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{{Infobox actor {{Infobox actor
| name = Kristin Chenoweth | name = Kristin Chenoweth
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| birthname = Kristi Dawn Chenoweth | birthname = Kristi Dawn Chenoweth

Revision as of 20:06, 24 February 2008

Kristin Chenoweth
BornKristi Dawn Chenoweth
Websitehttp://www.kristinchenoweth.com

Kristin Chenoweth (born July 24, 1968) is an American singer and Tony Award-winning American musical theatre, film, and television actress.

Chenoweth has a distinctive speaking voice; in FHM's March 2006 issue, she compared her voice to that of Betty Boop. Chenoweth is a lyric coloratura soprano, and ably sings in both the chest and head registers. She can currently be seen on television, portraying Olive Snook on the ABC dramedy Pushing Daisies.

Early life

Chenoweth was born Kristi Dawn Chenoweth (she added an "n" in her first name later because she thought that "Kristin" was a more operatic name than "Kristi") in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma and was adopted at birth. Chenoweth's ancestry includes one-quarter Cherokee lineage. After studying drama at Broken Arrow High School under JoJo Nichols, Chenoweth attended Oklahoma City University, where she was a member of Gamma Phi Beta (Beta Omicron) Sorority. Chenoweth earned a bachelor's degree in musical theater and a master's degree in opera performance, studying under Florence Birdwell who taught Miss America 1981 Susan Powell and two-time Tony nominee Kelli O'Hara. While at OCU, she won the title of "Miss OCU" and went on to win second runner-up in the Miss Oklahoma pageant in 1991. She performed at Opryland USA. She won a "most talented up-and-coming singer" award 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 she went to New York City to help a friend move. While there she auditioned for the Paper Mill Playhouse's 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 theater.

Career

Theatre

Kristin Chenoweth made her Broadway debut in a production of Molière's Scapin starring Bill Irwin, followed in the spring of 1997 by the musical Steel Pier by John Kander and Fred Ebb, for which she won a Theatre World award. The following season, she appeared in the City Center Encores! production of the George and Ira Gershwin musical Strike Up the Band and the Lincoln Center Theater production of William Finn's A New Brain. She has performed several times on the radio program A Prairie Home Companion.

During the 1998–1999 season, she performed the role of Sally in the Broadway revival of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown. The production won Chenoweth the Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle Awards as the season's Best Featured Actress in a Musical. She then starred in the Broadway comedy Epic Proportions, followed by appearances in ABC's television adaptation of the musical Annie (as Lily St. Regis), and in the leading role of Daisy Gamble in the City Center Encores! production of On a Clear Day You Can See Forever.

In 2003, Chenoweth performed songs from her album Let Yourself Go in concert for Lincoln Center's 5th American Songbook. She also performed in City Center Encores! 10th Anniversary Bash. In London, she was involved in Divas at Donmar for director Sam Mendes, then appeared in the Actor's Fund Benefit Concert of the musical Funny Girl in New York City.

In October 2003, Chenoweth returned to Broadway in Wicked, the smash hit musical about the early years of the witches of Oz. She was nominated for a Tony Award as Best Leading Actress in a Musical for her performance as Glinda. After playing Glinda for nine months (not including the years leading up to the Broadway run where she played the role in all of the show's workshops), Chenoweth left Wicked on July 18, 2004 along with co-stars Joel Grey and Norbert Leo Butz. Jennifer Laura Thompson played the role after Chenoweth left.

Chenoweth has also performed leading roles at the Goodspeed Opera House and the Guthrie Theatre, and she was chosen by the late Jerome Robbins as the guest soloist in his West Side Story Suite of Dances at New York City Ballet.

From December 14, 2006 to March 11, 2007, Chenoweth starred on Broadway in the production of The Apple Tree and received rave reviews for her performance. 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 the Met, following Barbara Cook and Yves Montand.

Chenoweth was slated to perform the role of Elizabeth in Mel Brooks' Broadway adaptation of his film Young Frankenstein. However, due to other commitments, (namely Pushing Daisies), she had to turn it down and instead Megan Mullally is playing the role. Chenoweth performed the role of Elizabeth in the pre-Broadway workshop of "Young Frankenstein".

In June 2008, Chenoweth will reprise her role as Cunegonde in the English National Opera production of Candide.

Television and film

In television, Chenoweth starred in a short-lived sitcom, Kristin, for NBC that ran for six episodes (11 were filmed). It was a mid-season replacement in 2001 that co-starred Jon Tenney. Beginning in the sixth season (2004–2005) of The West Wing, Chenoweth had a recurring role playing media consultant Annabeth Schott, and became a main cast member in the show's seventh and final season (2005 - 2006). She performed "For Good," a song she had sung in Wicked, at the memorial service for her friend and West Wing costar John Spencer.

Chenoweth was a part of ABC's An American Celebration at Ford's Theater with Kelsey Grammer, NBC's Salute to the Olympic Winners, The Kennedy Center Gala honoring Julie Andrews, and an episode of Frasier on NBC. She also starred as Marian Paroo in the ABC television production of Meredith Willson's The Music Man, opposite Matthew Broderick.

Chenoweth appeared in Nora Ephron's 2005 film version of Bewitched. The film's star, Nicole Kidman, had attended a performance of Wicked and was so impressed with Chenoweth's charisma and stage presence that Kidman requested to Ephron that Chenoweth be cast in the film. Chenoweth got the part of Maria Kelly, Kidman's character's best friend. In 2006, she appeared in five films including The Pink Panther, RV, Stranger Than Fiction, Running with Scissors and Deck the Halls.

Chenoweth appeared as Ms. Noodle in Sesame Street's Elmo's World television series alongside Michael Jeter and Bill Irwin.

In February of 2007 the Tony-winner co-hosted on an episode of The View she was invited back after performing a song from The Apple Tree on the talk show. Chenoweth was featured briefly in the first season finale of Ugly Betty. In fall 2007, she became a member of the cast of the ABC show Pushing Daisies. The comedic drama is the story of Ned, a man who can bring the dead back to life, and falls in love with his childhood crush after resurrecting her to solve her murder. Chenoweth plays Olive Snook, a co-worker and neighbor of Ned's who is in love with him, but the feeling is not returned. Chenoweth sang Hopelessly Devoted To You (previously performed by Olivia Newton-John in the film version of the musical Grease) in the second episode of season one. She has received good reviews including many that say she is perfect for the role.

Upcoming roles

Personal life

Faith

Chenoweth has spoken publicly about her faith; she describes herself as an open-minded Christian. While growing up, she was a Southern Baptist, but later chose to have a personal connection to a faith that is not based in any one denomination. When in California, she attends a non-denominational church in Malibu. In NY, she attends a United Methodist Church.

Chenoweth also has a large gay fanbase, and was uninvited from a Women of Faith conference in September 2005 because of her accepting attitude toward the gay community.

Chenoweth released an album in April 2005 called As I Am, a mixture of hymns and contemporary Christian music, with adult contemporary arrangements. To promote the album, she made an appearance on The 700 Club, an appearance that upset some of her gay fans. She later said she thought that the "Pat Robertsons and Jerry Falwells of the world are scary", and that she regretted appearing on the show.

Relationships

Chenoweth was once engaged to actor Marc Kudisch and previously dated virtuoso violinist Joshua Bell.

She also dated writer Aaron Sorkin. In Sorkin's Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, the character of Harriet Hayes bears significant resemblances to Chenoweth (a Christian in Hollywood). Chenoweth confirmed to The New York Dog Magazine that some of the character was taken from her "verbatim."

Works

Broadway credits

Off-Broadway credits

New York City Center Encores!

Filmography

Upcoming:

Television work

Discography

Awards and nominations

References

  1. http://www.metoperafamily.org/metopera/season/production.aspx?id=9186 Metoperafamily.org Retrieved on 05-22-07
  2. http://www.playbill.com/news/article/108074.html Playbill.com Retrieved on 05-22-07
  3. http://www.playbill.com/news/article/97940.html Playbill.com Retrieved on 05-22-07
  4. ' http://www.playbill.com/news/article/115127.html Playbill.com Retrieved on 02-15-08
  5. The New York Times > Fashion & Style > A Night Out With: Kristin Chenoweth: Head Shots
  6. Celebrity Scandals and Gossip - NY Daily News
  7. GayCityNews - Kristin Chenoweth’s Gospel Journey
  8. The Kristin Library
  9. The Kristin Library

External links

Template:S-awards
Preceded byAudra McDonald
for Ragtime 		Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical
1999
for You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown 		Succeeded byKaren Ziemba
for Contact
The Wicked Years by Gregory Maguire
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Film adaptation
Songs
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