Coming Home

Glittering star of stage and screen, the bubbly, effervescent and perky Kristin Chenoweth (you all know her from her portrayal of Glinda in Wicked), is releasing her very first ever live-recorded album titled “Coming Home.” The album will be followed by a magnificent production on PBS television on November 28. 

The voice emanating from her tiny 4’11” frame clearly rings through the heavens as one of this century’s most cherished and enjoyed.

Her role in standing up for gay rights and marriage makes her no stranger to gay iconic representation, despite the fact of her Christian upbringing.  According to “The New York Times,” Chenoweth “assured her theatre fans that she supports gay rights,” which caused her to be disinvited from performing at a “Woman of Faith” conference.

This Tony and Emmy Award-winning actress has a slew of credits including such TV appearances as “Hot in Cleveland,” “The Good Wife,” “GCB,” “Ugly Betty,” “Fraiser,” “Sesame Street” and “Glee,” just to mention several. Her film credits include “Bewitched,” “The Pink Panther,” the voices of “Gabi” the poisonous frog in “Rio 2,” “Rosetta” in “Tinkerbell” and “Kilowatt” in “Space Chimp.” As far as theatre goes, again her vast amount of performances make all of them impossible to list. Several include “Promises, Promises,” “Steel Pier,” “You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown” and of course “Wicked.” She even has two upcoming films, releasing Jan. 23, 2015: “The Boy Next Door” and “Strange Music.”

If I could use one word to describe Kristin, it would have to be “enchanted.” She was humble and amazingly honest. It was one of the most relaxing conversations I’ve ever had during an interview. Most importantly she was REAL and filled with life!

First of all how are you feeling?
Oh, thank you for asking. I’m feeling good. I’m working in physical therapy, and I’m just going in the right direction.

Glad to hear that. So your brand new, first-ever recorded live album, “Coming Home,” is being released momentarily. How much fun was it to do in front of a live audience?
I loved it because first of all a lot of artists aren’t choosing to do that anymore. I love the live sound because it’s the emotion of the exact moment. Every album I’ve been fortunate to make has meant a lot to me, but this is sort of a career album for me. It’s songs that I’ve done, as a little kid some of them, songs I did in college, songs I’m doing on tour, songs that meant a lot to me as the journey has gone on.  Getting to do it in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, where I grew up is just the icing on the cake.

You’re going to follow the release of this album with a television special?
Yeah. We’re taking a good hour of what we did in concert – some of it was with PBS, and they’re airing it November 28. I’m so excited for people to listen to the album and then actually watch. This theatre, they named it “The Kristin Chenoweth Theatre,” and I’m very proud of it.  It is state-of-the-art. It has close to 1,600 seats, I think. It’s just beautiful. It’s where touring acts come through in our part of the state and I’m really, really honored.

You probably can’t pick a favorite, but is there any one song on the album that you like to perform?
Oh gosh, you know, all of these songs I love to do for different reasons, as you can imagine, but the song that I look forward to every single time – it’s also very challenging too – it’s a very difficult song to sing. It’s “Bring It Home” from Les Mis. I love that song, the way we do it: We have a beautiful set, my church is in the background and singing it in front of that – I don’t know, it’s a beautiful prayer. I never, ever, ever, tire of singing it.

You’ve done so many things: theatre, films, television, beauty pageants. You’ve won Emmys, Tonys, you’re an author. Is there anything that you haven’t done that you would still like to accomplish?
I think about that a lot, because obviously I have the five-year plan, 10-year plan. I won’t say I’ve achieved everything I want to achieve, but this album is me. It’s really everything that I do in my hometown, and I said after the album comes out, if it all ended tomorrow, I’d be so happy. There is a lot of things I wanna do—sure I wanna get a Grammy like every other artist—but really if it ended tomorrow, I’m so happy. I really, really am.

Are you planning on following the album with a tour?
Yeah, I’m gonna do Broadway first [On the Twentieth Century], and then I’m gonna tour it right after I leave Broadway. You know, I don’t know how to stop—that’s my problem. I don’t know how to slow down. When I slow down, I actually don’t feel very well, but yeah, I’m gonna tour it late next summer or next fall.

You know, you seem to be such a bubbly, happy, effervescent, vibrant person. Just looking at you makes people smile. Are you ever sad? I mean, is that really you?
I’m so glad you asked this question. One of the reasons I wanted to do this particular album is I want people to see—obviously they’ll get to watch it, they’ll get to hear that there’s so much more than just “happy Kristin.” There’s a person. I’m a daughter, I hope I’m a good friend, I’ve lost love, I’ve been the one who has hurt someone. You know, that’s what all these songs represent. Yes, Glinda was a great part, Charlie Brown was great, but yeah. I’m a woman, and that comes with scrapes and cuts, so yeah, I have bad days and hard times like everyone else. People don’t always wanna hear it when you’re a little bit well known; they’re like … tough crap. I try to keep that to myself. I do have a good life, but yeah, I have my shitty days for sure. And I’m not happy all the time. I’m not! I get in a bitchy mood just like everybody else.

I’m almost relieved to hear that, I can’t even tell you.
OMG, yes. Trust me Eileen, trust me. I can have my moments, sure. I mean, who doesn’t? I can be depressed. I can have a broken heart. I can trust the wrong people. It’s all relevant, isn’t it?

Yes, it is.
But I find that when you’re in my position it’s really not a good idea to complain to people except those you trust. I am blessed. I do have a roof over my head, I have clothes on my back, and anything tough I’ve gone through I just share with those close to me.

Well, it seems like you work a lot anyway.
I work a lot, and I do love what I do, but I really do strive to find that down time, even if it’s only one day. When I sit at home and watch “I Killed My BFF” or “My Strange Addiction” or “Real Housewives,” whatever it is, I wanna eat in bed, share with my dog.

You have the kind of voice that launches ships. I heard somewhere that you do…literally.
OMG, yes! I am, tomorrow of all days, I’m actually named “The Godmother” of a brand-new ship from Royal Caribbean called “Quantum of the Seas,” and I will be christening it. Yesterday I was on the ship doing some godmotherly duties, and tomorrow I christen the ship. I will be with the captain; we’ll christen the ship by breaking a bottle. I love the ship because it is like Vegas on the sea. I love a good blackjack table. This thing is massive; she’s beautiful. You can do everything from bumper cars to ice skating to floating above the water in a bubble-type apparatus called “North Star.” It’s one of the most awesome things I’ve ever seen in my whole life. I look forward to actually taking the time off and going on a cruise, because I drove up yesterday—and remember I’ve been working with Royal Caribbean for two years preparing this day for tomorrow. It is a beautiful thing to behold. I believe it’s the biggest ship out there.

I saw pictures of it. It’s really cool!
It is really cool, really cool.

That’s going to be so much fun for you.
I can’t wait! I got to meet some of the crew yesterday, and it’s nice to go somewhere where people actually wanna do their job.

I mean, that’s a great job.
Well, you’d be surprised. People wanna be there, they wanna help. It’s really nice to behold, to be involved with such pleasant, kind people. I’m excited for people to see pictures of her because it’s just…“Love Boat.” Come on, “Love Boat” what? It’s amazing.

So it’s no secret that you’re a gay rights advocate, but you’re also a Christian. Though some might think that’s a conflict, you seem to embrace it.  Have you had any consequences because of that?
OMG, is the pope Catholic? If you would have told me when I was growing up in Broken Arrow that I would have needed to become this person and speak out about LGBT community, I would have been like, “Huh?” I wouldn’t have known I would have had to do it in such a public form. Just like many people say, it’s a very personal thing, but all of a sudden people know when I’m coming to visit—“Oh, she’s a Christian, she’s a Christian.” When you’re in New York and LA I guess that seems like an oddity, but when you’re in Oklahoma it’s normal.

Right.
I never looked at any of my gay friends as wrong; in fact I struggled with people who did view it that way, so as my career journey continued I found myself in that position where you have to really say how you feel no matter who it makes mad. But the truth of the matter is I think it’s the biggest civil rights issue we have today.

I agree, I do.
And I’m really frustrated that we’re still in this conversation, and if I’m frustrated then what must it be like for the gay community?

Exactly.
God loves us all. He didn’t make mistakes. He put me together: I’m 4’11”, I always say this, and I’ve been quoted many times that if it were a sin to be 4’11”, what would I do. I’m 4’11”. That’s the way God made me. That’s the way he made people who are gay. It’s not choice, it’s how you’re put together. So how can that be wrong? It would be like for me being a heterosexual would that be a sin. OMG, cause I love men! I really love men. I don’t know what I’d do. I love women too, I just don’t wanna marry them. Maybe that’s been the whole problem. Maybe I should marry a woman actually. Relationships are tricky, but they’re rewarding if you work hard at them and you enjoy the person that you’re with.

Kristin, where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Oh, you got me. Hopefully I’m doing exactly what I’m doing now, Eileen. I hope I’m working, cause I love it. How do I not do this? So I hope I’m still working, and I hope I’m on stage, I hope I’m on television, in a movie. They’ll probably have to wheel me out there in a wheelchair, and I’ll still be at it.

Well, whatever you do, I wish you so much luck. You are amazing!
Thank you, Eileen!