Kristin Chenoweth
Encyclopedia
Kristin Chenoweth is an American singer and actress, with credits in musical theatre
, film and television. She is best known on Broadway
for her performance as Sally Brown
in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown
(1999), for which she won a Tony Award
, and for originating the role of Glinda
in the musical Wicked
(2003). Her best-known television role is Annabeth Schott
in NBC's The West Wing. As Olive Snook on the ABC
comedy-drama
Pushing Daisies
, she won a 2009 Emmy Award
.
An Oklahoma
native, Chenoweth sang gospel music
as a child and studied opera
before deciding to pursue a career in musical theatre
. In 1997, she made her Broadway debut in Steel Pier
. Besides You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown and Wicked, Chenoweth's stage work includes five City Center Encores!
productions, Broadway's The Apple Tree
in 2006 and Promises, Promises
in 2010, as well as Off-Broadway
and regional theatre productions.
Chenoweth had her own TV series Kristin
in 2001, and has guest starred on many shows, including Sesame Street
and Glee
, for which she was nominated for Emmy awards in 2010 and 2011. In films, she has played mostly character roles, such as in Bewitched (2005), The Pink Panther
(2006) and RV
(2006). She has also played roles in made-for-TV movies, done voice work in animated films and the animated TV series Sit Down, Shut Up, hosted several award shows and released several albums of songs, including A Lovely Way to Spend Christmas
(2008). Chenoweth also penned a 2009 memoir, A Little Bit Wicked: Life, Love, and Faith in Stages.
, a suburb of Tulsa, Oklahoma
. She has said that she is one-quarter Cherokee
. At an early age, she performed gospel songs for local churches. A performing highlight of her childhood was a solo appearance at the Southern Baptist Convention
national conference at the age of 12, where she performed the Evie Tornquist-Karlsson
song "Four Feet Eleven". The chorus begins, "I'm only 4 feet 11, but I'm going to Heaven" (Chenoweth is 4 in 11 in (149.86 cm) in height).
After graduating from Broken Arrow Senior High
, where she participated in school plays, Chenoweth attended Oklahoma City University
, where she was a member of Gamma Phi Beta
(Beta Omicron) sorority. She earned a BFA degree in musical theatre
and a master's degree in opera performance, studying under voice instructor Florence Birdwell
, who also trained Miss America
1981, Susan Powell, and three-time Tony
nominee Kelli O'Hara
. It was Birdwell who suggested to Chenoweth that she add an "n" to her first name. While at OCU, Chenoweth competed in beauty pageants, winning the title of "Miss OCU" and was the first runner-up in the Miss Oklahoma
pageant in 1991. In 1992, Chenoweth participated in a studio recording of The Most Happy Fella
.
Chenoweth participated in a number of vocal competitions and was named "most promising up-and-coming singer" in the Metropolitan Opera
National Council auditions, which came with a full scholarship to Philadelphia's Academy of Vocal Arts
. Two weeks before school started, however, she went to New York City to help a friend move. While there, she auditioned for the 1993 Paper Mill Playhouse
production of the musical Animal Crackers and got the role of Arabella Rittenhouse. She turned down the scholarship and moved to New York to do the show and pursue a career in musical theatre.
on , 2009, where she was the commencement speaker.
After Animal Crackers, Chenoweth continued to appear in regional theatre productions, such as Babes in Arms
and Phantom
(as Christine; also touring in Germany in this role), also taking roles in Off-Broadway
productions like Luisa in The Fantasticks
, and Kristy in Box Office of the Damned (1994). In 1997, she appeared as Hyacinth in the Roundabout Theater Company production of Moliere
's farcical Scapin
, earning her first New York Times review, with Ben Brantley
writing "Kristin Chenoweth's sob-prone ingenue ... [is] delightful". She made her Broadway
debut in the spring of 1997 as Precious McGuire in the musical Steel Pier
by Kander and Ebb
, for which she won a Theatre World award
. In 1998 she appeared in the City Center Encores!
staged concert of the George
and Ira Gershwin
musical Strike up the Band as Anne Draper and the Lincoln Center Theatre production of William Finn
's A New Brain
.
In 1999, Chenoweth performed in the Broadway revival of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown
as the title character's little sister, Sally
, a character that was not present in the original production. She won the Tony
, Drama Desk
, Clarence Derwent, and Outer Critics Circle Award
s for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. Later that year, she starred on Broadway in the short-lived comic play Epic Proportions
, followed by starring as Daisy Gamble in the "Encores!" production of On a Clear Day You Can See Forever
in .
After this, Chenoweth split her time between stage and TV or film roles and released her first solo album, Let Yourself Go (2001). In 2002, she performed in the City Center Encores! 10th Anniversary Bash. In October 2003, she returned to Broadway (after the San Francisco tryout) in Wicked
, the musical about the early years of the witches of Oz
, in the joint-leading role of Glinda
, the Good Witch of the North
. She was nominated for a 2004 Tony Award as Best Leading Actress in a Musical
for her performance, losing to her co-star Idina Menzel
(who played Elphaba
, the Wicked Witch of the West
). Chenoweth was also nominated for the Drama Desk Award
and the Drama League Award
for this role. After playing Glinda for nine months, Chenoweth left Wicked, on , 2004, soon joining the cast of The West Wing in Los Angeles.
Chenoweth played Cunegonde
in the New York Philharmonic
revival of Candide, directed by Lonny Price
, in . The production was also broadcast on PBS
's Great Performances
. A performance of the rarely sung duet "We Are Women", between Cunegonde and the Old Lady (played by Patti Lupone
), was included in the production.
From December 2006 to March 2007, she starred on Broadway as Eve in a revival of The Apple Tree
with co-stars Brian d'Arcy James
and former fiancé Marc Kudisch
. She received nominations for the Drama Desk Award
and the Drama League Award
. She hosted that year's Drama Desk Award
s ceremony.
Chenoweth played Elizabeth in a 2006 workshop of Mel Brooks
's musical theatre adaptation
of his film Young Frankenstein
, but due to other commitments, she was unable to appear in the Broadway production. In 2008 she was scheduled to reprise her role as Cunegonde in an English National Opera
production of Candide, but she had to pull out. She appeared in the Encores! semi-staged production of Jerome Kern
and Oscar Hammerstein II's Music in the Air
in February 2009. Chenoweth was scheduled to return to The Metropolitan Opera in 2010 to play Samira in John Corigliano
's opera The Ghosts of Versailles
. The Met cancelled the expensive production in 2008 as the U.S. economy weakened.
Chenoweth starred as Fran Kubelik in the 2010 Broadway revival of the musical Promises, Promises
, opposite Sean Hayes
, which opened on , 2010. The songs "I Say a Little Prayer
" and "A House Is Not a Home
" were added for her to sing. Chenoweth and Hayes remained in the cast until the show closed on January 2, 2011, although she missed performances from December 29, 2010 to January 1, 2011 to perform a New Year's Eve concert at Walt Disney Concert Hall on December 31, 2010.
Chenoweth took part in a reading of the musical On the Twentieth Century
for the Roundabout Theatre Company
in early 2011 with Hugh Jackman
and Andrea Martin
. She played televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker in a reading of a new musical called Rise in spring 2011.
, a role in the short-lived television series Paramour (1999) and several roles in television films such as Annie
(as Lily St. Regis), Chenoweth starred in her own NBC
sitcom, the semi-autobiographical Kristin
in 2001. It was short-lived, with thirteen episodes filmed, but only six episodes aired. Chenoweth appeared in the lead role of Marian in the 2003 television film, The Music Man, opposite Matthew Broderick
. She also guest-starred on such shows as Frasier
(2001), Sesame Street
(2004) and Ugly Betty
(2007).
In 2004, Chenoweth began playing the recurring role of media consultant Annabeth Schott
in The West Wing. For her performance, she was nominated twice, along with the cast, for a Screen Actors Guild Award. She appeared in the final two seasons of the program, through 2006.
From 2007 to 2009, Chenoweth played Olive Snook in the television series Pushing Daisies
. For her performance she received critical acclaim and was nominated two years in a row for an Emmy Award
, winning in 2009 as Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. The series was cancelled after two seasons.
In 2009, Chenoweth lent her voice to the animated comedy series Sit Down, Shut Up as Miracle Grohe, a science teacher who does not believe in science. The series lasted just thirteen episodes. Later that year, Chenoweth guest starred as April Rhodes in Glee
, singing several songs, earning enthusiastic notices. The character is a former member of the glee club who never finished high school and ended up hitting rock bottom. A review in USA Today
observed, "Her presence may not make much sense, but [if] it means hearing Chenoweth sing, we can put up with any explanation the show cares to offer." She received a Satellite Award for Outstanding Guest Star. In , Chenoweth returned to Glee as April Rhodes, singing more songs. The Los Angeles Times
review commented, "the best part about 'Home
' was undoubtedly the return of Kristin Chenoweth as April. ... From her spunky duet of 'Fire' with Schue, to the heart-achingly lonely coo of 'One Less Bell to Answer
' which segued into a fantastic reprise of 'A House Is Not a Home
' and of course her bone-chilling take on 'Home
' ... I fell in love with her again." She was nominated for both 2010 and 2011 Emmy Awards for her performances on Glee. Chenoweth returned to Glee in 2011.
In 2011, Chenoweth joined the cast of a pilot for ABC
called Good Christian Bitches as a character named Carlene Cockburn. On May 13, 2011, ABC picked it up and changed the title to GCB. The series is expected to debut during the 2011–12 season.
, had attended a performance of Wicked and was so impressed with Chenoweth that Kidman asked Ephron to cast Chenoweth in the film. Chenoweth played the part of Maria Kelly, the Kidman character's neighbor. In 2006, Chenoweth played supporting roles in five films, The Pink Panther
, RV
, Running with Scissors
, Deck the Halls
, and Stranger Than Fiction.
On February 24, 2008, Chenoweth sang "That's How You Know
" from the film Enchanted at the 80th Academy Awards
in the Kodak Theater. She also voiced Rosetta, the garden fairy in the 2008 animated film Tinker Bell
. Later that year, Chenoweth appeared in the 2008 holiday romantic comedy
film Four Christmases
, playing the sister of Reese Witherspoon
's character.
In 2009, Chenoweth starred as a "suicidal prostitute" in the indie drama Into Temptation
, written and directed by Patrick Coyle. The film was screened at the Newport Beach Film Festival
and since then has been released on DVD. Also in 2009, Chenoweth reprised her voice role of Rosetta in Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure
and filmed the Disney comedy You Again
(released in 2010). Chenoweth hosted the 15th Annual Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards
which aired , 2010, on VH1
.
On August 27, 2008, Chenoweth released an internet video with Funny or Die
titled Intervention with Kristin Chenoweth. The video parodied A&E
's show Intervention
, with Chenoweth starring as a singing, dancing interventionist. The song was composed by Andrew Lippa
, Chenoweth's frequent musical director and composer for her concert songs as well as the composer of "My New Philosophy", which she sang in the revival of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown
. The lyrics are by Amy Rhodes, who also wrote the clip. Chenoweth admitted that she was hesitant about performing the lyrics. In 2010, she appeared in a three-minute video short for Glamour Magazine
entitled "iPad or Bust". Chenoweth posed for the cover and a photo spread in the March 2006 edition of FHM
magazine.
In 2011, Chenoweth released her first televised music video on Country Music Television
, directed by Roman White
, "I Want Somebody". The video for the single peaked at #19 on CMT
's Top Twenty Countdown
.
Chenoweth has a distinctive speaking voice, one she has compared to that of Betty Boop
. She is a classically trained coloratura soprano
, able to sing the note "F6" (also known as "F above High C").
Among other early recordings, Chenoweth participated in a studio cast recording of The Most Happy Fella
in 1992. She was also in the cast recordings of A New Brain (1998) and You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown (1999) and a studio cast recording of 110 in the Shade
(1999). In 2000, she was featured on the album Grateful: The Songs of John Bucchino
. The next year, with Mandy Patinkin, she was featured on the album entitled "Kidults". Also in 2001, she released her debut album Let Yourself Go
, which was a collection of standards from the musicals of the 1930s. One of the tracks featured a duet with Jason Alexander
. In , Chenoweth performed songs from her solo album, Let Yourself Go
, in concert for Lincoln Center's American Songbook concert series. The same year, she appeared as Fanny Brice
in the Actor's Fund Benefit Concert of the musical Funny Girl in New York City. In 2003 in London, she performed a solo concert as part of the Divas at Donmar series for director Sam Mendes
. Later that year, she sang Glinda in the cast recording of Wicked and the soundrack recording of Disney's The Music Man. In 2004, she released her second album As I Am
, which was a Christian music album containing various spiritual songs. The album peaked at number 31 on the U.S. Christian Albums Chart. The same year, Chenoweth gave a concert at Carnegie Hall
.
On January 19, 2007, Chenoweth performed a solo concert at The Metropolitan Opera in New York, only the third musical theatre star ever to present a solo concert at that location, following Barbara Cook
and Yves Montand
. The same year, she was featured in songs with Nathan Gunn
on an album entitled Just Before Sunrise. The next year, she released her third solo studio album, entitled A Lovely Way to Spend Christmas
. The album was much anticipated by both her fans and Chenoweth herself; she had expressed her desire in the past to produce a Christmas album. The album included a duet with John Pizzarelli
and there are several modern holiday tunes, but many traditional carols as well including The Lord's Prayer. This album has been her best seller, reaching number 77 on the U.S. Billboard Albums Chart, climbing to number 7 on the U.S. Holiday Albums chart and to number 1 on the U.S. Heatseekers Chart. Among many other solo concerts around the U.S., Chenoweth performed her own concert in 2009 with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, at the Fox Theatre.
Starting in August 2010, during her nights off from Promises, Promises, she travelled to Nashville to record songs for her fourth recording, a country pop
album. On September 13, 2011, the album, Some Lessons Learned
, was released. The album contains songs by Diane Warren
, Dolly Parton
and Lady Antebellum
's Hillary Scott
, among others. Chenoweth co-wrote two of the songs.
. In the 2005 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Chenoweth performed the song "Oklahoma" while riding aboard the "Oklahoma Rising" float. The float was making the first of three annual appearances commemorating the state of Oklahoma's statehood centennial in 2007.
She was the star performer of the opening ceremony of the 2007 Tournament of Roses Parade. She sang "Our Good Nature," an original composition written to coincide with the Oklahoma centennial celebration and the theme of the parade. In the 2008 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, she performed the song "The Christmas Waltz" from her "A Lovely Way to Spend Christmas" album while riding aboard the "The Care Bears Winter Fun-Derland" float.
She sang with Il Divo
as part of Il Divo's Christmas Tour 2009 on , 16 and 17 in New York City and in Boston.
She has spoken publicly about her religious faith; she describes herself as a "non-judgmental, liberal Christian". Raised as a Southern Baptist
, she later chose to have a personal connection to a faith that is not based in any one denomination.
According to The New York Times, when Chenoweth "assured her theater fans that she supports gay rights her Christian base was outraged; she was disinvited from performing at a Women of Faith conference in ." Chenoweth released an album in called As I Am
, a mixture of hymn
s and contemporary Christian music
, with adult contemporary
arrangements. To promote the album, she made an appearance on The 700 Club
that upset some of her gay fans. She later said she thought that the "Pat Robertson
s and Jerry Falwell
s of the world are scary" and that she regretted appearing on the show.
She dated producer/writer Aaron Sorkin
. In Sorkin's Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
, the character of Harriet Hayes
bears significant resemblances to Chenoweth, and the relationship between the Christian Hayes and "East coast liberal
Jewish atheist" (her description) Matt Albie
is modeled after that of Chenoweth and Sorkin. For example, Chenoweth's decision to appear on The 700 Club and her falling out with Women of Faith were depicted with the Hayes character.
Chenoweth has Ménière's disease
, an inner-ear disorder that can cause vertigo, headaches and nausea, among other symptoms. She has said that, during some performances, she has had to lean on her co-stars to keep her balance and that it has caused her to miss performances.
In May 2010, Chenoweth wrote in response to an article in Newsweek
by Ramin Setoodeh, an openly gay writer. Setoodeh thought that her Tony-nominated Promises, Promises
co-star, Sean Hayes
, "comes off as wooden and insincere" in playing the straight character Chuck, and that Jonathan Groff
has a similar credibility problem in the TV show Glee
. He questioned whether any openly gay actor could acceptably portray a straight character. Chenoweth called the article "horrendously homophobic" and criticized Setoodeh's view as rationalizing "the same kind of bullying" that gay youths face in high school. Chenoweth argued that audiences "come to the theater to go on a journey" and do not care about an actor's sexual orientation. The story was picked up by major media including The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times.
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
, film and television. She is best known on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
for her performance as Sally Brown
Sally Brown
Sally Brown is the younger sister of Charlie Brown in the comic strip Peanuts by Charles Schulz. She was first mentioned in early 1959 and throughout a long series of strips before her first appearance in August 1959.-Appearance:...
in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown
You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown
You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown is a 1967 musical comedy with music and lyrics by Clark Gesner, based on the characters created by cartoonist Charles M. Schulz in his comic strip Peanuts...
(1999), for which she won a Tony Award
Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical
This is a list of the winners and nominations of the Tony Award for the Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical. The award, introduced in 1950, was previously named as Best Performance by a Featured or Supporting Actress in a Musical until 1976....
, and for originating the role of Glinda
Glinda
Glinda is a fictional character in the Land of Oz created by American author L. Frank Baum. She is the most powerful sorceress of Oz, ruler of the Quadling Country south of the Emerald City, and protector of Princess Ozma.- Literature :Baum's 1900 children's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz...
in the musical Wicked
Wicked (musical)
Wicked is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman. It is based on the Gregory Maguire novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West , a parallel novel of the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz and L. Frank Baum's classic story The Wonderful Wizard...
(2003). Her best-known television role is Annabeth Schott
Annabeth Schott
Annabeth Schott, played by Kristin Chenoweth, is a fictional character on the political drama The West Wing. She joined the Bartlet administration in Season 6 as the Deputy Press Secretary for Media Relations following the promotion of C.J. Cregg to White House Chief of Staff...
in NBC's The West Wing. As Olive Snook on the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
comedy-drama
Comedy-drama
Comedy-drama is a genre of theatre, film and television programs which combines humorous and serious content.-Theatre:Traditional western theatre, beginning with the ancient Greeks, was divided into comedy and tragedy...
Pushing Daisies
Pushing Daisies
Pushing Daisies is an American comedy-drama television series created by Bryan Fuller that aired on ABC from October 3, 2007 to June 13, 2009. The series stars Lee Pace as Ned, a pie-maker with the ability to bring dead things back to life with his touch, an ability that comes with stipulations...
, she won a 2009 Emmy Award
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress - Comedy Series
This is a list of winners of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.-Superlatives:-1950s:*1953: Vivian Vance - I Love Lucy as Ethel Mertz** Audrey Meadows - The Jackie Gleason Show as Alice Kramden...
.
An Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
native, Chenoweth sang gospel music
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
as a child and studied opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
before deciding to pursue a career in musical theatre
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
. In 1997, she made her Broadway debut in Steel Pier
Steel Pier (musical)
Steel Pier is a musical written by the songwriting team of Kander and Ebb from the original book by David Thompson.-Productions:Directed by Scott Ellis with choreography by Susan Stroman, it opened on Broadway on April 24, 1997 and closed on June 28, 1997, running for 76 performances...
. Besides You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown and Wicked, Chenoweth's stage work includes five City Center Encores!
Encores!
Encores! Great American Musicals in Concert is a program that has been presented by New York City Center since 1994. Encores! is dedicated to performing the full score of musicals that rarely are heard in New York City...
productions, Broadway's The Apple Tree
The Apple Tree
The Apple Tree is a series of three musical playlets with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and a book by Bock and Harnick with contributions from Jerome Coopersmith...
in 2006 and Promises, Promises
Promises, Promises
Promises, Promises is a musical based on the 1960 film The Apartment. The music is by Burt Bacharach, lyrics by Hal David, and book by Neil Simon. Musical numbers for the original Broadway production were choreographed by Michael Bennett; Robert Moore directed and David Merrick produced...
in 2010, as well as Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
and regional theatre productions.
Chenoweth had her own TV series Kristin
Kristin (TV series)
Kristin is an American comedy television series starring Kristin Chenoweth. The series premiered June 5, 2001, on NBC. The show was canceled after six episodes.-Plot:...
in 2001, and has guest starred on many shows, including Sesame Street
Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
and Glee
Glee (TV series)
Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
, for which she was nominated for Emmy awards in 2010 and 2011. In films, she has played mostly character roles, such as in Bewitched (2005), The Pink Panther
The Pink Panther (2006 film)
The Pink Panther is a 2006 American comedy film and a reboot of The Pink Panther film series. In this film, Inspector Jacques Clouseau is assigned to solve the murder of a famous soccer coach and the theft of the famous Pink Panther diamond. The film also stars Kevin Kline, Jean Reno, Emily...
(2006) and RV
RV (film)
RV is a 2006 comedy film directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, written by Geoff Rodkey, and starring Robin Williams, Joanna "JoJo" Levesque, Cheryl Hines, Josh Hutcherson, Jeff Daniels, Kristin Chenoweth and Will Arnett. It was released on April 28, 2006 in North America...
(2006). She has also played roles in made-for-TV movies, done voice work in animated films and the animated TV series Sit Down, Shut Up, hosted several award shows and released several albums of songs, including A Lovely Way to Spend Christmas
A Lovely Way to Spend Christmas
A Lovely Way to Spend Christmas is the third studio and first Christmas album released by American singer and actress Kristin Chenoweth. Released on October 14, 2008, the album sees Chenoweth collaborating with jazz musician John Pizzarelli on "Sleigh Ride/Marshmallow World"...
(2008). Chenoweth also penned a 2009 memoir, A Little Bit Wicked: Life, Love, and Faith in Stages.
Early life
Adopted at birth, Kristi Dawn Chenoweth was born and grew up in Broken Arrow, OklahomaBroken Arrow, Oklahoma
Broken Arrow is a city located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Oklahoma, primarily in Tulsa County but also with a small section of the city in western Wagoner County. It is the largest suburb of Tulsa. According to the 2010 US Census, Broken Arrow has a population of 98,850 residents...
, a suburb of Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
. She has said that she is one-quarter Cherokee
Cherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
. At an early age, she performed gospel songs for local churches. A performing highlight of her childhood was a solo appearance at the Southern Baptist Convention
Southern Baptist Convention
The Southern Baptist Convention is a United States-based Christian denomination. It is the world's largest Baptist denomination and the largest Protestant body in the United States, with over 16 million members...
national conference at the age of 12, where she performed the Evie Tornquist-Karlsson
Evie Tornquist-Karlsson
Evie Tornquist-Karlsson , professionally known as Evie, is a Contemporary Christian music singer who was known in the late 1970s and early 1980s for songs such as "Step into the Sunshine" and "Four Feet Eleven"....
song "Four Feet Eleven". The chorus begins, "I'm only 4 feet 11, but I'm going to Heaven" (Chenoweth is 4 in 11 in (149.86 cm) in height).
After graduating from Broken Arrow Senior High
Broken Arrow Senior High
Broken Arrow Senior High School is the highest level of secondary education in the Broken Arrow Public Schools system, for students in eleventh and twelfth grades. The school, combined with North Intermediate High School and South Intermediate High School, is the largest high school in the state...
, where she participated in school plays, Chenoweth attended Oklahoma City University
Oklahoma City University
Oklahoma City University, often referred to as OCU, is a coeducational, urban, private university historically affiliated with the United Methodist Church...
, where she was a member of Gamma Phi Beta
Gamma Phi Beta
Gamma Phi Beta is an international sorority that was founded on November 11, 1874, at Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York. The term "sorority," meaning sisterhood, was coined for Gamma Phi Beta by Dr. Frank Smalley, a professor at Syracuse University.The four founders are Helen M. Dodge,...
(Beta Omicron) sorority. She earned a BFA degree in musical theatre
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
and a master's degree in opera performance, studying under voice instructor Florence Birdwell
Florence Birdwell
Florence Gillam Birdwell is an American educator, musician, and singer, who has taught musical theater and opera singing to thousands of voice students over a six-decade career, continuing today as professor of voice at the Bass School of Music at Oklahoma City University.Born in Arizona, Birdwell...
, who also trained Miss America
Miss America
The Miss America pageant is a long-standing competition which awards scholarships to young women from the 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands...
1981, Susan Powell, and three-time Tony
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
nominee Kelli O'Hara
Kelli O'Hara
Kelli O'Hara is an American actress, singer, and songwriter.O'Hara has been nominated for three Tony Awards: for her performance as Clara Johnson in The Light in the Piazza; for her performance as Babe Williams in the Roundabout Theatre Company's revival of The Pajama Game, where she starred...
. It was Birdwell who suggested to Chenoweth that she add an "n" to her first name. While at OCU, Chenoweth competed in beauty pageants, winning the title of "Miss OCU" and was the first runner-up in the Miss Oklahoma
Miss Oklahoma
The Miss Oklahoma competition selects a winner to compete on behalf of Oklahoma in the Miss America pageant. Miss Oklahoma has won the crown on five occasions. Also, in the years when city representatives were common, Norma Smallwood won, competing as Miss Tulsa, giving the state of Oklahoma a...
pageant in 1991. In 1992, Chenoweth participated in a studio recording of The Most Happy Fella
The Most Happy Fella
The Most Happy Fella is a 1956 musical with a book, music, and lyrics by Frank Loesser. The story, about a romance between an older man and younger woman, is based on the play They Knew What They Wanted by Sidney Howard...
.
Chenoweth participated in a number of vocal competitions and was named "most promising up-and-coming singer" in the Metropolitan Opera
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
National Council auditions, which came with a full scholarship to Philadelphia's Academy of Vocal Arts
Academy of Vocal Arts
The Academy of Vocal Arts is a school dedicated to providing free higher education to aspiring opera singers. The school was founded in 1934 by Helen Corning Warden and is located at 1920 Spruce Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.-History:...
. Two weeks before school started, however, she went to New York City to help a friend move. While there, she auditioned for the 1993 Paper Mill Playhouse
Paper Mill Playhouse
Paper Mill Playhouse is a regional theatre with approximately 1200 seats, located in Millburn, New Jersey, less than 25 miles from Manhattan. Due to its location, it can draw from the pool of actors who live in New York City. Its location, as well as its focus on producing large-scale shows, makes...
production of the musical Animal Crackers and got the role of Arabella Rittenhouse. She turned down the scholarship and moved to New York to do the show and pursue a career in musical theatre.
Career
Chenoweth has appeared in theater, television,film and on the concert stage. She was awarded an honorary doctorate in Performing Arts from the University of North Carolina School of the ArtsUniversity of North Carolina School of the Arts
The University of North Carolina School of the Arts , formerly the North Carolina School of the Arts, is a public coeducational arts conservatory in Winston-Salem, North Carolina that grants high school, undergraduate and graduate degrees. It is one of the seventeen constituent campuses of the...
on , 2009, where she was the commencement speaker.
Theatre
Babes in Arms
Babes in Arms is a 1937 musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Lorenz Hart and book by Rodgers and Hart. It concerns a teen-age boy who puts on a show with his friends to avoid being sent to a work farm.- Production history:...
and Phantom
Phantom (musical)
Phantom is a musical with music and lyrics by Maury Yeston and a book by Arthur Kopit. Based on Gaston Leroux's 1910 novel The Phantom of the Opera, the musical was first presented in Houston, Texas in 1991....
(as Christine; also touring in Germany in this role), also taking roles in Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
productions like Luisa in The Fantasticks
The Fantasticks
The Fantasticks is a 1960 musical with music by Harvey Schmidt and lyrics by Tom Jones. It was produced by Lore Noto. It tells an allegorical story, loosely based on the play "The Romancers" by Edmond Rostand, concerning two neighboring fathers who trick their children, Luisa and Matt, into...
, and Kristy in Box Office of the Damned (1994). In 1997, she appeared as Hyacinth in the Roundabout Theater Company production of Moliere
Molière
Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, known by his stage name Molière, was a French playwright and actor who is considered to be one of the greatest masters of comedy in Western literature...
's farcical Scapin
Les Fourberies de Scapin
Les Fourberies de Scapin is a three-act comedy by French playwright Molière. The title character Scapin is similar to the archetypical Scapino character. The play was first staged in 1671 in Paris....
, earning her first New York Times review, with Ben Brantley
Ben Brantley
Benjamin D. "Ben" Brantley is an American journalist and the chief theater critic of The New York Times.-Life and career:...
writing "Kristin Chenoweth's sob-prone ingenue ... [is] delightful". She made her Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
debut in the spring of 1997 as Precious McGuire in the musical Steel Pier
Steel Pier (musical)
Steel Pier is a musical written by the songwriting team of Kander and Ebb from the original book by David Thompson.-Productions:Directed by Scott Ellis with choreography by Susan Stroman, it opened on Broadway on April 24, 1997 and closed on June 28, 1997, running for 76 performances...
by Kander and Ebb
Kander and Ebb
Kander and Ebb were a highly successful songwriting team consisting of composer John Kander and lyricist Fred Ebb . Known primarily for their stage musicals, Kander and Ebb also scored several movies including their most famous song, the theme song from Martin Scorsese's New York, New York...
, for which she won a Theatre World award
Theatre World Award
The Theatre World Award, first awarded for the 1945-46 season, is an American honor presented annually to actors and actresses in recognition of an outstanding New York City stage debut performance, either on Broadway or off-Broadway.-History:...
. In 1998 she appeared in the City Center Encores!
Encores!
Encores! Great American Musicals in Concert is a program that has been presented by New York City Center since 1994. Encores! is dedicated to performing the full score of musicals that rarely are heard in New York City...
staged concert of the George
George Gershwin
George Gershwin was an American composer and pianist. Gershwin's compositions spanned both popular and classical genres, and his most popular melodies are widely known...
and Ira Gershwin
Ira Gershwin
Ira Gershwin was an American lyricist who collaborated with his younger brother, composer George Gershwin, to create some of the most memorable songs of the 20th century....
musical Strike up the Band as Anne Draper and the Lincoln Center Theatre production of William Finn
William Finn
William Alan Finn is an American composer and lyricist of musicals. His musical Falsettos received the 1992 Tony Awards for Best Music and Lyrics and for Best Book.-Biography:...
's A New Brain
A New Brain
A New Brain is a musical with music and lyrics by William Finn and book by Finn and James Lapine.The musical was first produced Off-Broadway at the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater at Lincoln Center, with previews beginning on May 14, 1998...
.
In 1999, Chenoweth performed in the Broadway revival of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown
You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown
You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown is a 1967 musical comedy with music and lyrics by Clark Gesner, based on the characters created by cartoonist Charles M. Schulz in his comic strip Peanuts...
as the title character's little sister, Sally
Sally Brown
Sally Brown is the younger sister of Charlie Brown in the comic strip Peanuts by Charles Schulz. She was first mentioned in early 1959 and throughout a long series of strips before her first appearance in August 1959.-Appearance:...
, a character that was not present in the original production. She won the Tony
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
, Drama Desk
Drama Desk Award
The Drama Desk Awards, which are given annually in a number of categories, are the only major New York theater honors for which productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway compete against each other in the same category...
, Clarence Derwent, and Outer Critics Circle Award
Outer Critics Circle Award
The Outer Critics Circle Awards are presented annually for theatrical achievements both on and Off-Broadway and were begun during the 1949-1950 theater season. The awards are decided upon by theater critics who review for out-of-town newspapers, national publications, and other media outlets...
s for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. Later that year, she starred on Broadway in the short-lived comic play Epic Proportions
Epic Proportions
Epic Proportions is a play by Larry Coen and David Crane.Set in the 1930s, it tells the story of brothers Benny and Phil, who go to the Arizona desert to work as extras in the Biblical epic film Exeunt Omnes, directed by the mysteriously reclusive D.W. DeWitt. All 3400 extras are supervised by...
, followed by starring as Daisy Gamble in the "Encores!" production of On a Clear Day You Can See Forever
On a Clear Day You Can See Forever
On a Clear Day You Can See Forever is a musical with music by Burton Lane and a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner based loosely on Berkeley Square, written in 1929 by John L. Balderston. It concerns a woman who has ESP and has been reincarnated...
in .
After this, Chenoweth split her time between stage and TV or film roles and released her first solo album, Let Yourself Go (2001). In 2002, she performed in the City Center Encores! 10th Anniversary Bash. In October 2003, she returned to Broadway (after the San Francisco tryout) in Wicked
Wicked (musical)
Wicked is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman. It is based on the Gregory Maguire novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West , a parallel novel of the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz and L. Frank Baum's classic story The Wonderful Wizard...
, the musical about the early years of the witches of Oz
Land of Oz
Oz is a fantasy region containing four lands under the rule of one monarch.It was first introduced in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, one of many fantasy countries that he created for his books. It achieved a popularity that none of his other works attained, and after four years, he...
, in the joint-leading role of Glinda
Glinda
Glinda is a fictional character in the Land of Oz created by American author L. Frank Baum. She is the most powerful sorceress of Oz, ruler of the Quadling Country south of the Emerald City, and protector of Princess Ozma.- Literature :Baum's 1900 children's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz...
, the Good Witch of the North
Good Witch of the North
The Good Witch of the North is a fictional character in the Land of Oz, created by American author L. Frank Baum. She is the elderly and mild-mannered Ruler of the Gillikin Country...
. She was nominated for a 2004 Tony Award as Best Leading Actress in a Musical
Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical
The Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical is the Tony Awards award given to the actress who was voted as the best leading actress in a musical, whether a new production or a revival...
for her performance, losing to her co-star Idina Menzel
Idina Menzel
Idina Kim Menzel is an American actress, singer and songwriter. She is widely known for originating the roles of Maureen in Rent and Elphaba in Wicked.-Early life:...
(who played Elphaba
Elphaba
Elphaba Thropp is a fictional character in Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire, as well as in the Broadway and West End adaptations, Wicked. In the original L. Frank Baum book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the Wicked Witch of the West is unnamed and little...
, the Wicked Witch of the West
Wicked Witch of the West
The Wicked Witch of the West is a fictional character and the most significant antagonist in L. Frank Baum's children's book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz...
). Chenoweth was also nominated for the Drama Desk Award
Drama Desk Award
The Drama Desk Awards, which are given annually in a number of categories, are the only major New York theater honors for which productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway compete against each other in the same category...
and the Drama League Award
Drama League Award
The Drama League Awards, created in 1935, honor distinguished productions and performances both on Broadway and Off-Broadway, in addition to recognizing exemplary career achievements in theatre, musical theatre, and directing...
for this role. After playing Glinda for nine months, Chenoweth left Wicked, on , 2004, soon joining the cast of The West Wing in Los Angeles.
Chenoweth played Cunegonde
Cunégonde
Cunégonde is a fictional character in Voltaire's novel Candide. She is the title character's aristocratic cousin. Her name is probably derived from Cunigunde of Luxemburg....
in the New York Philharmonic
New York Philharmonic
The New York Philharmonic is a symphony orchestra based in New York City in the United States. It is one of the American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five"...
revival of Candide, directed by Lonny Price
Lonny Price
Lonny Price is an American actor, writer, and director, primarily in theatre. He is known for making statements on current events in versions of his musicals. His acclaimed May 2008 New York Philharmonic production of Camelot was making a statement about the current war including having different...
, in . The production was also broadcast on PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
's Great Performances
Great Performances
Great Performances, a television series devoted to the performing arts, has been telecast on Public Broadcasting Service public television since 1972...
. A performance of the rarely sung duet "We Are Women", between Cunegonde and the Old Lady (played by Patti Lupone
Patti LuPone
Patti Ann LuPone is an American singer and actress, known for her Tony Award-winning performances as Eva Perón in the 1979 stage musical Evita and as Madame Rose in the 2008 Broadway revival of Gypsy, and for her Olivier Award-winning performance as Fantine in the original London cast of Les...
), was included in the production.
From December 2006 to March 2007, she starred on Broadway as Eve in a revival of The Apple Tree
The Apple Tree
The Apple Tree is a series of three musical playlets with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and a book by Bock and Harnick with contributions from Jerome Coopersmith...
with co-stars Brian d'Arcy James
Brian d'Arcy James
Brian d'Arcy James is an American actor and musician.-Personal life:James was born in Saginaw, Michigan, the son of Mary , a seller of children's books, and a lawyer father, Thomas F. James. Brian's maternal grandfather was Harry F. Kelly, former Governor of the state of Michigan...
and former fiancé Marc Kudisch
Marc Kudisch
Marc Kudisch is an American stage actor, who is best known for his musical theatre roles on Broadway.-Early life and education:...
. She received nominations for the Drama Desk Award
Drama Desk Award
The Drama Desk Awards, which are given annually in a number of categories, are the only major New York theater honors for which productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway compete against each other in the same category...
and the Drama League Award
Drama League Award
The Drama League Awards, created in 1935, honor distinguished productions and performances both on Broadway and Off-Broadway, in addition to recognizing exemplary career achievements in theatre, musical theatre, and directing...
. She hosted that year's Drama Desk Award
Drama Desk Award
The Drama Desk Awards, which are given annually in a number of categories, are the only major New York theater honors for which productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway compete against each other in the same category...
s ceremony.
Chenoweth played Elizabeth in a 2006 workshop of Mel Brooks
Mel Brooks
Mel Brooks is an American film director, screenwriter, composer, lyricist, comedian, actor and producer. He is best known as a creator of broad film farces and comic parodies. He began his career as a stand-up comic and as a writer for the early TV variety show Your Show of Shows...
's musical theatre adaptation
Young Frankenstein (musical)
Young Frankenstein, officially known as The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein, is a musical with a book by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan and music and lyrics by Brooks. It is based on the 1974 comedy film of the same name written by Brooks and Gene Wilder and directed by Brooks, who has...
of his film Young Frankenstein
Young Frankenstein
Young Frankenstein is a 1974 American comedy film directed by Mel Brooks and starring Gene Wilder as the title character, a descendant of the infamous Dr. Victor Frankenstein. The supporting cast includes Teri Garr, Cloris Leachman, Marty Feldman, Peter Boyle, Madeline Kahn, Kenneth Mars, Richard...
, but due to other commitments, she was unable to appear in the Broadway production. In 2008 she was scheduled to reprise her role as Cunegonde in an English National Opera
English National Opera
English National Opera is an opera company based in London, resident at the London Coliseum in St. Martin's Lane. It is one of the two principal opera companies in London, along with the Royal Opera, Covent Garden...
production of Candide, but she had to pull out. She appeared in the Encores! semi-staged production of Jerome Kern
Jerome Kern
Jerome David Kern was an American composer of musical theatre and popular music. One of the most important American theatre composers of the early 20th century, he wrote more than 700 songs, used in over 100 stage works, including such classics as "Ol' Man River", "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man", "A...
and Oscar Hammerstein II's Music in the Air
Music in the Air
Music in the Air is a musical written by Oscar Hammerstein II and Jerome Kern . It introduced songs such as "The Song Is You", "In Egern on the Tegern See" and "I've Told Ev'ry Little Star"...
in February 2009. Chenoweth was scheduled to return to The Metropolitan Opera in 2010 to play Samira in John Corigliano
John Corigliano
John Corigliano is an American composer of classical music and a teacher of music. He is a distinguished professor of music at Lehman College in the City University of New York.-Biography:...
's opera The Ghosts of Versailles
The Ghosts of Versailles
The Ghosts of Versailles is an opera in two acts, with music by John Corigliano to an English libretto by William M. Hoffman. The Metropolitan Opera had commissioned the work from Corigliano in 1980 in celebration of its 100th anniversary, with the premiere scheduled for 1983...
. The Met cancelled the expensive production in 2008 as the U.S. economy weakened.
Chenoweth starred as Fran Kubelik in the 2010 Broadway revival of the musical Promises, Promises
Promises, Promises
Promises, Promises is a musical based on the 1960 film The Apartment. The music is by Burt Bacharach, lyrics by Hal David, and book by Neil Simon. Musical numbers for the original Broadway production were choreographed by Michael Bennett; Robert Moore directed and David Merrick produced...
, opposite Sean Hayes
Sean Hayes (actor)
Sean Patrick Hayes is an American actor and comedian. He is widely known for his role as Jack McFarland in the NBC sitcom Will & Grace, for which he won an Emmy Award, four SAG Awards, one American Comedy Award, and six Golden Globes nominations.He also portrayed comedian Jerry Lewis in the...
, which opened on , 2010. The songs "I Say a Little Prayer
I Say a Little Prayer
"I Say a Little Prayer" is a song written by songwriters Burt Bacharach and Hal David for Dionne Warwick, originally peaking at number four on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart in December 1967.-Background:...
" and "A House Is Not a Home
A House Is Not a Home (song)
"A House Is Not a Home" is a 1964 song recorded by American singer Dionne Warwick. Written by the team of Burt Bacharach and Hal David, the song was a modest hit in the U.S. for Warwick, peaking at #71 on the pop singles chart as the B-side of the top 40 single, "You'll Never Get to Heaven "...
" were added for her to sing. Chenoweth and Hayes remained in the cast until the show closed on January 2, 2011, although she missed performances from December 29, 2010 to January 1, 2011 to perform a New Year's Eve concert at Walt Disney Concert Hall on December 31, 2010.
Chenoweth took part in a reading of the musical On the Twentieth Century
On the Twentieth Century
On the Twentieth Century is a musical with book and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green and music by Cy Coleman. Part operetta, part farce, part screwball comedy, the story involves the behind-the-scenes relationship of a temperamental actress and a director.-Background:Comden and Green based...
for the Roundabout Theatre Company
Roundabout Theatre Company
The Roundabout Theatre Company is a leading non-profit theatre company based in New York City.-History:The company was founded in 1965 by Gene Feist and Elizabeth Owens and now operates five theatres, all in Manhattan: the American Airlines Theatre ; Studio 54 ; the Stephen Sondheim Theatre The...
in early 2011 with Hugh Jackman
Hugh Jackman
Hugh Michael Jackman is an Australian actor and producer who is involved in film, musical theatre, and television.Jackman has won international recognition for his roles in major films, notably as action/superhero, period and romance characters...
and Andrea Martin
Andrea Martin
Andrea Louise Martin is an American and Canadian actress and comedienne. She has appeared in films such as My Big Fat Greek Wedding, on stage in productions such as My Favorite Year, Fiddler on the Roof and Candide, and in the television series, SCTV.-Personal life:Martin, the oldest of three...
. She played televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker in a reading of a new musical called Rise in spring 2011.
Television work
After a guest appearance on LateLineLateLine
LateLine is an American TV sitcom that ran on NBC from March 17, 1998, through March 16, 1999. Due to an abrupt cancellation, there were seven unaired episodes .Created by John Markus and Al Franken , LateLine depicted the...
, a role in the short-lived television series Paramour (1999) and several roles in television films such as Annie
Annie (1999 film)
Annie is a 1999 American made-for-television musical-comedy film from The Wonderful World of Disney, based on the 1977 stage musical Annie and its 1982 film adaptation, which themselves were based on the 1924 Little Orphan Annie comic strip by Harold Gray.The film stars Kathy Bates, Victor Garber,...
(as Lily St. Regis), Chenoweth starred in her own NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
sitcom, the semi-autobiographical Kristin
Kristin (TV series)
Kristin is an American comedy television series starring Kristin Chenoweth. The series premiered June 5, 2001, on NBC. The show was canceled after six episodes.-Plot:...
in 2001. It was short-lived, with thirteen episodes filmed, but only six episodes aired. Chenoweth appeared in the lead role of Marian in the 2003 television film, The Music Man, opposite Matthew Broderick
Matthew Broderick
Matthew Broderick is an American film and stage actor who, among other roles, played the title character in Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Adult Simba in The Lion King film series, and Leo Bloom in the film and Broadway productions of The Producers.He has won two Tony Awards, one in 1983 for his...
. She also guest-starred on such shows as Frasier
Frasier
Frasier is an American sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for eleven seasons, from September 16, 1993, to May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee in association with Grammnet and Paramount Network Television.A spin-off of Cheers, Frasier stars...
(2001), Sesame Street
Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
(2004) and Ugly Betty
Ugly Betty
Ugly Betty is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Silvio Horta, which premiered on ABC on September 28, 2006, and ended on April 14, 2010. The series revolves around the character Betty Suarez and is based on Fernando Gaitán's Colombian telenovela soap opera Yo soy Betty, la fea...
(2007).
In 2004, Chenoweth began playing the recurring role of media consultant Annabeth Schott
Annabeth Schott
Annabeth Schott, played by Kristin Chenoweth, is a fictional character on the political drama The West Wing. She joined the Bartlet administration in Season 6 as the Deputy Press Secretary for Media Relations following the promotion of C.J. Cregg to White House Chief of Staff...
in The West Wing. For her performance, she was nominated twice, along with the cast, for a Screen Actors Guild Award. She appeared in the final two seasons of the program, through 2006.
From 2007 to 2009, Chenoweth played Olive Snook in the television series Pushing Daisies
Pushing Daisies
Pushing Daisies is an American comedy-drama television series created by Bryan Fuller that aired on ABC from October 3, 2007 to June 13, 2009. The series stars Lee Pace as Ned, a pie-maker with the ability to bring dead things back to life with his touch, an ability that comes with stipulations...
. For her performance she received critical acclaim and was nominated two years in a row for an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
, winning in 2009 as Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. The series was cancelled after two seasons.
In 2009, Chenoweth lent her voice to the animated comedy series Sit Down, Shut Up as Miracle Grohe, a science teacher who does not believe in science. The series lasted just thirteen episodes. Later that year, Chenoweth guest starred as April Rhodes in Glee
Glee (TV series)
Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
, singing several songs, earning enthusiastic notices. The character is a former member of the glee club who never finished high school and ended up hitting rock bottom. A review in USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
observed, "Her presence may not make much sense, but [if] it means hearing Chenoweth sing, we can put up with any explanation the show cares to offer." She received a Satellite Award for Outstanding Guest Star. In , Chenoweth returned to Glee as April Rhodes, singing more songs. The Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
review commented, "the best part about 'Home
Home (Glee)
"Home" is the 16th episode of the American television series Glee. The episode premiered on the Fox network on April 27, 2010. It was directed by Paris Barclay and written by series creator Brad Falchuk...
' was undoubtedly the return of Kristin Chenoweth as April. ... From her spunky duet of 'Fire' with Schue, to the heart-achingly lonely coo of 'One Less Bell to Answer
One Less Bell to Answer
"One Less Bell to Answer" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David. Originally written in 1967 for Keely Smith, the song was rediscovered in late 1969 by Bones Howe, the producer for The 5th Dimension, and the song was included on the group's 1970 debut album for Bell Records, Portrait. ...
' which segued into a fantastic reprise of 'A House Is Not a Home
A House Is Not a Home (song)
"A House Is Not a Home" is a 1964 song recorded by American singer Dionne Warwick. Written by the team of Burt Bacharach and Hal David, the song was a modest hit in the U.S. for Warwick, peaking at #71 on the pop singles chart as the B-side of the top 40 single, "You'll Never Get to Heaven "...
' and of course her bone-chilling take on 'Home
Home (The Wiz song)
"Home" is a song from the 1975 Broadway musical, The Wiz. The song was performed by Stephanie Mills in the stage production and by Diana Ross in the 1978 film adaptation and released on the soundtrack album in 1978....
' ... I fell in love with her again." She was nominated for both 2010 and 2011 Emmy Awards for her performances on Glee. Chenoweth returned to Glee in 2011.
In 2011, Chenoweth joined the cast of a pilot for ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
called Good Christian Bitches as a character named Carlene Cockburn. On May 13, 2011, ABC picked it up and changed the title to GCB. The series is expected to debut during the 2011–12 season.
Films
Chenoweth made her film debut in the film Topa Topa Bluffs in 2002 playing the role of Patty. After several years away from film she returned to the big screen in the 2005 film version of Bewitched, directed by Nora Ephron. The film's star, Nicole KidmanNicole Kidman
Nicole Mary Kidman, AC is an American-born Australian actress, singer, film producer, spokesmodel, and humanitarian. After starring in a number of small Australian films and TV shows, Kidman's breakthrough was in the 1989 thriller Dead Calm...
, had attended a performance of Wicked and was so impressed with Chenoweth that Kidman asked Ephron to cast Chenoweth in the film. Chenoweth played the part of Maria Kelly, the Kidman character's neighbor. In 2006, Chenoweth played supporting roles in five films, The Pink Panther
The Pink Panther (2006 film)
The Pink Panther is a 2006 American comedy film and a reboot of The Pink Panther film series. In this film, Inspector Jacques Clouseau is assigned to solve the murder of a famous soccer coach and the theft of the famous Pink Panther diamond. The film also stars Kevin Kline, Jean Reno, Emily...
, RV
RV (film)
RV is a 2006 comedy film directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, written by Geoff Rodkey, and starring Robin Williams, Joanna "JoJo" Levesque, Cheryl Hines, Josh Hutcherson, Jeff Daniels, Kristin Chenoweth and Will Arnett. It was released on April 28, 2006 in North America...
, Running with Scissors
Running with Scissors (film)
Running with Scissors is a 2006 American comedy-drama film based on Augusten Burroughs' 2002 memoir of the same name, written and directed by Ryan Murphy, and starring Joseph Cross, Annette Bening, Brian Cox, Joseph Fiennes, Evan Rachel Wood, Alec Baldwin, Jill Clayburgh, and Gwyneth Paltrow with...
, Deck the Halls
Deck the Halls (film)
Deck the Halls is a 2006 family comedy film set during the Christmas season in Massachusetts. It stars Danny DeVito, Matthew Broderick, Kristin Davis, and Kristin Chenoweth and is directed by John Whitesell.- Plot :...
, and Stranger Than Fiction.
On February 24, 2008, Chenoweth sang "That's How You Know
That's How You Know
The song was covered by Demi Lovato on DisneyMania 6. Lovato's version deviates heavily from the original, having a very different chord progression in the background, eliminating all traces of the calypso influence, and relying heavily on electric guitars and drums. It was her first and final...
" from the film Enchanted at the 80th Academy Awards
80th Academy Awards
The 80th Academy Awards ceremony honored the best films in 2007 and was broadcast from the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California on ABC beginning at 5:30 p.m. PST/8:30 p.m. EST, February 24, 2008 . During the ceremony, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences presented Academy Awards in 24...
in the Kodak Theater. She also voiced Rosetta, the garden fairy in the 2008 animated film Tinker Bell
Tinker Bell (film)
Tinker Bell is a 2008 computer animated film based on the Disney Fairies franchise produced by DisneyToon Studios. It revolves around Tinker Bell, a fairy character created by J. M. Barrie in his play Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up, and featured in the 1953 Disney animated film, Peter...
. Later that year, Chenoweth appeared in the 2008 holiday romantic comedy
Romantic Comedy
Romantic Comedy can refer to* Romantic Comedy , a 1979 play written by Bernard Slade* Romantic Comedy , a 1983 film adapted from the play and starring Dudley Moore and Mary Steenburgen...
film Four Christmases
Four Christmases
Four Christmases is a Christmas-themed romantic comedy film about a couple who go to see their divorced parents in one day...
, playing the sister of Reese Witherspoon
Reese Witherspoon
Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon , better known as Reese Witherspoon, is an American actress and film producer. Witherspoon landed her first feature role as the female lead in the film The Man in the Moon in 1991; later that year she made her television acting debut, in the cable movie Wildflower...
's character.
In 2009, Chenoweth starred as a "suicidal prostitute" in the indie drama Into Temptation
Into Temptation (film)
Into Temptation is a 2009 independent drama film written and directed by Patrick Coyle, and starring Jeremy Sisto, Kristin Chenoweth, Brian Baumgartner, Bruce A. Young and Amy Matthews. It tells the story of a prostitute who confesses to a Catholic priest that she plans to kill herself on her...
, written and directed by Patrick Coyle. The film was screened at the Newport Beach Film Festival
Newport Beach Film Festival
The Newport Beach Film Festival is a film festival in the United States held in Newport Beach, California, that showcases more than 350 films to more than 30,000 attendees annually....
and since then has been released on DVD. Also in 2009, Chenoweth reprised her voice role of Rosetta in Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure
Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure
Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure is a 2009 computer animated film based on the Disney Fairies franchise, produced by DisneyToon Studios, and a Chapter Book, "Tink, North of Neverland". It is a sequel to the 2008 film, Tinker Bell, and revolves around Tinker Bell, a fairy character created by J. M...
and filmed the Disney comedy You Again
You Again
You Again is a 2010 American comedy film directed by Andy Fickman and written by Moe Jelline. The film stars Kristen Bell, Jamie Lee Curtis, Sigourney Weaver, Odette Yustman, and Betty White...
(released in 2010). Chenoweth hosted the 15th Annual Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards
Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards 2009
The 15th Critics' Choice Awards were presented on Friday, January 15, 2010 at the Hollywood Palladium to honour the finest achievements in 2009 film-making, on January 15, 2010 on VH1...
which aired , 2010, on VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
.
Other media
Chenoweth often appears on Prairie Home Companion.On August 27, 2008, Chenoweth released an internet video with Funny or Die
Funny or Die
Funny or Die is a comedy video website founded by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay's production company, Gary Sanchez Productions with original and user-generated content. Funny or Die contains exclusive material from a number of famous contributors and also has its own Funny or Die Team, which creates...
titled Intervention with Kristin Chenoweth. The video parodied A&E
A&E Network
The A&E Network is a United States-based cable and satellite television network with headquarters in New York City and offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, London, Los Angeles and Stamford. A&E also airs in Canada and Latin America. Initially named the Arts & Entertainment Network, A&E launched...
's show Intervention
Intervention (TV series)
Intervention is an American television program about the realities facing addicts of many kinds.Each program follows one or two participants, each of whom has an addiction or other mentally and/or physically damaging problem and believes that they are being filmed for a documentary on their problem...
, with Chenoweth starring as a singing, dancing interventionist. The song was composed by Andrew Lippa
Andrew Lippa
Andrew Lippa is an American composer, lyricist, book writer, performer, and producer. He is a resident artist at the Ars Nova Theater in New York City.-Biography:...
, Chenoweth's frequent musical director and composer for her concert songs as well as the composer of "My New Philosophy", which she sang in the revival of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown
You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown
You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown is a 1967 musical comedy with music and lyrics by Clark Gesner, based on the characters created by cartoonist Charles M. Schulz in his comic strip Peanuts...
. The lyrics are by Amy Rhodes, who also wrote the clip. Chenoweth admitted that she was hesitant about performing the lyrics. In 2010, she appeared in a three-minute video short for Glamour Magazine
Glamour magazine
Glamour magazine means:* Glamour magazine, a U.S. publication aimed at a predominantly female readership* a girlie magazine aimed at a male readership featuring photographs of women...
entitled "iPad or Bust". Chenoweth posed for the cover and a photo spread in the March 2006 edition of FHM
FHM
FHM, originally published as For Him Magazine, is an international monthly men's lifestyle magazine.- History :The magazine began publication in 1985 in the United Kingdom under the name For Him and changed its title to FHM in 1994 when Emap Consumer Media bought the magazine, although the full For...
magazine.
In 2011, Chenoweth released her first televised music video on Country Music Television
Country Music Television
Country Music Television, or CMT, is an American country music-oriented cable television network. Programming includes music videos, taped concerts, movies, biographies of country music stars, game shows, and reality programs...
, directed by Roman White
Roman White
Roman White is a music video director who has directed most of Carrie Underwood's videos. He has also directed music videos for Kelly Clarkson, Josh Groban, Kellie Pickler, Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber and more...
, "I Want Somebody". The video for the single peaked at #19 on CMT
CMT
- Medicine :* California mastitis test* Certified Massage Therapist* Cervical motion tenderness, a sign of pelvic inflammatory disease* Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease* Chemically modified tetracyclines* Circus Movement Tachycardia...
's Top Twenty Countdown
Top Twenty Countdown
Top 20 Countdown is a show on CMT.The show counts down the biggest videos in country music and was originally hosted by Lance Smith. Top Twenty Countdown airs every Friday at 11:00 a.m. and reruns on Saturday at 11 a.m. and Sunday at 11:30 a.m. Besides showing the biggest videos, Lance also shows...
.
Recordings and concerts
Betty Boop
Betty Boop is an animated cartoon character created by Max Fleischer, with help from animators including Grim Natwick. She originally appeared in the Talkartoon and Betty Boop film series, which were produced by Fleischer Studios and released by Paramount Pictures. She has also been featured in...
. She is a classically trained coloratura soprano
Coloratura soprano
A coloratura soprano is a type of operatic soprano who specializes in music that is distinguished by agile runs and leaps. The term coloratura refers to the elaborate ornamentation of a melody, which is a typical component of the music written for this voice...
, able to sing the note "F6" (also known as "F above High C").
Among other early recordings, Chenoweth participated in a studio cast recording of The Most Happy Fella
The Most Happy Fella
The Most Happy Fella is a 1956 musical with a book, music, and lyrics by Frank Loesser. The story, about a romance between an older man and younger woman, is based on the play They Knew What They Wanted by Sidney Howard...
in 1992. She was also in the cast recordings of A New Brain (1998) and You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown (1999) and a studio cast recording of 110 in the Shade
110 in the Shade
110 in the Shade is a musical with a book by N. Richard Nash, lyrics by Tom Jones, and music by Harvey Schmidt.Based on Nash's 1954 play The Rainmaker, it focuses on Lizzie Curry, a spinster living on a ranch in the American southwest, and her relationships with local sheriff File, a cautious...
(1999). In 2000, she was featured on the album Grateful: The Songs of John Bucchino
John Bucchino
John Bucchino is an American composer. His hometown is Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.He has done work for several off-Broadway shows and highly acclaimed concerts...
. The next year, with Mandy Patinkin, she was featured on the album entitled "Kidults". Also in 2001, she released her debut album Let Yourself Go
Let Yourself Go (Kristin Chenoweth album)
Let Yourself Go is Kristin Chenoweth's debut solo album, released in 2001. The backing orchestra is Robert Fisher and the Coffee Club Orchestra...
, which was a collection of standards from the musicals of the 1930s. One of the tracks featured a duet with Jason Alexander
Jason Alexander
Jay Scott Greenspan , better known by his professional name of Jason Alexander, is an American actor, writer, comedian, television director, producer, and singer. He is best known for his role as George Costanza on the television series Seinfeld, appearing in the sitcom from 1989 to 1998...
. In , Chenoweth performed songs from her solo album, Let Yourself Go
Let Yourself Go (Kristin Chenoweth album)
Let Yourself Go is Kristin Chenoweth's debut solo album, released in 2001. The backing orchestra is Robert Fisher and the Coffee Club Orchestra...
, in concert for Lincoln Center's American Songbook concert series. The same year, she appeared as Fanny Brice
Fanny Brice
Fanny Brice was a popular and influential American illustrated song "model," comedienne, singer, theatre and film actress, who made many stage, radio and film appearances and is known as the creator and star of the top-rated radio comedy series, The Baby Snooks Show...
in the Actor's Fund Benefit Concert of the musical Funny Girl in New York City. In 2003 in London, she performed a solo concert as part of the Divas at Donmar series for director Sam Mendes
Sam Mendes
Samuel Alexander "Sam" Mendes, CBE is an English stage and film director. He is best known for his Academy Award-winning work on his debut film American Beauty and his dark re-inventions of the stage musicals Cabaret , Oliver! , Company and Gypsy . He's currently working on the 23rd James Bond...
. Later that year, she sang Glinda in the cast recording of Wicked and the soundrack recording of Disney's The Music Man. In 2004, she released her second album As I Am
As I Am (Kristin Chenoweth album)
-Track listing:# It Will Be Me - 3:57# Word of God Speak - 3:15# Because He Lives - 4:56# Abide in Me - 5:09# Borrowed Angels - 4:02# There Will Never Be Another - 3:59# Poor, Wayfaring Stranger - 5:09# Joyful, Joyful - 3:29# The Song Remembers When - 3:55...
, which was a Christian music album containing various spiritual songs. The album peaked at number 31 on the U.S. Christian Albums Chart. The same year, Chenoweth gave a concert at Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
.
On January 19, 2007, Chenoweth performed a solo concert at The Metropolitan Opera in New York, only the third musical theatre star ever to present a solo concert at that location, following Barbara Cook
Barbara Cook
Barbara Cook is an American singer and actress who first came to prominence in the 1950s after starring in the original Broadway musicals Candide and The Music Man among others, winning a Tony Award for the latter...
and Yves Montand
Yves Montand
-Early life:Montand was born Ivo Livi in Monsummano Terme, Italy, the son of poor peasants Giuseppina and Giovanni Livi, a broommaker. Montand's mother was a devout Catholic, while his father held strong Communist beliefs. Because of the Fascist regime in Italy, Montand's family left for France in...
. The same year, she was featured in songs with Nathan Gunn
Nathan Gunn
Nathan Gunn is an operatic baritone from the United States.He has appeared in many of world's well-known opera houses, including the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Houston Grand Opera, Seattle Opera, Dallas Opera, Opera Company of Philadelphia, Pittsburgh Opera,...
on an album entitled Just Before Sunrise. The next year, she released her third solo studio album, entitled A Lovely Way to Spend Christmas
A Lovely Way to Spend Christmas
A Lovely Way to Spend Christmas is the third studio and first Christmas album released by American singer and actress Kristin Chenoweth. Released on October 14, 2008, the album sees Chenoweth collaborating with jazz musician John Pizzarelli on "Sleigh Ride/Marshmallow World"...
. The album was much anticipated by both her fans and Chenoweth herself; she had expressed her desire in the past to produce a Christmas album. The album included a duet with John Pizzarelli
John Pizzarelli
John Paul Pizzarelli, Jr. is an American jazz guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and bandleader. He has had a lengthy career as a recording artist, performing for a variety of labels that include Telarc Records, RCA Records and Chesky Records, among others...
and there are several modern holiday tunes, but many traditional carols as well including The Lord's Prayer. This album has been her best seller, reaching number 77 on the U.S. Billboard Albums Chart, climbing to number 7 on the U.S. Holiday Albums chart and to number 1 on the U.S. Heatseekers Chart. Among many other solo concerts around the U.S., Chenoweth performed her own concert in 2009 with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, at the Fox Theatre.
Starting in August 2010, during her nights off from Promises, Promises, she travelled to Nashville to record songs for her fourth recording, a country pop
Country pop
Country pop, with roots in both the countrypolitan sound and in soft rock, is a subgenre of country music that first emerged in the 1970s. Although the term first referred to country music songs and artists that crossed over to Top 40 radio, country pop acts are now more likely to cross over to...
album. On September 13, 2011, the album, Some Lessons Learned
Some Lessons Learned
Some Lessons Learned is the fourth album by singer and actress Kristin Chenoweth.-Overview:The country pop disc was released on September 13, 2011. The lead single, "I Want Somebody " was released on May 31, 2011. The album contains songs by Diane Warren, Dolly Parton and Lady Antebellum's Hillary...
, was released. The album contains songs by Diane Warren
Diane Warren
Diane Eve Warren , is a US songwriter. Her songs have received six Academy Award nominations, five Golden Globe nominations, including one win and seven Grammy Award nominations, including one win. She was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2001...
, Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. Dolly Parton has appeared in movies like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk...
and Lady Antebellum
Lady Antebellum
Lady Antebellum is an American country pop music group formed in Nashville, Tennessee in 2006. The trio is composed of Charles Kelley , Dave Haywood and Hillary Scott .The group made its debut in 2007 as guest vocalists on Jim Brickman's single "Never Alone", before signing to Capitol...
's Hillary Scott
Hillary Scott (singer)
Hillary Dawn Scott is an American country music singer-songwriter. She is currently a member of Lady Antebellum, a country band that was formed in 2006 and signed to Capitol Nashville.-Early life:...
, among others. Chenoweth co-wrote two of the songs.
Special events and appearances
Chenoweth and the cast of the Broadway musical Wicked performed the song "One Short Day" in the 2003 Macy's Thanksgiving Day ParadeMacy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, often shortened to Macy's Day Parade, is an annual parade presented by Macy's. The tradition started in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States along with America's Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit, and four years younger than...
. In the 2005 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Chenoweth performed the song "Oklahoma" while riding aboard the "Oklahoma Rising" float. The float was making the first of three annual appearances commemorating the state of Oklahoma's statehood centennial in 2007.
She was the star performer of the opening ceremony of the 2007 Tournament of Roses Parade. She sang "Our Good Nature," an original composition written to coincide with the Oklahoma centennial celebration and the theme of the parade. In the 2008 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, she performed the song "The Christmas Waltz" from her "A Lovely Way to Spend Christmas" album while riding aboard the "The Care Bears Winter Fun-Derland" float.
She sang with Il Divo
Il Divo
Il Divo is a multinational operatic pop vocal group created by music manager, executive, and reality TV star Simon Cowell. Formed in the United Kingdom, they are also signed to Cowell's record label, Syco Music...
as part of Il Divo's Christmas Tour 2009 on , 16 and 17 in New York City and in Boston.
Personal life
In 2009, Chenoweth wrote a memoir entitled A Little Bit Wicked: Life, Love, and Faith in Stages, describing her adoption, her turn in Wicked and her time in Hollywood. She has stated that the book is not a "tell all", and instead focuses on "how I got where I am so far". The book was released on , 2009. The book spent two weeks on The New York Times Best Seller List.She has spoken publicly about her religious faith; she describes herself as a "non-judgmental, liberal Christian". Raised as a Southern Baptist
Southern Baptist Convention
The Southern Baptist Convention is a United States-based Christian denomination. It is the world's largest Baptist denomination and the largest Protestant body in the United States, with over 16 million members...
, she later chose to have a personal connection to a faith that is not based in any one denomination.
According to The New York Times, when Chenoweth "assured her theater fans that she supports gay rights her Christian base was outraged; she was disinvited from performing at a Women of Faith conference in ." Chenoweth released an album in called As I Am
As I Am (Kristin Chenoweth album)
-Track listing:# It Will Be Me - 3:57# Word of God Speak - 3:15# Because He Lives - 4:56# Abide in Me - 5:09# Borrowed Angels - 4:02# There Will Never Be Another - 3:59# Poor, Wayfaring Stranger - 5:09# Joyful, Joyful - 3:29# The Song Remembers When - 3:55...
, a mixture of hymn
Hymn
A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification...
s and contemporary Christian music
Contemporary Christian music
Contemporary Christian music is a genre of modern popular music which is lyrically focused on matters concerned with the Christian faith...
, with adult contemporary
Adult contemporary music
Adult contemporary music is a broad style of popular music that ranges from lush 1950s and 1960s vocal music to predominantly ballad-heavy music with varying degrees of rock influence, as well as a radio format that plays such music....
arrangements. To promote the album, she made an appearance on The 700 Club
The 700 Club
The 700 Club is the flagship news talk show of the Christian Broadcasting Network, airing in syndication throughout the United States and Canada. In production since 1966, it is currently hosted by Pat Robertson, Terry Meeuwsen, Kristi Watts, and Gordon P. Robertson, two of whom will host on any...
that upset some of her gay fans. She later said she thought that the "Pat Robertson
Pat Robertson
Marion Gordon "Pat" Robertson is a media mogul, television evangelist, ex-Baptist minister and businessman who is politically aligned with the Christian Right in the United States....
s and Jerry Falwell
Jerry Falwell
Jerry Lamon Falwell, Sr. was an evangelical fundamentalist Southern Baptist pastor, televangelist, and a conservative commentator from the United States. He was the founding pastor of the Thomas Road Baptist Church, a megachurch in Lynchburg, Virginia...
s of the world are scary" and that she regretted appearing on the show.
She dated producer/writer Aaron Sorkin
Aaron Sorkin
Aaron Benjamin Sorkin is an Academy and Emmy award winning American screenwriter, producer, and playwright, whose works include A Few Good Men, The American President, The West Wing, Sports Night, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, The Social Network, and Moneyball.After graduating from Syracuse...
. In Sorkin's Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip was an American dramedy television series created and written by Aaron Sorkin. It ran for 22 episodes.The series takes place behind the scenes of a live sketch comedy show on the fictional television network NBS , whose format is similar to that of NBC's...
, the character of Harriet Hayes
Harriet Hayes
Hannah Harriet Hayes is a fictional character on the US television series Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, played by Sarah Paulson. The character is loosely based on actress Kristin Chenoweth ;; there is an opinion that she is also at least partially based on former Saturday...
bears significant resemblances to Chenoweth, and the relationship between the Christian Hayes and "East coast liberal
East Coast liberal
The term East Coast liberal is a pejorative stereotype encountered in American political culture.The image associated with East-Coast liberalism is that of a white-collar young urban professional, usually a white male and Protestant, who is college-educated and cosmopolitan.Traditionally, East...
Jewish atheist" (her description) Matt Albie
Matt Albie
Matthew Albie is a fictional character on the U.S. TV series Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, played by Matthew Perry.-Personal history:Matt began working at Studio 60 in 1997, but remained largely anonymous until 1999, when Harriet Hayes joined the cast...
is modeled after that of Chenoweth and Sorkin. For example, Chenoweth's decision to appear on The 700 Club and her falling out with Women of Faith were depicted with the Hayes character.
Chenoweth has Ménière's disease
Ménière's disease
Ménière's disease is a disorder of the inner ear that can affect hearing and balance to a varying degree. It is characterized by episodes of vertigo and tinnitus and progressive hearing loss, usually in one ear. It is named after the French physician Prosper Ménière, who, in an article published...
, an inner-ear disorder that can cause vertigo, headaches and nausea, among other symptoms. She has said that, during some performances, she has had to lean on her co-stars to keep her balance and that it has caused her to miss performances.
In May 2010, Chenoweth wrote in response to an article in Newsweek
Newsweek gay actor controversy
The Newsweek gay actor controversy refers to the reaction to a piece written by Newsweek magazine writer Ramin Setoodeh in which he asserts that openly gay actors are not capable of convincingly playing straight characters...
by Ramin Setoodeh, an openly gay writer. Setoodeh thought that her Tony-nominated Promises, Promises
Promises, Promises
Promises, Promises is a musical based on the 1960 film The Apartment. The music is by Burt Bacharach, lyrics by Hal David, and book by Neil Simon. Musical numbers for the original Broadway production were choreographed by Michael Bennett; Robert Moore directed and David Merrick produced...
co-star, Sean Hayes
Sean Hayes (actor)
Sean Patrick Hayes is an American actor and comedian. He is widely known for his role as Jack McFarland in the NBC sitcom Will & Grace, for which he won an Emmy Award, four SAG Awards, one American Comedy Award, and six Golden Globes nominations.He also portrayed comedian Jerry Lewis in the...
, "comes off as wooden and insincere" in playing the straight character Chuck, and that Jonathan Groff
Jonathan Groff
Jonathan Drew Groff is an American singer-songwriter, stage, television and film actor. He originated the role of Melchior Gabor in the stage musical Spring Awakening and appeared as Jesse St...
has a similar credibility problem in the TV show Glee
Glee (TV series)
Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
. He questioned whether any openly gay actor could acceptably portray a straight character. Chenoweth called the article "horrendously homophobic" and criticized Setoodeh's view as rationalizing "the same kind of bullying" that gay youths face in high school. Chenoweth argued that audiences "come to the theater to go on a journey" and do not care about an actor's sexual orientation. The story was picked up by major media including The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times.
Broadway
| Year | Title | Role | Venue | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Steel Pier Steel Pier (musical) Steel Pier is a musical written by the songwriting team of Kander and Ebb from the original book by David Thompson.-Productions:Directed by Scott Ellis with choreography by Susan Stroman, it opened on Broadway on April 24, 1997 and closed on June 28, 1997, running for 76 performances... |
Precious McGuire | Richard Rodgers Theatre Richard Rodgers Theatre The Richard Rodgers Theatre, is a Broadway theater in New York City, built by Irwin Chanin in 1925. When it was first opened, it was called Chanin's 46th Street Theatre. Chanin almost immediately leased it to the Shuberts, who bought the building outright in 1931 and renamed it the 46th Street... |
Theatre World Award Theatre World Award The Theatre World Award, first awarded for the 1945-46 season, is an American honor presented annually to actors and actresses in recognition of an outstanding New York City stage debut performance, either on Broadway or off-Broadway.-History:... |
| 1999 | You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown is a 1967 musical comedy with music and lyrics by Clark Gesner, based on the characters created by cartoonist Charles M. Schulz in his comic strip Peanuts... |
Sally Brown | Ambassador Theatre Ambassador Theatre (New York) The Ambassador Theatre is a legitimate Broadway theatre located at 219 West 49th Street between Broadway and 8th Avenue in Midtown Manhattan.Designed by architect Herbert J. Krapp for the Shuberts, the structure is unusual in that it is situated diagonally on its site to fit the maximum number of... |
Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical This is a list of the winners and nominations of the Tony Award for the Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical. The award, introduced in 1950, was previously named as Best Performance by a Featured or Supporting Actress in a Musical until 1976.... Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical was first awarded in the 1974-1975 Drama Desk Awards and has subsequently been awarded every year. In the 1993-1994 Drama Desk Awards the award was given under the name of Outstanding Supporting Actress - Musical... Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical Outer Critics Circle Award The Outer Critics Circle Awards are presented annually for theatrical achievements both on and Off-Broadway and were begun during the 1949-1950 theater season. The awards are decided upon by theater critics who review for out-of-town newspapers, national publications, and other media outlets... |
| Epic Proportions Epic Proportions Epic Proportions is a play by Larry Coen and David Crane.Set in the 1930s, it tells the story of brothers Benny and Phil, who go to the Arizona desert to work as extras in the Biblical epic film Exeunt Omnes, directed by the mysteriously reclusive D.W. DeWitt. All 3400 extras are supervised by... |
Louise Goldman | Helen Hayes Theatre Helen Hayes Theatre Helen Hayes Theatre with 597 seats is the smallest Broadway theatre and is located at 240 West 44th Street in midtown-Manhattan.... |
||
| 2003–2004 | Wicked Wicked (musical) Wicked is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman. It is based on the Gregory Maguire novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West , a parallel novel of the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz and L. Frank Baum's classic story The Wonderful Wizard... |
Glinda | George Gershwin Theatre George Gershwin Theatre The Gershwin Theatre is a Broadway theatre located at 222 West 51st Street in midtown-Manhattan in the Paramount Plaza building. The theatre is named after composer George Gershwin and lyricist Ira Gershwin... |
Broadway.com Audience Award for Best Onstage Pair (shared with Idina Menzel Idina Menzel Idina Kim Menzel is an American actress, singer and songwriter. She is widely known for originating the roles of Maureen in Rent and Elphaba in Wicked.-Early life:... ) Nominated—Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical was first awarded at the 1974-1975 Drama Desk Awards and has been awarded every year since... Nominated—Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical |
| 2006–2007 | The Apple Tree The Apple Tree The Apple Tree is a series of three musical playlets with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and a book by Bock and Harnick with contributions from Jerome Coopersmith... |
Eve Princess Barbára Ella / Passionella |
Studio 54 Studio 54 Studio 54 was a highly popular discotheque from 1977 until 1991, located at 254 West 54th Street in Manhattan, New York, USA. It was originally the Gallo Opera House, opening in 1927, after which it changed names several times, eventually becoming a CBS radio and television studio. In 1977 it... |
Broadway.com Audience Award for Best Diva Performance Nominated—Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical was first awarded at the 1974-1975 Drama Desk Awards and has been awarded every year since... Nominated—Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical Outer Critics Circle Award The Outer Critics Circle Awards are presented annually for theatrical achievements both on and Off-Broadway and were begun during the 1949-1950 theater season. The awards are decided upon by theater critics who review for out-of-town newspapers, national publications, and other media outlets... Nominated—Broadway.com Audience Award for Best Leading Actress in a Broadway Musical |
| 2010–2011 | Promises, Promises Promises, Promises Promises, Promises is a musical based on the 1960 film The Apartment. The music is by Burt Bacharach, lyrics by Hal David, and book by Neil Simon. Musical numbers for the original Broadway production were choreographed by Michael Bennett; Robert Moore directed and David Merrick produced... |
Fran Kubelik | The Broadway Theatre The Broadway Theatre The Broadway Theatre is a Broadway theatre located at 1681 Broadway in midtown-Manhattan.... |
Broadway.com Star of the Year Award Broadway.com Audience Award for Best Leading Actress in a Broadway Musical Broadway.com Audience Award for Best Diva Performance Nominated—Broadway.com Audience Award for Best Onstage Pair (shared with Sean Hayes) |
Other theatre
| Year | Title | Role | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | The Fantasticks The Fantasticks The Fantasticks is a 1960 musical with music by Harvey Schmidt and lyrics by Tom Jones. It was produced by Lore Noto. It tells an allegorical story, loosely based on the play "The Romancers" by Edmond Rostand, concerning two neighboring fathers who trick their children, Luisa and Matt, into... |
Luisa | Sullivan Street Playhouse |
| 1994 | Box Office of the Damned | Kristy | CSC Theatre |
| 1997 | Scapin | Hyacinth | Laura Pels Theatre Roundabout Theatre Company The Roundabout Theatre Company is a leading non-profit theatre company based in New York City.-History:The company was founded in 1965 by Gene Feist and Elizabeth Owens and now operates five theatres, all in Manhattan: the American Airlines Theatre ; Studio 54 ; the Stephen Sondheim Theatre The... |
| 1998 | A New Brain A New Brain A New Brain is a musical with music and lyrics by William Finn and book by Finn and James Lapine.The musical was first produced Off-Broadway at the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater at Lincoln Center, with previews beginning on May 14, 1998... |
Nancy D / Waitress | Mitzi E. Newhouse Theatre Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood of New York City's Upper West Side. Reynold Levy has been its president since 2002.-History and facilities:... |
New York City Center Encores
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Strike up the Band | Anne Draper |
| 2000 | On a Clear Day You Can See Forever On a Clear Day You Can See Forever On a Clear Day You Can See Forever is a musical with music by Burton Lane and a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner based loosely on Berkeley Square, written in 1929 by John L. Balderston. It concerns a woman who has ESP and has been reincarnated... |
Daisy Gamble / Melinda |
| 2005 | The Apple Tree The Apple Tree The Apple Tree is a series of three musical playlets with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and a book by Bock and Harnick with contributions from Jerome Coopersmith... |
Eve Princess Barbára Ella / Passionella |
| 2007 | Stairway to Paradise | Female Star |
| 2009 | Music in the Air Music in the Air Music in the Air is a musical written by Oscar Hammerstein II and Jerome Kern . It introduced songs such as "The Song Is You", "In Egern on the Tegern See" and "I've Told Ev'ry Little Star"... |
Frieda Hatzfeld |
Filmography
| Film | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes | |
| 1999 | Annie Annie (1999 film) Annie is a 1999 American made-for-television musical-comedy film from The Wonderful World of Disney, based on the 1977 stage musical Annie and its 1982 film adaptation, which themselves were based on the 1924 Little Orphan Annie comic strip by Harold Gray.The film stars Kathy Bates, Victor Garber,... |
Lily St. Regis | TV film | |
| 2001 | Seven Roses | TV film | ||
| 2002 | Topa Topa Bluffs | Patty | ||
| 2003 | The Music Man | Marian Paroo | TV film | |
| 2005 | Bewitched | Maria Kelly | ||
| 2006 | The Pink Panther The Pink Panther (2006 film) The Pink Panther is a 2006 American comedy film and a reboot of The Pink Panther film series. In this film, Inspector Jacques Clouseau is assigned to solve the murder of a famous soccer coach and the theft of the famous Pink Panther diamond. The film also stars Kevin Kline, Jean Reno, Emily... |
Cherie | ||
| RV RV (film) RV is a 2006 comedy film directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, written by Geoff Rodkey, and starring Robin Williams, Joanna "JoJo" Levesque, Cheryl Hines, Josh Hutcherson, Jeff Daniels, Kristin Chenoweth and Will Arnett. It was released on April 28, 2006 in North America... |
Mary Jo Gornicke | |||
| Stranger Than Fiction | Book Channel host | |||
| Running with Scissors Running with Scissors (film) Running with Scissors is a 2006 American comedy-drama film based on Augusten Burroughs' 2002 memoir of the same name, written and directed by Ryan Murphy, and starring Joseph Cross, Annette Bening, Brian Cox, Joseph Fiennes, Evan Rachel Wood, Alec Baldwin, Jill Clayburgh, and Gwyneth Paltrow with... |
Fern Stewart | |||
| Deck the Halls Deck the Halls (film) Deck the Halls is a 2006 family comedy film set during the Christmas season in Massachusetts. It stars Danny DeVito, Matthew Broderick, Kristin Davis, and Kristin Chenoweth and is directed by John Whitesell.- Plot :... |
Tia Hall | |||
| A Sesame Street Christmas Carol | Christmas Carole | Voice role | ||
| 2008 | Space Chimps Space Chimps Space Chimps is a 2008 computer-animated family comedy film produced by Vanguard Animation, Starz Media and 20th Century Fox, and it was released on July 18, 2008. The film is produced by Barry Sonnenfeld, John H. Williams, and John W... |
Kilowatt | Voice role | |
| Tinker Bell Tinker Bell (film) Tinker Bell is a 2008 computer animated film based on the Disney Fairies franchise produced by DisneyToon Studios. It revolves around Tinker Bell, a fairy character created by J. M. Barrie in his play Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up, and featured in the 1953 Disney animated film, Peter... |
Rosetta | Voice role | ||
| Four Christmases Four Christmases Four Christmases is a Christmas-themed romantic comedy film about a couple who go to see their divorced parents in one day... |
Courtney | |||
| 2009 | Into Temptation Into Temptation (film) Into Temptation is a 2009 independent drama film written and directed by Patrick Coyle, and starring Jeremy Sisto, Kristin Chenoweth, Brian Baumgartner, Bruce A. Young and Amy Matthews. It tells the story of a prostitute who confesses to a Catholic priest that she plans to kill herself on her... |
Linda Salerno | ||
| Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure is a 2009 computer animated film based on the Disney Fairies franchise, produced by DisneyToon Studios, and a Chapter Book, "Tink, North of Neverland". It is a sequel to the 2008 film, Tinker Bell, and revolves around Tinker Bell, a fairy character created by J. M... |
Rosetta | voice role | ||
| 12 Men of Christmas Twelve Men of Christmas 12 Men of Christmas is a 2009 American romantic comedy television film made for the Lifetime Television network. Directed by Arlene Sanford and starring Kristin Chenoweth, the film is based on the novel Decent Exposure by Phillipa Ashley with the teleplay adaptation written by Jon Maas... |
E.J. Baxter | Lifetime movie | ||
| 2010 | Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue is an computer animated film based on the Disney Fairies franchise, produced by DisneyToon Studios. It is the sequel to the 2009 film, Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure and revolves around Tinker Bell, a fairy character created by J. M... |
Rosetta | voice role | |
| You Again | Georgia King | |||
| TBA | Family Weekend | pre-production | ||
| Television | ||||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
| 1999 | LateLine LateLine LateLine is an American TV sitcom that ran on NBC from March 17, 1998, through March 16, 1999. Due to an abrupt cancellation, there were seven unaired episodes .Created by John Markus and Al Franken , LateLine depicted the... |
Kristin | "The Christian Guy" | |
| Paramour | Mini-series | |||
| 2001 | Kristin Kristin (TV series) Kristin is an American comedy television series starring Kristin Chenoweth. The series premiered June 5, 2001, on NBC. The show was canceled after six episodes.-Plot:... |
Kristin Yancey | Thirteen episodes | |
| Frasier Frasier Frasier is an American sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for eleven seasons, from September 16, 1993, to May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee in association with Grammnet and Paramount Network Television.A spin-off of Cheers, Frasier stars... |
Portia Sanders | Season 9 Frasier (Season 9) The ninth season of Frasier was a 24 episode season, that ran from September 2001 to May 2002, beginning on 25 September 2001.-List of episodes:... episode 10, "Junior Agent" |
||
| 2002 | Baby Bob Baby Bob Baby Bob is an American sitcom that aired on CBS as a midseason replacement in March 2002. The Baby Bob character had previously been on television since February 2000, appearing in commercials for FreeInternet.com... |
Crystal Carter | "Talking Babies Say the Darndest Things" | |
| 2003 | Fillmore! Fillmore! Fillmore! is an American animated television series which was produced by Walt Disney Television Animation. The series was created by Scott M. Gimple... |
Museum Guide | Voice role, "Masterstroke of Malevolence" | |
| 2005 | Great Performances Great Performances Great Performances, a television series devoted to the performing arts, has been telecast on Public Broadcasting Service public television since 1972... |
Cunegonde | Candide Candide (operetta) Candide is an operetta with music composed by Leonard Bernstein, based on the novella of the same name by Voltaire. The operetta was first performed in 1956 with a libretto by Lillian Hellman; but since 1974 it has been generally performed with a book by Hugh Wheeler which is more faithful to... |
|
| 2004–2006 | The West Wing | Annabeth Schott Annabeth Schott Annabeth Schott, played by Kristin Chenoweth, is a fictional character on the political drama The West Wing. She joined the Bartlet administration in Season 6 as the Deputy Press Secretary for Media Relations following the promotion of C.J. Cregg to White House Chief of Staff... |
Thirty-four episodes, main character Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series (2004, 2005) (shared with the cast) |
|
| 2003, 2006 | Sesame Street Sesame Street Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The... |
Ms. Noodle | Two episodes | |
| 2001, 2007 | Elmo's World Elmo's World "Elmo's World" is a segment of the children's television show Sesame Street featuring Elmo, a small, three and a half year old, bright red monster. It debuted on November 16, 1998. Since then, it has been regularly shown during the last fifteen minutes of every Sesame Street episode... |
Ms. Noodle | Two episodes | |
| 2007 | Ugly Betty Ugly Betty Ugly Betty is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Silvio Horta, which premiered on ABC on September 28, 2006, and ended on April 14, 2010. The series revolves around the character Betty Suarez and is based on Fernando Gaitán's Colombian telenovela soap opera Yo soy Betty, la fea... |
Diane | "East Side Story East Side Story (Ugly Betty episode) "East Side Story" is the twenty-third episode, and first season finale, of the dramedy series Ugly Betty, which aired on May 17, 2007. After ABC had previously announced 22 episodes for the season, this 23rd episode was added for the debut season, due to the series' success.-Plot:As Betty returns... " |
|
| Robot Chicken Robot Chicken Robot Chicken is an American stop motion animated television series created and executive produced by Seth Green and Matthew Senreich along with co-head writers Douglas Goldstein and Tom Root. Green provides many voices for the show... |
various | "Squaw Bury Shortcake" | ||
| 2007–2009 | Pushing Daisies Pushing Daisies Pushing Daisies is an American comedy-drama television series created by Bryan Fuller that aired on ABC from October 3, 2007 to June 13, 2009. The series stars Lee Pace as Ned, a pie-maker with the ability to bring dead things back to life with his touch, an ability that comes with stipulations... |
Olive Snook | Twenty-two episodes, main character Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress - Comedy Series This is a list of winners of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.-Superlatives:-1950s:*1953: Vivian Vance - I Love Lucy as Ethel Mertz** Audrey Meadows - The Jackie Gleason Show as Alice Kramden... (2009) Nominated—Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress - Comedy Series This is a list of winners of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.-Superlatives:-1950s:*1953: Vivian Vance - I Love Lucy as Ethel Mertz** Audrey Meadows - The Jackie Gleason Show as Alice Kramden... (2008) Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress - Series, Miniseries or Television Film (2008) |
|
| 2009 | Sit Down, Shut Up | Miracle Grohe | Voice role, eleven episodes, main character | |
| Legally Mad Legally Mad Legally Mad is a proposed American television series. It takes place in a Chicago law firm. On May 4, 2009, NBC announced it would be picking up the show and was expected to debut in spring 2010... |
Skippy Pylon | Pilot, never aired on television | ||
| 2009–present | Glee Glee (TV series) Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues... |
April Rhodes | 3 episodes, including "The Rhodes Not Taken The Rhodes Not Taken "The Rhodes Not Taken" is the fifth episode of the American television series Glee. It premiered on the Fox network on September 30, 2009 and was written by series co-creator Ian Brennan and directed by John Scott... ", "Home Home (Glee) "Home" is the 16th episode of the American television series Glee. The episode premiered on the Fox network on April 27, 2010. It was directed by Paris Barclay and written by series creator Brad Falchuk... " and "Rumours Rumours (Glee) "Rumours" is the nineteenth episode of the second season of the American musical television series Glee, and the 41st overall. The episode was written by series co-creator Ryan Murphy, directed by Tim Hunter, first aired on May 3, 2011 on Fox in the United States, and it features the return of... ". Special Achievement Satellite Award for Outstanding Guest Star (2009) Nominated—Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series (2010) Nominated—Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series (2011) Nominated—People's Choice Award 38th People's Choice Awards The 38th People's Choice Awards, honoring the best in popular culture for 2011, will be held on January 11, 2012 at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California, and were broadcast live on CBS at 9:00 pm ET.On November 8, the nominees were announced... for Favorite TV Guest Star (2012) |
|
| 2010 | American Idol American Idol (season 9) The ninth season of American Idol premiered on January 12, 2010 and concluded on May 26, 2010 on Fox. Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi all returned as judges, and Ellen DeGeneres permanently replaced Paula Abdul as the fourth judge. Idol Gives Back also returned for the season and was... |
Herself (guest judge No. 1) | "Orlando Auditions" | |
| 2010 | The Apprentice | Herself | Season 10 Episode 7 | |
| 2010 | When I Was 17 When I Was 17 When I Was 17 is an MTV television show which features celebrities of today and looks back on "when they were 17". The show features photos as well as interviews with family and friends... |
Herself | Season 1 Episode 20 | |
| 2011 | So You Think You Can Dance So You Think You Can Dance (season 8) So You Think You Can Dance is an American television reality program and dance competition airing on the Fox network. The show's eighth season premiered on May 26, 2011. It features the return of Mary Murphy and Nigel Lythgoe as permanent judges and Cat Deeley as host. Also returning is the... |
Herself (guest judge No. 3) | Season 8 Top 16 | |
| 2012 | Good Christian Belles Good Christian Belles GCB is an upcoming American comedy-drama television series created and written by Robert Harling, produced by Darren Star and stars Leslie Bibb and Kristin Chenoweth, Jennifer Aspen, Miriam Shor, Marisol Nichols with Annie Potts as Gigi Stopper... |
Darlene Cockburn | Main character | |
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
US Country |
US Christian |
US Holiday |
||
| Let Yourself Go |
|
— | — | — | — |
| As I Am As I Am (Kristin Chenoweth album) -Track listing:# It Will Be Me - 3:57# Word of God Speak - 3:15# Because He Lives - 4:56# Abide in Me - 5:09# Borrowed Angels - 4:02# There Will Never Be Another - 3:59# Poor, Wayfaring Stranger - 5:09# Joyful, Joyful - 3:29# The Song Remembers When - 3:55... |
|
— | — | 31 | — |
| A Lovely Way to Spend Christmas A Lovely Way to Spend Christmas A Lovely Way to Spend Christmas is the third studio and first Christmas album released by American singer and actress Kristin Chenoweth. Released on October 14, 2008, the album sees Chenoweth collaborating with jazz musician John Pizzarelli on "Sleigh Ride/Marshmallow World"... |
|
77 | — | — | 7 |
| Some Lessons Learned Some Lessons Learned Some Lessons Learned is the fourth album by singer and actress Kristin Chenoweth.-Overview:The country pop disc was released on September 13, 2011. The lead single, "I Want Somebody " was released on May 31, 2011. The album contains songs by Diane Warren, Dolly Parton and Lady Antebellum's Hillary... |
|
50 | 14 | — | — |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | |||||
Singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
AUS ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
CAN Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007... |
IRL Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
UK UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
|||
| "Maybe This Time Cabaret (musical) Cabaret is a musical based on a book written by Christopher Isherwood, music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb. The 1966 Broadway production became a hit and spawned a 1972 film as well as numerous subsequent productions.... " (Glee Cast Glee Cast discography The discography of the Glee Cast, performers from the American musical comedy-drama television series Glee, consists of eight soundtrack albums, three compilation albums, four extended plays , and two hundred and five singles... featuring Kristin Chenoweth) |
2009 | 88 | 100 | — | — | 87 | Glee: The Music, Volume 1 |
| "Alone Alone (Heart song) -Céline Dion version:Céline Dion covered "Alone" for her 2007 album Taking Chances. It was released as the second single in Europe and North America, and third in the United Kingdom... " (Glee Cast featuring Kristin Chenoweth) |
51 | 94 | 58 | 25 | 47 | ||
| "Last Name Last Name "Last Name" is the title of a song composed by country singer Carrie Underwood, Hillary Lindsey and Luke Laird. It is the third single from Underwood's second studio album, Carnival Ride. It was released in the United States on April 7, 2008, by which point the song had already charted... " (Glee Cast featuring Kristin Chenoweth) |
— | — | — | 44 | 83 | Glee: The Music, The Complete Season One |
|
| "Fire" (Glee Cast featuring Kristin Chenoweth) |
2010 | 64 | — | 52 | — | 93 | |
| "One Less Bell to Answer One Less Bell to Answer "One Less Bell to Answer" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David. Originally written in 1967 for Keely Smith, the song was rediscovered in late 1969 by Bones Howe, the producer for The 5th Dimension, and the song was included on the group's 1970 debut album for Bell Records, Portrait. ... / A House Is Not a Home A House Is Not a Home (song) "A House Is Not a Home" is a 1964 song recorded by American singer Dionne Warwick. Written by the team of Burt Bacharach and Hal David, the song was a modest hit in the U.S. for Warwick, peaking at #71 on the pop singles chart as the B-side of the top 40 single, "You'll Never Get to Heaven "... " (Glee Cast featuring Kristin Chenoweth) |
53 | — | 63 | — | 77 | Glee: The Music, Volume 3 Showstoppers Glee: The Music, Volume 3 Showstoppers -Sales and chart performance:The album debuted at number one on the American, Australian, Canadian, and Irish charts. It sold 136,000 copies in its first and 63,000 in its second week of release in the US, and saw the Glee cast beat the record previously set by The Beatles in 1966, for shortest... |
|
| "Home Home (The Wiz song) "Home" is a song from the 1975 Broadway musical, The Wiz. The song was performed by Stephanie Mills in the stage production and by Diana Ross in the 1978 film adaptation and released on the soundtrack album in 1978.... " (Glee Cast featuring Kristin Chenoweth) |
90 | — | 92 | — | 116 | ||
| "Dreams Dreams (Fleetwood Mac song) "Dreams" is a song written by singer Stevie Nicks, for the group Fleetwood Mac's 1977 album, Rumours. The song was the only U.S. number one hit for the group, and remains one of their best known songs.-Background and writing:... " (Glee Cast featuring Kristin Chenoweth) |
2011 | 92 | — | — | — | — | Glee: The Music, Volume 6 |
| "I Want Somebody (Bitch About) I Want Somebody (Bitch About) "I Want Somebody " is a song by American recording artist Kristin Chenoweth. The song was written by Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee Diane Warren and produced by Bob Ezrin for Chenoweth's fourth studio album, Some Lessons Learned... " |
— | — | — | — | — | Some Lessons Learned Some Lessons Learned Some Lessons Learned is the fourth album by singer and actress Kristin Chenoweth.-Overview:The country pop disc was released on September 13, 2011. The lead single, "I Want Somebody " was released on May 31, 2011. The album contains songs by Diane Warren, Dolly Parton and Lady Antebellum's Hillary... |
|
| "Fathers and Daughters" | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "—" denotes a release that did not chart. | |||||||
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Title | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Theater World Award | Outstanding Broadway Debut | Steel Pier | |
| 1999 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical | You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown | |
| Outer Critics Circle Award | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical | |||
| Tony Award | Best Featured Actress in a Musical | |||
| 2004 | Broadway.com Audience Award | Best On Stage Duo (with Idina Menzel) | Wicked | |
| Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | |||
| Drama League Award | Distinguished Performance | |||
| Outer Critics Circle Award | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | |||
| Tony Award | Best Leading Actress in a Musical | |||
| 2005 | Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | The West Wing | |
| 2006 | Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | ||
| 2007 | Broadway.com Audience Award | Best Diva Performance | The Apple Tree | |
| Best Leading Actress in a Broadway Musical | ||||
| Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | |||
| Drama League Award | Distinguished Performance | |||
| Outer Critics Circle Award | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | |||
| 2008 | Emmy Award | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series | Pushing Daisies | |
| Gold Derby TV Award | Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series | |||
| Breakthrough Performer of the Year | ||||
| Satellite Award | Best Supporting Actress in a TV Series, Mini-Series or TV Movie | |||
| 2009 | Emmy Award | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series | ||
| Gold Derby TV Award | Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series | |||
| Satellite Award | Outstanding Guest Star | Glee | ||
| 2010 | Emmy Award | Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series | ||
| Gold Derby TV Award | Best Guest Actress in a Comedy Series | |||
| Broadway.com Audience Awards | Best Leading Actress in a Broadway Musical | Promises, Promises | ||
| Best Diva Performance | ||||
| Best On-Stage Pair (with Sean Hayes) | ||||
| 2011 | Emmy Award | Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series | Glee | |
| People's Choice Award | Best TV Guest Star |