| Mary Kate Morrissey | |
| Birth Date: | 18 June 1989 |
| Birth Place: | Downingtown, Pennsylvania |
| Nationality: | American |
| Citizenship: | American |
| Education: | Bishop Shanahan High School |
| Alma Mater: | Syracuse University |
| Occupation: | Stage actress, acting and voice instructor |
| Years Active: | 2013-present |
| Known For: | Playing Elphaba in "Wicked (musical)" |
| Father: | John Morrissey |
Mary Kate Blake[1] (born June 18, 1989), known by her maiden name Mary Kate Morrissey, is an American stage actress. Born in Pennsylvania, Morrissey began her career when she starred as Sheila in the musical Hair and Janis in the Mean Girls musical. She played Elphaba on the national tour of Wicked before serving as the Elphaba standby on Broadway and eventually taking on the role full-time.
Mary Kate Morrissey was born in Downingtown, Pennsylvania on June 18, 1989.[2] [3] Her father is John Morrissey, a founding partner at Jackson Cross Partners.[4] She has Irish ancestry.[5] [6] When asked how she decided what career path she wanted to follow, Morrissey said, "My grandfather used to sing on the Irish Radio and play in a band, and my dad would dress us up like the Rolling Stones when my brothers and sister and I were little and we would put on full-blown lip sync concerts. My parents recognized the performer bug in me and put me in the local high school's production of Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat, where my second-grade self played a sheep!"
As a child, Morrissey learned how to play the trombone. In her later school years, she took voice lessons and joined numerous choirs such as the Philadelphia All Catholic Chorus and her high school band.[7] She attended Bishop Shanahan High School in Downington, Pennsylvania and later attended Syracuse University, where she achieved a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Musical Theater.[8] While at Syracuse University, Morrissey played Meg March in a musical version of the novel Little Women.[9]
Morrissey saw Shoshana Bean and Megan Hilty act in Wicked on Broadway sometime around 2004. Since then, she has been a fan of the play.
Morrissey's acting debut was in 2013, when she played Sheila in Broadway's US and Canada tour of Hair.[10] [11] [12] That same year, Morrissey attended attended the 2013 Emery Awards in New York City alongside Ty Defoe.[13] Morrissey acted in Tamar of the River at the Baruch Performing Arts Center in 2013.[14] [15] In 2014, Morrissey played Sharon Falconer in a play of Elmer Gantry at Signature Theatre in Arlington, Virginia and Lizzie Borden in Portland Center Stage's poorly-received rock musical, Lizzie.[16] [17] [18] [19]
Morrissey played Janis Sarkisian in the Mean Girls musical national tour in 2019.[20] [21] [22] That same year, Morrissey served as a standby for Joan and Isabelle on the set of the musical Joan of Arc: Into the Fire.[23] Also in 2019, Morrissey played Sara, the Magician's Lovely Assistant in The Disappearing Man at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Rehearsal Studio.[24] [25]
Morrissey performed songs from Wicked at Side By Side: A Celebration of Service on May 25, 2019 in New York City to celebrate United States Army veterans and their families.[26] [27] In 2024, Morrissey performed "Defying Gravity" at New York City Pride while donning a shirt that read "Here, Queer, and Wicked".[28]
In 2015, Morrissey served as the standby for Elphaba on the national tour of Wicked. She began to play the role full-time in 2017 alongside Ginna Claire Mason as Glinda until 2018.[29] [30] During this time, Morrissey and Mason developed a strong friendship.[31] In 2023, Morrissey became the official standby for Elphaba on Broadway. On March 5, 2024, she began playing the role full-time alongside Alexandra Socha as Glinda. Morrissey replaced Alyssa Fox as Elphaba, and Socha replaced McKenzie Kurtz as Glinda.[32] [33]
Morrissey confessed to initially having doubts about whether she could play Elphaba, but her family supported her along the way and she eventually got her dream.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Morrissey and Mason began Double Name Witches, a virtual theater and voice school for people ages 5-30.[34] The program targets students who aspire to act on Broadway.[35] The program turned out to be successful, as Morrissey and Mason received over 100 students.
Morrissey has taught several masterclasses and theater programs for aspiring actors across America. As well as online teaching, Morrissey teaches private lessons from her Brooklyn studio.
Morrissey has been vegan since 2012.[36]
In 2021, Morrissey revealed she had married her longtime boyfriend, Trevor Blake.[37] Though she changed her surname to Blake upon marrying him, she still goes by her maiden name, Morrissey. She owns a puppy named Bear.
Morrissey identifies as queer and pansexual and is an advocate for queer rights and representation.[38]