1 episode |
| 2006 | Jeopardy! | Glinda | 1 episode |
| 2008 | Teachers | Katherine Holland | TV movie |
| Ugly Betty | Ginger | 2 episodes | |
| 2009 | Sherri | Paula | 7 episodes |
| 2011 | Modern Family | Princess | 1 episode |
| 2012–13 | Work It | Kelly | 13 episodes |
| 2013 | Anger Management | Hope | 1 episode |
| 2019–23 | High School Musical: The Musical: The Series | Miss Jenn[16] | Main role (Season 1-2, 4) Guest star (Season 3) |
| 2025–present | Vampirina: Teenage Vampire | Oxana Hauntley[17][18] | Recurring role |
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Saints Row: Gat out of Hell | Jezebel Mephistopheles |
| Year | Show | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | The Adventures of Tom Sawyer | Swing u/sAmy Lawrence u/sBecky Thatcher | Broadway, April 26 – May 13, 2001 |
| Hair | Baystreet Theater | ||
| 2002 | Into the Woods | Snow White | Los Angeles |
| u/sCinderella u/s Milky White u/sRapunzel u/sLittle Red Ridinghood | Broadway, April 30 – November 2002 | ||
| A Year with Frog and Toad | Various | Off-Broadway, November 2002 – January 2003 | |
| 2003 | Gypsy | June | Broadway, May 1, 2003 – May 30, 2004 |
| 2004 | Nerds | New York Stage and Film, July 15–18, 2004 | |
| 2005 | Good Vibrations | Caroline | Broadway, February 2 – April 24, 2005 |
| Wicked | Glinda | Chicago production, 2005–2006 | |
| 2006 | Broadway, May 30, 2006 – January 7, 2007 | ||
| 2007 | Party Come Here | Williamstown Theatre Festival, July 25 – August 5, 2007 | |
| The Fabulous Life of a Size Zero | Off-Broadway | ||
| 2008 | The Yellow Brick Road Not Taken | Performer | Broadway, October 27, 2008 |
| 2011 | For the Record: Baz Luhrmann | Show at Barre, Feb. 12 – June 30, 2011 | |
| 2015 | Something Rotten! | Portia | Broadway, April 22, 2015 – July 16, 2016 |
| 2018 | Beautiful: The Carole King Musical | Cynthia Weil | Broadway, October 2018 – February 2019 |
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Joseph Jefferson Award | Best Actress in a Musical | Wicked | Nominated |
| 2007 | HBO Comedy Arts Festival | Breakout Award | TASTiSKANK comedy duo (w/Sarah Litzsinger) | Won |
| 2016 | Grammy Awards | Best Musical Theater Album | Something Rotten! | Nominated |
Reinders, 29
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