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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
[edit]- ^ a b Merrell, Sue (July 5, 2009). "Profile: 'Wicked' actress Kate Reinders makes magic on stage". The Grand Rapids Press.
Reinders, 29
- ^ Simonson, Robert (May 30, 2006). "Kate Reinders to Join Broadway's Wicked on May 30 as New Glinda". Playbill.
- ^ Gans, Andrew (May 18, 2007). "Wicked's Reinders to Be Part of Fabulous Life of a Size Zero Cast". Playbill. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
- ^ Gans, Andrew (April 5, 2007). "Litzsinger and Reinders to Bring TastiSkank to the George Street Playhouse". Playbill. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
- ^ Gans, Andrew (October 24, 2008). "Henry, Parker, Reichard and Reinders Join Line-Up for Yellow Brick Road Not Taken Concert". Playbill. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
- ^ "Mohegan Sun – Super Freak". Splendad.com.
- ^ Propst, Andy (February 3, 2011). "Jenna Leigh Green, Arielle Jacobs, Kate Reinders, et al. Set for For the Record: Baz Luhrmann". TheaterMania.
- ^ "Something Rotten! Cast & Creative". Broadway.com.
- ^ Wiener, Iris (July 18, 2016). "Meet the New Class of Broadway's Something Rotten!". Playbill.
- ^ McPhee, Ryan (October 8, 2018). "Kate Reinders to Join Broadway's Beautiful: The Carole King Musical". Playbill.
- ^ Petski, Denise (February 15, 2019). "'High School Musical': Disney+ Sets Cast, Starts Production On Streaming Series Reboot". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
- ^ Harnick, Chris (February 15, 2019). "Meet the Cast of Disney's High School Musical: The Musical: The Series". E! News. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
- ^ Fierberg, Ruthie (March 28, 2016). "Broadway's Andrew Samonsky and Kate Reinders Are Engaged!". Playbill.
- ^ Spaner, Whitney (July 3, 2016). "Inside Kate Reinders and Andrew Samonsky's Disney World Wedding". Playbill.
- ^ Wong, Curtis M. (December 13, 2019). "How Motherhood Helped 'High School Musical' Star Kate Reinders Land Her Dream Role". HuffPost.
- ^ Dinh, Christine (February 15, 2019). "'High School Musical' TV Show Cast Announced: 'Andi Mack's Sofia Wylie & More Join". Hollywood Life. Retrieved February 15, 2019.
- ^ "Sink Your Teeth Into The Series Premiere Of Vampirina: Teenage Vampire, Debuting Sept. 12 On Disney Channel, All Episodes Streaming Oct. 15 On Disney+". Disney Plus Press. August 12, 2025. Retrieved August 20, 2025.
- ^ "FACT SHEET - "Vampirina: Teenage Vampire"" (PDF). August 12, 2025. Retrieved August 20, 2025.
External links
[edit]- Kate Reinders at the Internet Broadway Database
- Kate Reinders at IMDb
- Kate Reinders JoyHog! Inquisitor.
Kate Reinders
View on GrokipediaEarly life and education
Early life
Kate Reinders was born on December 10, 1980, in Seattle, Washington.[8] She was raised primarily in the Muskegon area of Michigan, including Spring Lake, where her family settled after her early years.[4][9] Her parents, Lois (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 Suzuki violin lessons at age 5, which she continued as a hobby throughout her childhood, and she trained in violin, flute, piano, and ballet while also singing in a children's choir.[4] She also studied ballet during her pre-adolescent years, providing an initial foundation in the performing arts.[10] Reinders' interest in theater emerged around age 12, when her mother encouraged her to attend a local theater camp after spotting an advertisement, leading to her first stage role as Violet and her Violin in a production of Gypsy at the Cherry County Playhouse in Muskegon.[10] This early exposure to local summer stock productions in Michigan, including roles like Annie in Annie and Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, sparked her passion for musical theater and marked the beginning of her performing activities before pursuing formal training.[10][11] She began her professional acting career as a teenager, appearing as Beth in the 1995 film While You Were Sleeping.[1]Education
Reinders attended Western Michigan Christian High School in Michigan, graduating in 1998.[11] Following high school, she enrolled as a musical theater major at the University of Michigan but left after one semester due to a moment of self-doubt about pursuing a performing arts career.[12][13] After departing college, Reinders relocated to New York City to focus on acting, beginning with initial auditions and building her skills through professional opportunities in theater.[12][14]Career
Theater career
Reinders began her Broadway career as a swing and understudy for Amy Lawrence and Becky Thatcher in the 2001 musical The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, marking her professional debut on the Great White Way.[2] She followed this with understudy roles in the 2002 revival of Into the Woods.[15] She followed this with a principal role as Dainty June in the 2003 revival of Gypsy, directed by Sam Mendes and starring Bernadette Peters, where her performance in the duet "If Momma Was Married" highlighted her vocal prowess alongside co-star Tammy Blanchard.[14] She originated the role of Caroline in the 2005 Broadway musical Good Vibrations.[2] Reinders' breakthrough came with the role of Glinda in the Chicago production of Wicked from 2005 to 2006, opposite Ana Gasteyer as Elphaba, earning her a Joseph Jefferson Award nomination for Best Actress in a Principal Role in a Musical.[16][17] She transitioned to Broadway in the same role from 2006 to 2007, solidifying her status as a leading musical theater performer.[16] In 2007, she appeared Off-Broadway in The Fabulous Life of a Size Zero.[2] After a period of regional and touring work, Reinders originated the role of Portia, a Puritan scholar 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.[18][19] Her career progressed from understudy positions to principal leads, though she faced significant challenges, including self-doubt after leaving the University of Michigan after one semester to move to New York City, where she questioned her path without a degree and endured lean periods between roles by narrating audiobooks.[12] Later, as a standby for Corky and Laura in the 2017-2018 Broadway production of Meteor Shower, and then assuming the principal role of Cynthia Weil in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical from 2018 to 2019, Reinders demonstrated versatility in both comedic and dramatic musical contexts.[15][20]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.[2] This early screen appearance marked her initial foray into visual media, contrasting the live immediacy of theater with the scripted permanence of film.[21] 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 Ugly Betty, contributing to the show's ensemble dynamics amid its fashion-world satire.[4] 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.[22] Reinders advanced to a series regular role in the 2012 ABC comedy Work It, playing Kelly, the wife of one of the protagonists navigating cross-dressing job schemes in a struggling economy, which highlighted her ability to blend family-oriented wit with broader social commentary.[2] She followed this with a supporting film part in the 2013 boxing comedy Grudge Match, appearing as a groupie in a bar scene alongside stars Robert De Niro and Sylvester Stallone, 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.[23] 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.[24] 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.[4] In 2025, Reinders recurred as Oxana Hauntley, a vampire mother, in the Disney Channel's live-action series Vampirina: Teenage Vampire.[25]Voice and other media
Reinders provided the voice of Oxana Hauntley in the Disney Junior animated series Vampirina from 2017 to 2021.[3] Reinders made her mark in voice acting with the role of Jezebel, a demonic succubus, in the 2015 video game Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell, where she voiced the character alongside an ensemble cast including Troy Baker and Jennifer Hale.[26] Beyond gaming, Reinders contributed to advertising through her appearance in the Mohegan Sun casino's "Everyone's Invited" commercial, in which she sang a parody of Rick James's "Super Freak" while promoting the venue's entertainment offerings.[2]Personal life
Marriage
Kate Reinders married fellow actor Andrew Samonsky on May 30, 2016, in a ceremony at Disney World's Magic Kingdom.[27][28] The couple met serendipitously at the Rubicon Theatre Company in Ventura, California, where their paths crossed amid shared theater productions.[29] 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.[30][31]Family
Reinders and her husband, Andrew Samonsky, welcomed their first child, son Luke, in June 2017.[24][32][33] Reinders trained in violin from childhood.[4]Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | While You Were Sleeping | Beth [21] |
| 2004 | Kinsey | Female Student #1 [34] |
| 2011 | Certainty | Mary [35] |
| 2013 | Grudge Match | Groupie in Bar [36] |
| 2014 | #Stuck | Alex [37] |
| 2014 | Such Good People | Chloe [38] |
| 2015 | Russell Madness | Colleen [39] |
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) | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Blind Justice | Kim Chenowith | Guest star (1 episode: "Pilot") [40] |
| 2008–2009 | Ugly Betty | Ginger | Recurring role (4 episodes)[41] |
| 2009 | Sherri | Paula | Recurring role (7 episodes) |
| 2011 | Modern Family | Princess | Guest star (1 episode: "Princess Party") |
| 2012 | Work It | Kelly | Series regular (13 episodes)[42] |
| 2013 | Anger Management | Hope | Guest star (1 episode: "Charlie and the Ex-Patient") [43] |
| 2019 | Instinct | Sara | Guest star (1 episode: "Ancient History") [44] |
| 2019–2023 | High School Musical: The Musical: The Series | Miss Jenn | Main role (seasons 1–2, 4; 33 episodes total); guest (season 3) |
| 2025–present | Vampirina: Teenage Vampire | Oxana Hauntley | Recurring role |
Theatre
Kate Reinders began her professional theater career in touring productions before transitioning to Broadway and off-Broadway stages. Her credits span ensemble and principal roles across musicals and plays, with a focus on character-driven performances in ensemble casts and understudy positions early on. The following is a chronological overview of her major theater credits:| Year(s) | Production | Role | Venue/Type | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999–2000 | The Sound of Music | Ensemble; understudy for Liesl von Trapp and Louisa von Trapp | National Tour | [45] |
| 2001 | The Adventures of Tom Sawyer | Swing; understudy for Amy Lawrence and Becky Thatcher | Broadway (Broadhurst Theatre) | [2] |
| 2002 | Into the Woods | Understudy for Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Milky White, and Rapunzel | Broadway revival (Broadhurst Theatre) | [46] |
| 2002–2003 | A Year with Frog and Toad | Various (ensemble: Birds, Snakes, etc.) | Off-Broadway (New Victory Theater) | [47] |
| 2003–2004 | Gypsy | June | Broadway (Shubert Theatre) | |
| 2005 | Good Vibrations | Caroline | Broadway (Eugene O'Neill Theatre) | [2] |
| 2005–2006 | Wicked | Glinda | Chicago production (Oriental Theatre) | [48] |
| 2006–2007 | Wicked | Glinda (replacement) | Broadway (Gershwin Theatre) | |
| 2007 | Party Come Here | Performer | Williamstown Theatre Festival (regional) | [2] |
| 2007 | The Fabulous Life of a Size Zero | Performer | Off-Broadway (DR2 Theatre) | [2] |
| 2015–2016 | Something Rotten! | Portia | Broadway (St. James Theatre) | |
| 2017–2018 | Meteor Shower | Standby for Corky, Laura, and Natalie | Broadway (Booth Theatre) | |
| 2018 | The Nerd | Tansy | George Street Playhouse (regional, New Brunswick, NJ) | [49] |
| 2018–2019 | Beautiful: The Carole King Musical | Cynthia Weil (replacement) | Broadway (Stephen Sondheim Theatre) | [20] |
Video games
Kate Reinders has provided voice work for one video game title.- Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell (2015) as Jezebel.[50][51]
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.[52] 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.[53] These include:- A Corner of White (2013), the first book in the series.[54]
- The Cracks in the Kingdom (2014), the second installment.[55]
- A Tangle of Gold (2016), the trilogy's conclusion.
Nominations
Kate Reinders has been recognized with nominations from prestigious theater, music, and voice acting 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:| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Joseph Jefferson Award | Best Actress in a Principal Role in a Musical | Wicked (Chicago production) | Nominated[2] |
| 2016 | Grammy Award | Best Musical Theater Album | Something Rotten! (original Broadway cast album) | Nominated |
| 2016 | Behind The Voice Actors Award | Best Female Vocal Performance in a Video Game in a Supporting Role | [Saints Row](/page/Saints Row): Gat Out of Hell | Nominated[56] |
