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Kate Reinders
Kate Reinders
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Kate Reinders (born December 10, 1980[1]) is an American actress and singer, who has performed as lead and understudy in several Broadway shows.

Key Information

She is best known for appearing as Miss Jenn in the Disney+ musical mockumentary series High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (2019-2023), and for appearing on stage as Portia in the original Broadway cast of Something Rotten!, for which she was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album in 2016.

Career

[edit]

Reinders' Broadway debut was in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer as a swing and understudy for characters Amy Lawrence and Becky Thatcher. She next joined the 2002 Broadway revival of Into the Woods as an understudy for Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Milky White, and Rapunzel. Her first starring role was in the 2003 revival of Gypsy as June; she went on to play Caroline in the 2005 jukebox musical Good Vibrations.

Reinders played Glinda in the 2005 Chicago production of Wicked, alongside Ana Gasteyer as Elphaba; for this role, she received a Joseph 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 replaced Megan Hilty as Glinda in the Broadway production.[2] While playing this role she performed "Popular" in a Daily Double about Wicked on an all-celebrity episode of Jeopardy!. TV personality Nancy 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 show Party Come Here, which ran as part of the Williamstown Theatre Festival from July 25 through August 5, 2007. She appeared in the play The Fabulous Life of a Size Zero at the Off-Broadway DR2 Theater in 2007.[3]

Reinders was also a member of the band Tastiskank, along with Sarah Litzsinger.[4] Reinders and Litzsinger co-starred opposite Constantine Maroulis in an independent TV pilot called Teachers. She also had a recurring role as Ginger on the third season of the television series Ugly Betty. Reinders starred as a regular character, "Paula Morgan", on the Lifetime series Sherri starring former The View co-host Sherri Shepherd. The show premiered on October 5, 2009.

Reinders returned to the Gershwin Theatre on October 27, 2008, and took part in The Yellow Brick Road Not Taken, a selection of scenes and songs cut from early drafts of the musical Wicked.[5]

Reinders appears in the Mohegan Sun commercial "Everyone's Invited", singing to the tune of the Rick James song "Super Freak" alongside former Wicked co-star Saycon Sengbloh.[6] She appears in the concert revue For The Record: Baz Luhrmann in Los Angeles, presented by ROCKLA for Show at Barre. It opened February 12, 2011, and closed June 30, 2011, with Jenna Leigh Green, Arielle Jacobs, and Tracie Thoms.[7] Reinders voices the character Jezebel in the video game Saints Row: Gat out of Hell.

Reinders originated the role of Portia in the Broadway musical comedy Something Rotten!, which opened April 22, 2015, at the St. James Theatre.[8] Her last performance was on July 16, 2016.[9]

Reinders was seen recently on Broadway as the standby for Corky in Meteor Shower.

It was announced on October 8, 2018, that Reinders would assume the role of Cynthia Weil in the Broadway production of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, replacing Kara Lindsay on October 19.[10] As of 2019, she has been portraying Miss Jenn in the Disney+ series High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.[11][12]

Personal life

[edit]

Reinders was born on December 10, 1980, in Seattle, Washington. She married fellow actor Andrew Samonsky in May 2016.[13][14] Reinders gave birth to her son Luke in 2017.[15]

Filmography

[edit]

Film

[edit]
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

Television

[edit]
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


Video games

[edit]
Year Title Role
2015 Saints Row: Gat out of Hell Jezebel Mephistopheles

Theatre

[edit]
Year Show Role Notes
2001 The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Swing
u/s Amy Lawrence
u/s Becky Thatcher
Broadway, April 26 – May 13, 2001
Hair Baystreet Theater
2002 Into the Woods Snow White Los Angeles
u/s Cinderella
u/s Milky White
u/s Rapunzel
u/s Little 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

Awards and nominations

[edit]
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

References

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[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia
from Grokipedia
Kate Reinders (born December 10, 1980) is an American and singer renowned for her extensive work in musical theater and television. She gained prominence on Broadway with roles including in Wicked and Portia in Something Rotten!, and achieved wider recognition portraying drama teacher Miss Jenn in the Disney+ series High School Musical: The Musical: The Series from 2019 to 2023. Born in Seattle, Washington, Reinders was raised in Spring Lake, Michigan, where she developed an early interest in the through local theater and music. She attended Western Michigan Christian High School, graduating in 1998, and began her professional career as a child, appearing in the 1995 film While You Were Sleeping. Her family background included musical influences from her parents—her mother a former schoolteacher and her father a retired allergist—and she trained in , , , and ballet while singing in a children's choir. Reinders made her Broadway debut in 2001 as a swing in , followed by roles in the revival of (2002) and in (2005). She starred as June in the 2003 revival of Gypsy opposite , earned a Joseph Jefferson Award nomination for in the 2005 Chicago production of Wicked, and later took on the role on Broadway in 2006. Her Broadway credits also include in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (2018) and a standby role in (2017). Off-Broadway, she appeared in The Fabulous Life of a Size Zero (2007). On television, Reinders had recurring roles in Ugly Betty (2008) and was a series regular in Sherri (2009) and ABC's Work It (2012). She guest-starred in shows like , , and , and provided voice work as Oxana Hauntley in (2017–2021) and Jezebel in the video game Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell (2015). Her film roles include supporting parts in Kinsey (2004), (2013), and Russell Madness (2014). Beyond acting, Reinders is one half of the comedy duo Tastiskank, which performed at festivals including the Comedy Arts Festival, where she received a 2007 Breakout Award. She has narrated audiobooks for , including titles in the series by . In 2016, she married actor Andrew Samonsky, and they have a son, Luke. Reinders continues to perform, including appearances and industry readings as of 2024.

Early life and education

Early life

Kate Reinders was born on December 10, 1980, in , Washington. She was raised primarily in the Muskegon area of , including Spring Lake, where her family settled after her early years. Her parents, (a former schoolteacher) and Evan (a retired allergist) Reinders, played a key role in nurturing her artistic inclinations from a young age; Reinders began taking violin lessons at age 5, which she continued as a throughout her childhood, and she trained in violin, flute, piano, and ballet while also singing in a children's choir. She also studied ballet during her pre-adolescent years, providing an initial foundation in the . Reinders' interest in theater emerged around age 12, when her mother encouraged her to attend a local after spotting an advertisement, leading to her first role as Violet and her Violin in a production of Gypsy at the Cherry County Playhouse in Muskegon. This early exposure to local productions in , including roles like Annie in Annie and Dorothy in , sparked her passion for musical theater and marked the beginning of her performing activities before pursuing formal training. She began her professional acting career as a teenager, appearing as Beth in the 1995 While You Were Sleeping.

Education

Reinders attended Western Michigan Christian High School in , graduating in 1998. Following high school, she enrolled as a musical theater major at the but left after one semester due to a moment of self-doubt about pursuing a career. After departing college, Reinders relocated to to focus on acting, beginning with initial auditions and building her skills through professional opportunities in theater.

Career

Theater career

Reinders began her Broadway career as a swing and for Amy Lawrence and Becky Thatcher in the 2001 musical , marking her professional debut on the Great White Way. She followed this with roles in the 2002 revival of Into the Woods. She followed this with a principal role as Dainty June in the 2003 revival of Gypsy, directed by and starring , where her performance in the duet "If Momma Was Married" highlighted her vocal prowess alongside co-star . She originated the role of Caroline in the 2005 Broadway musical . Reinders' breakthrough came with the role of in the production of Wicked from 2005 to 2006, opposite as , earning her a Joseph Jefferson Award nomination for Best Actress in a Principal Role in a Musical. She transitioned to Broadway in the same role from 2006 to 2007, solidifying her status as a leading musical theater performer. In 2007, she appeared Off-Broadway in The Fabulous Life of a Size Zero. After a period of regional and touring work, Reinders originated the role of Portia, a Puritan who becomes a Shakespearean actress, in the 2015 Broadway musical Something Rotten!, performing through 2016 and contributing to the original cast album recording, which received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Musical Theater Album. Her career progressed from understudy positions to principal leads, though she faced significant challenges, including self-doubt after leaving the after one semester to move to , where she questioned her path without a degree and endured lean periods between roles by narrating audiobooks. Later, as a standby for Corky and Laura in the 2017-2018 Broadway production of , and then assuming the principal role of in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical from 2018 to 2019, Reinders demonstrated versatility in both comedic and dramatic musical contexts.

Television and film career

Reinders made her film debut as a teenager in the 1995 romantic comedy While You Were Sleeping, portraying the small role of Beth, the sister of the protagonist's love interest. This early screen appearance marked her initial foray into visual media, contrasting the live immediacy of theater with the scripted permanence of film. In 2008, Reinders transitioned more prominently to television with guest roles that showcased her comedic timing. She appeared as Ginger, a quirky supporting character, in episodes of the ABC series , contributing to the show's ensemble dynamics amid its fashion-world satire. That same year, she joined the Lifetime sitcom Sherri as Paula Morgan, a series regular depicted as a submarine sandwich shop employee entangled in workplace and personal humor, filming in New York and allowing her to explore daily television rhythms distinct from stage repetition. Reinders advanced to a series regular role in the 2012 ABC comedy Work It, playing Kelly, the wife of one of the protagonists navigating job schemes in a struggling economy, which highlighted her ability to blend family-oriented wit with broader social commentary. She followed this with a supporting part in the 2013 comedy , appearing as a in a bar scene alongside stars and , further diversifying her screen portfolio beyond theater's confines. Her breakthrough in television came in 2019 with the role of Miss Jenn in Disney+'s High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, a mockumentary-style reboot spanning four seasons until 2023, where she portrayed the energetic drama teacher guiding East High students through musical productions. As Miss Jenn, Reinders embodied mentorship themes, drawing from her Broadway experience to infuse the character with authentic passion for theater education and personal growth, often serving as a maternal figure amid the students' confessional-style narratives. This role represented a significant shift from her theater roots, where live audiences provided immediacy, to television's broader reach and varied daily shoots, which she described as offering camaraderie akin to stage work but with greater life balance. In 2025, Reinders recurred as Oxana Hauntley, a vampire mother, in the Disney Channel's live-action series Vampirina: Teenage Vampire.

Voice and other media

Reinders provided the voice of Oxana Hauntley in the Disney Junior animated series from 2017 to 2021. Reinders made her mark in with the role of Jezebel, a demonic , in the 2015 Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell, where she voiced the character alongside an ensemble cast including and . Beyond gaming, Reinders contributed to through her appearance in the casino's "Everyone's Invited" commercial, in which she sang a of Rick James's "" while promoting the venue's entertainment offerings.

Personal life

Marriage

Kate Reinders married fellow Andrew Samonsky on May 30, 2016, in a at Disney World's . The couple met serendipitously at the Rubicon Theatre Company in , where their paths crossed amid shared theater productions. Reinders and Samonsky, both established Broadway performers, bonded over their mutual experiences in the theater world, with Reinders starring in Something Rotten! and Samonsky leading the national tour of The Bridges of Madison County at the time of their engagement in March 2016.

Family

Reinders and her husband, Andrew Samonsky, welcomed their first child, son Luke, in June 2017. Reinders trained in from childhood.

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRole
1995While You Were SleepingBeth
2004KinseyFemale Student #1
2011CertaintyMary
2013Grudge MatchGroupie in Bar
2014#StuckAlex
2014Such Good PeopleChloe
2015Russell MadnessColleen

Television

Reinders began her television career with recurring and guest roles in the late 2000s, transitioning to series regular positions in sitcoms and musical series by the 2010s. Her breakthrough on television came with the role of Miss Jenn in the Disney+ series High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, which highlighted her musical theater background in a mockumentary format. The following table lists her live-action television credits in chronological order:
Year(s)TitleRoleNotes
2005Blind JusticeKim ChenowithGuest star (1 episode: "Pilot")
2008–2009Ugly BettyGingerRecurring role (4 episodes)
2009SherriPaulaRecurring role (7 episodes)
2011Modern FamilyPrincessGuest star (1 episode: "Princess Party")
2012Work ItKellySeries regular (13 episodes)
2013Anger ManagementHopeGuest star (1 episode: "Charlie and the Ex-Patient")
2019InstinctSaraGuest star (1 episode: "Ancient History")
2019–2023High School Musical: The Musical: The SeriesMiss JennMain role (seasons 1–2, 4; 33 episodes total); guest (season 3)
2025–presentVampirina: Teenage VampireOxana HauntleyRecurring role

Theatre

Kate Reinders began her professional theater career in touring productions before transitioning to Broadway and stages. Her credits span ensemble and principal roles across musicals and plays, with a focus on character-driven performances in ensemble casts and positions early on. The following is a chronological overview of her major theater credits:
Year(s)ProductionRoleVenue/TypeCitation
1999–2000Ensemble; for Liesl von Trapp and Louisa von TrappNational Tour
2001Swing; for Amy Lawrence and Becky ThatcherBroadway (Broadhurst Theatre)
2002 for Cinderella, , Milky White, and Broadway revival (Broadhurst Theatre)
2002–2003A Year with Frog and ToadVarious (ensemble: Birds, Snakes, etc.) (New Victory Theater)
2003–2004GypsyJuneBroadway (Shubert Theatre)
2005CarolineBroadway (Eugene O'Neill Theatre)
2005–2006WickedChicago production (Oriental Theatre)
2006–2007Wicked (replacement)Broadway (Gershwin Theatre)
2007Party Come HerePerformer (regional)
2007The Fabulous Life of a Size ZeroPerformer (DR2 Theatre)
2015–2016Something Rotten!PortiaBroadway (St. James Theatre)
2017–2018Standby for Corky, Laura, and NatalieBroadway (Booth Theatre)
2018The NerdTansyGeorge Street Playhouse (regional, New Brunswick, NJ)
2018–2019Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (replacement)Broadway ()

Video games

Kate Reinders has provided voice work for one video game title.
  • Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell (2015) as Jezebel.

Awards and nominations

Awards

Kate Reinders has received recognition for her work in comedy and audiobook narration. In 2007, as part of the comedy duo TastiSkank with Sarah Litzsinger, she won the Breakout Award (Female) at the HBO U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, Colorado, for their satirical singing and sketch comedy performance. Reinders has also earned three AudioFile Earphones Awards for her contributions to audiobook narrations in the Colors of Madeleine young adult fantasy trilogy by Jaclyn Moriarty, where she voiced key characters alongside a full cast. These include:
  • A Corner of White (2013), the first book in the series.
  • The Cracks in the Kingdom (2014), the second installment.
  • A Tangle of Gold (2016), the trilogy's conclusion.

Nominations

Kate Reinders has been recognized with nominations from prestigious theater, music, and award bodies for her performances in musical theater and video games. These accolades highlight her contributions to ensemble casts and principal roles across stage and screen. The following table summarizes her major nominations:
YearAwardCategoryNominated workResult
2005Joseph Jefferson Award in a Principal Role in a MusicalWicked (Chicago production)Nominated
2016Grammy AwardBest Musical Theater Album (original Broadway cast album)Nominated
2016Behind The Voice Actors AwardBest Female Vocal Performance in a in a Supporting Role[Saints Row](/page/Saints Row): Gat Out of HellNominated

References

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