Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Hi, this is Monica Hooper. I'm here for the what's Up Podcast with Kristin Chenoweth. Kristen, Known for originating the role of Glenda in Wicked on Broadway, she received a Tony nomination for that. She's also starred in shows like NBC's the West Wing and Pushing Daisies, as well as Glee and Sesame Street. She's released a number of albums including A Lovely Way to Spend Christmas, Some Lessons Learned, Coming Home, the Art of Elegance and For the girls. In 2009, she wrote a memoir, A Little Bit Wicked Life, Love and Faith and Stages. And last year she published the book I'm no Philosopher, but I Got Many Meditations for Saints, Sinners and the rest of us.
Thank you so much for joining me today. Kristen.
[00:00:59] Speaker B: Thank you so much. I'm excited to come. I've never sung in Fayetteville and my husband has a lot of stomping ground roots there. So we're so excited to come.
[00:01:13] Speaker A: So I was gonna ask, since you're from Oklahoma, have you ever been to northwest Arkansas before?
[00:01:20] Speaker B: Well, little known fact about me is I grew up until second grade in Fort Smith and I used to go to all over Arkansas for vacation and I have relatives that live there in Alma, Arkansas. And some of my greatest childhood, early childhood memories are in Arkansas. So I feel like it's, unless it has to do with football. I feel like it's my second home.
[00:01:51] Speaker A: That's probably a smart choice.
[00:01:54] Speaker B: Yeah, in our house, we're house divided because you know, I have to, I have to still represent my Sooners and Josh represents the Razorbacks and now the Sooners are in the sec and so that makes for an interesting. But I always root for the Razorbacks when, you know, unless we play each other. I've got my Razorback sweatshirt and I wear it proudly.
Good.
[00:02:18] Speaker A: I'm so happy to hear that.
So you're going to be here on December 3rd and your concert is billed as for the girls, like your 2019 album and show.
But I understand that there might be some Christmas songs too.
[00:02:36] Speaker B: Yeah. Just because we're so close to Christmas, I've been doing, I'll be starting to do my Christmas concerts with symphonies, you know, everywhere. But in Arkansas I haven't been there. I mean in Fayetteville I haven't been there as so I really want to sing some of the music from for the Girls. So it'll be a combination platter and I'll have, you know, a six member band. And Josh, my husband, is one of my guitarists. So me and my Arkansas boy will be Representing. And I have backup dancer, you know, back background singers. And it's a show, it's not just, you know, being in a piano. I'm really excited to present it because, you know, I. I have to say, he talks about Fayetteville with such love. Both of his sisters went to college there. And my best friend, Denny Downs, who went to OCU with me, he went to Fayetteville. And so we're gonna do it like a campus tour so they can show me everything. And I'm gonna go check out the School of Music. Cause I wanna. I just would love to say hi to the kids that are doing the music there and saying hi.
I just. I'm excited to come. And then they can take me to all their favorite food places and boutiques I like. I'm going to come in a day early so I can do all of that.
[00:03:52] Speaker A: Wonderful. We're going to be so excited to see you around town.
So, since I have to ask, since the movie Wicked is about to come out on November 22, what are your thoughts? Are you excited to see it?
[00:04:09] Speaker B: Well, I was just at the LA premiere Saturday night and tonight we have that. Yeah, those pictures are kind of everywhere right now. It's kind of crazy to see. You know, it's me and Dee Deena and Cynthia and Ariana, you know, and the cast, it's like so special that 21 years later they're making the movie. I was hoping they would someday. I didn't know if I'd be alive to see it.
But I really encourage everyone to go see it because we have a New York premiere tonight. But I really encourage everyone to go see it because movie musicals can be done, and sometimes very poorly. In this case, John Chu, the director, is amazing, and he took it to a Harry Potter level, but made the story still shine so bright. And it's one of the best movies, honestly, I've ever seen. And I say that as a very harsh critic. You know, I sound real sweet, but I'm very much a critic and I'm really, really proud of it. And there's a lot of Easter eggs and surprises in it too, so people should go see it.
[00:05:19] Speaker A: I know you and Ariana Grande are buddies and she wrote the foreword to your book. I'm no philosopher, but I got thoughts.
So I was wondering, how did the idea for that book come about? Because it sounds like a great gift.
[00:05:39] Speaker B: Oh, thank you for bringing that up. I'm really proud of that book. It's my. My fourth book, so I. It was during COVID and like the rest of the world, you know, we were in New York and la, so we were in a little bit different, you know, we were just compacted with people right next to us. You know what I mean? We saw, we saw it kind of. I had couple friends away pass away from COVID and it was very, it hit home very much for us in New York. And I started getting kind of sad and what do I want to do? Because my tour was canceled and how's this going to work? And, you know, how can I still be creative in this dark time? And I started rereading some of my journals and I was like, what if I talk about the things I've learned from my journal entries? And that's how the book was born. And it's, you know, I've, I've loved all of my books. Like, I imagine if you have more than one child, you know, you love them all the same, but they're all different. And this book is probably a little bit more special to me just because of, you know, I wrote it from my past learning mistakes and past triumphs and just looking at life from a new perspective. And it's, I'm really proud of it. And it's, it's funny. It's. There's some tears in there, probably for people, but I want to encourage everyone to read it because I'm, I'm super proud of it.
[00:07:13] Speaker A: And since you mentioned that you're going to be doing some Christmas songs when you come here, I was wondering, what are some of your Christmas traditions and what do you love about this time of year?
[00:07:25] Speaker B: You know, what I love about this time of year is being with family. And a lot of times I'm working because I'm an entertainer. And that's, you know, those are when you, you really work during the holidays, but sometimes you just need to be with your family. And this year, because next year I'll be on Broadway, I won't be able to travel. I will be with my family on Thanksgiving and then Josh's family in El Dorada, Arkansas on Christmas. And just being as I get older, the most important thing for me is to get to be with my family. And, you know, I grew up with a lot of Christmas traditions. Probably the most special one for me is my dad would put me on his shoulders, and I was the one that put the angel on top of the tree.
And I'm 56 years old and I still do that. I'm like, dad, I'm going to break your back now. He might have me might have me climb on a ladder and us take the picture pretending that I'm on his shoulders. But it's just something that was just always for us. And, you know, we're super close. And in fact, one year we didn't do it. And I was disappointed. I said, why am I acting like a baby? Like, what's wrong with me? And he's like, we didn't do our thing. So that's a tradition that I love. And we also, the night before Christmas, Christmas Eve, we read the story of Jesus birthday from the Bible, and we're reminded of the true meaning, at least for our family, what we believe Christmas is all about. And those are two traditions that I love.
[00:09:05] Speaker A: So I have to ask, you said you're going to be on Broadway next year. Tell me more, please.
[00:09:11] Speaker B: I'm going to be in a new show called the Queen of Versailles. It's based on a documentary film from 2014 with the same title, and it is about the Siegel family, who are building the largest private home in Orlando. And it's a comedy, it's a drama, it's everything. It's Stephen Schwartz, who composed Wicked, that little show, he wrote it for me. And so it reunites us after 21 years. So it's going to be great.
[00:09:42] Speaker A: I'm so excited. Thank you for sharing that with me.
[00:09:45] Speaker B: Of course.
[00:09:47] Speaker A: Well, I won't keep you any longer because I know you're a very busy woman and.
But I want to thank you again for talking with me today. This has been a real treat, and we're really looking forward to your show here.
[00:10:00] Speaker B: Thank you. I can't wait to come there. I'm so excited.
Thank you so much for the interview, and have a great day.
[00:10:08] Speaker A: You too.
[00:10:08] Speaker B: Bye.
[00:10:08] Speaker A: Bye.
[00:10:09] Speaker B: Thank you.
