Kristin Chenoweth facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kristin Chenoweth
Chenoweth in 2018
Born	Kristi Dawn Chenoweth (1968-07-24) July 24, 1968 (age 57) Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, U.S.
Education	Oklahoma City University (BFA, MFA)
Occupation	Actress singer
Years active	1991–present
Spouse(s)	Josh Bryant ​ (m. 2023)​
Musical career
Genres	Musical theatre pop jazz country pop
Labels	Concord Records Sony Sony Masterworks

Kristin Dawn Chenoweth (born July 24, 1968) is a talented American actress and singer. She has starred in many Broadway shows, movies, and TV series. Kristin won a Tony Award for her role as Sally Brown in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown in 1999. She was also nominated for another Tony Award for playing Glinda in the popular musical Wicked. On TV, she won an Emmy Award for her role as Olive Snook in Pushing Daisies.

Kristin started singing gospel music when she was a child in Oklahoma. She also studied opera before deciding to focus on musical theatre. She made her Broadway debut in 1997 in Steel Pier. Kristin has appeared in many other Broadway shows, including The Apple Tree, Promises, Promises, and On the Twentieth Century. She has also been in TV shows like Sesame Street, Glee, and Schmigadoon!. In movies, she has done voice work for animated films like Rio 2 and The Peanuts Movie. Kristin has released several music albums and even wrote a book about her life.

Kristin's Early Life and Education

Kristin Chenoweth was adopted when she was just five days old by Junie and Jerry Chenoweth. They were both chemical engineers from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. Kristin, whose birth name was Kristi Dawn Chenoweth, later learned about her biological parents. She has shared that she is part Cherokee descent.

From a young age, Kristin loved to perform. She sang gospel songs in local churches. A special moment from her childhood was singing a solo at a big conference when she was 12. She sang a song called "Four Feet Eleven," which was fitting because she is 4 feet 11 inches tall!

After finishing high school, Kristin went to Oklahoma City University. There, she earned degrees in musical theatre and opera performance. While in college, she also took part in beauty pageants. She won the Miss OCU title and was a runner-up in the Miss Oklahoma pageant.

Kristin performed in many plays during college. She was in shows like Gypsy and The Sound of Music. She also won a scholarship to study opera in Philadelphia. But just before starting, she auditioned for a musical in New York City and got a part. She decided to follow her dream of musical theatre instead of opera.

Kristin's Amazing Career

Kristin Chenoweth has had a very busy and successful career on stage, TV, and in movies.

Her Theatre Performances

After college, Kristin performed in many plays. She appeared in The Fantasticks and made her Broadway debut in Steel Pier in 1997. This role earned her a Theatre World Award.

In 1999, Kristin played Sally Brown in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown on Broadway. She won a Tony Award for this role. Later that year, she starred in the play Epic Proportions.

Chenoweth (holding her dog, Madeline Kahn "Maddie" Chenoweth) with Laura Bush and celebrity models in the 2007 Red Dress Collection Celebrity Fashion Show to raise awareness of heart disease

One of Kristin's most famous roles was Glinda the Good Witch in the musical Wicked. She started playing Glinda on Broadway in 2003. Her performance was so good that she was nominated for another Tony Award. Many people say her portrayal of Glinda set the standard for the role. She left Wicked in 2004 to join the cast of a TV show.

Kristin continued to perform in many other stage productions. She starred in The Apple Tree from 2006 to 2007. In 2010, she played Fran Kubelik in the Broadway revival of Promises, Promises. She also starred as Lily Garland in On the Twentieth Century in 2015. For this role, she received another Tony Award nomination and won a Drama Desk Award.

More recently, Kristin made a cameo in Gutenberg! The Musical! in 2023. She is also co-producing and starring in a new musical called The Queen of Versailles, which started in Boston in July 2024 and is planned for Broadway in November 2025.

Kristin's Television Roles

Kristin has been in many TV shows and movies. In 2001, she had her own sitcom called Kristin. She also appeared in the TV movie The Music Man in 2003.

From 2004 to 2006, Kristin had a recurring role as Annabeth Schott in The West Wing. She was nominated for Screen Actors Guild Awards with the cast for her work on this show.

Chenoweth at the 2012
Drama League Benefit Gala

From 2007 to 2009, Kristin played Olive Snook in Pushing Daisies. Her singing and bright personality made her a fan favorite. She won an Emmy Award in 2009 for this role.

Kristin also had a recurring role as April Rhodes in Glee, starting in 2009. She sang several songs on the show and received Emmy nominations in 2010 and 2011. In 2012, she starred in the ABC series GCB.

In 2015, Kristin played Maleficent in the Disney Channel movie Descendants. Her performance was highly praised. She also co-hosted the 69th Tony Awards in 2015. In 2016, she played Velma Von Tussle in NBC's Hairspray Live!.

More recently, Kristin appeared in the TV series American Gods in 2017 and Trial & Error in 2018. She also hosted a special celebrating 15 years of Wicked on Broadway. In 2021 and 2023, she starred in the musical comedy series Schmigadoon!, earning nominations for her roles. She also joined The Voice as an advisor to Ariana Grande's team in 2021.

Kristin's Film Appearances

Kristin made her movie debut in Topa Topa Bluffs in 2002. She later appeared in films like Bewitched (2005), The Pink Panther (2006), and RV (2006).

She has lent her voice to many animated movies. She was Kilowatt in Space Chimps and Rosetta the garden fairy in Tinker Bell (both 2008). She also voiced Gabi, a poisonous frog, in Rio 2 (2014) and Fifi, Snoopy's love interest, in The Peanuts Movie (2015).

In 2017, she voiced Princess Skystar in My Little Pony: The Movie and Abby the Mouse in The Star. She also starred in the Hallmark Channel movie A Christmas Love Story in 2019. In 2020, she voiced Daisy the mouse in The Witches.

Kristin had cameos in the 2022 film Bros and the 2024 film version of Wicked, where she appeared with Idina Menzel. She also stars with Lindsay Lohan in the romantic comedy Our Little Secret, released on Netflix in November 2024.

Other Projects and Music

Kristin has a unique speaking voice, which she has compared to Betty Boop. She is a trained coloratura soprano, meaning she can sing very high notes.

Chenoweth in 2008

She has released several solo albums. Her first album, Let Yourself Go (2001), featured classic songs from the 1930s. In 2004, she released As I Am, which was a Christian music album.

In 2007, Kristin performed a solo concert at The Metropolitan Opera in New York. She was only the third musical theatre star to do so. In 2008, she released her Christmas album, A Lovely Way to Spend Christmas, which became her best-selling album.

She released a country-pop album called Some Lessons Learned in 2011. Kristin also co-wrote two songs on this album. Her album Coming Home was released in 2014, followed by The Art of Elegance in 2016, which reached number one on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart.

In 2019, she released For the Girls, an album featuring songs by female artists who inspired her. She collaborated with stars like Dolly Parton and Ariana Grande on this album. Her second holiday album, Happiness Is...Christmas!, came out in October 2021.

Kristin has also appeared in internet videos and hosted award shows. In 2022, she explored journalism in a mini-series called Keeper of the Ashes: The Oklahoma Girl Scout Murders, where she investigated a real-life case. The same year, she published her first picture book, What Will I Do for My Love Today?.

Special Events and Appearances

Kristin has performed at many special events. She sang in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade with the cast of Wicked in 2003. She also performed at the opening ceremony of the 2007 Tournament of Roses Parade.

Chenoweth sang the U.S. national anthem for the Yankees' home opener in 2010.

She has sung the U.S. national anthem at various sporting events, including for the New York Yankees in 2010 and the Arizona Cardinals in 2016. In 2013, she co-hosted the Oscars Red Carpet Live and sang a closing number at the 85th Academy Awards.

In 2015, she co-hosted the Tony Awards again. In December 2018, Kristin performed with the Tabernacle Choir for their yearly Christmas concert series. She also performed the U.S. national anthem at Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals in Oklahoma City.

Kristin's Personal Life

In 2009, Kristin Chenoweth wrote a book about her life called A Little Bit Wicked: Life, Love, and Faith in Stages. In the book, she shared details about her adoption and career.

Kristin has a health condition called Ménière's disease, which affects her inner ear and can cause dizziness. She has sometimes had to lean on her co-stars during performances because of it.

Kristin is a Christian and has spoken about her faith. She believes in being accepting and supportive of everyone. She has been a strong supporter of LGBTQ+ rights.

Kristin has dated several people in Hollywood. In 2018, she started dating Josh Bryant, a guitarist. They got engaged in 2021 and were married on September 2, 2023.

Awards and Special Recognitions

Kristin Chenoweth has received many awards and honors for her work.

• In 2009, she received an honorary doctorate from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.
• Oklahoma City University, where she studied, gave her an honorary degree in 2013.
• In 2010, Kristin was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame.
• She won the GLAAD Vanguard Award in 2011 for her support of the LGBTQ+ community.
• In 2012, the theatre at the Broken Arrow Performing Arts Center was named the Kristin Chenoweth Theatre in her honor.
• Kristin received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2015.

See also

In Spanish: Kristin Chenoweth para niños