Kate Reinders (born December 10, 1980) is an American actress and singer who has appeared on Broadway and in television programs. She is best known for her role as Miss Jenn in the Disney+ musical mockumentary series High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (2019–2023), as well as for her role 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 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. 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.
Reinders was also a member of the band Tastiskank, along with Sarah Litzsinger. 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.
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. 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. 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. Her last performance was on July 16, 2016.
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. As of 2019, she has been portraying Miss Jenn in the Disney+ series High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.
Personal life Reinders was born on December 10, 1980, in Seattle, Washington. She married fellow actor Andrew Samonsky in May 2016. Reinders gave birth to her son Luke in 2017.
Filmography Film YearTitleRoleNotes1995While You Were SleepingBeth2004KinseyFemale Student #12008GerkieKateshortTransferantsMothershort2009Freegan LoveFriendshort2011CertaintyMary2013Grudge MatchGroupie in Bar2014Such Good PeopleChloe#StuckAlex2015Russell MadnessColleen
Television YearTitleRoleNotes2005Blind JusticeKim Chenowith1 episode2006Jeopardy!Glinda1 episode2008TeachersKatherine HollandTV movieUgly BettyGinger2 episodes2009SherriPaula7 episodes2011Modern FamilyPrincess1 episode2012–13Work ItKelly13 episodes2013Anger ManagementHope1 episode2019–23High School Musical: The Musical: The SeriesMiss JennMain role (Season 1-2, 4) Guest star (Season 3)2025–presentVampirina: Teenage VampireOxana HauntleyRecurring role
Video games YearTitleRole2015Saints Row: Gat out of HellJezebel Mephistopheles
Theatre YearShowRoleNotes2001The Adventures of Tom SawyerSwingu/s Amy Lawrenceu/s Becky ThatcherBroadway, April 26 – May 13, 2001HairBaystreet Theater2002Into the WoodsSnow WhiteLos Angelesu/s Cinderellau/s Milky Whiteu/s Rapunzelu/s Little Red RidinghoodBroadway, April 30 – November 2002A Year with Frog and ToadVariousOff-Broadway, November 2002 – January 20032003GypsyJuneBroadway, May 1, 2003 – May 30, 20042004NerdsNew York Stage and Film, July 15–18, 20042005Good VibrationsCarolineBroadway, February 2 – April 24, 2005WickedGlindaChicago production, 2005–20062006Broadway, May 30, 2006 – January 7, 20072007Party Come HereWilliamstown Theatre Festival, July 25 – August 5, 2007The Fabulous Life of a Size ZeroOff-Broadway2008The Yellow Brick Road Not TakenPerformerBroadway, October 27, 20082011For the Record: Baz LuhrmannShow at Barre, Feb. 12 – June 30, 20112015Something Rotten!PortiaBroadway, April 22, 2015 – July 16, 20162018Beautiful: The Carole King Musical Cynthia WeilBroadway, October 2018 – February 2019
Awards and nominations Year Award Category Nominee Result 2005Joseph Jefferson Award Best Actress in a MusicalWicked 2007HBO Comedy Arts Festival Breakout AwardTASTiSKANK comedy duo (w/ Sarah Litzsinger) 2016 Grammy Awards Best Musical Theater Album Something Rotten!
References
External links
Kate Reinders JoyHog! Inquisitor.