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 56) Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, U.S.
Alma mater	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 famous American actress and singer. She has starred in many Broadway shows, movies, and TV series.

Kristin won a Tony Award in 1999 for her role as Sally Brown in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown. She was also nominated for another Tony Award in 2003 for playing Glinda in the popular musical Wicked. On television, she won an Primetime Emmy Award in 2009 for her role as Olive Snook in Pushing Daisies. She also played Annabeth Schott in The West Wing.

Kristin grew up singing gospel music in Oklahoma. She also studied opera before deciding to become a musical theatre star. She made her Broadway debut in 1997 in Steel Pier.

She has appeared in many TV shows like Sesame Street and Glee. In movies, she has done voice work for animated films like Rio 2 and The Peanuts Movie. Kristin has also released several music albums. In 2009, she wrote a book about her life called A Little Bit Wicked.

Kristin's Early Life

Kristin Chenoweth was adopted when she was five days old. Her parents, Junie and Jerry Chenoweth, were chemical engineers from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. She was named Kristi Dawn Chenoweth. Kristin has shared that she has some Cherokee family background. She later met her biological mother.

From a young age, Kristin sang gospel songs in churches. A special moment was when she sang a solo at a big Baptist conference at age 12. She sang "Four Feet Eleven," which is her height (about 150 cm).

After high school, Kristin went to Oklahoma City University. She earned degrees in musical theatre and opera. Her voice teacher, Florence Birdwell, was a very important mentor to her. While in college, Kristin also competed in beauty pageants. She was even the second runner-up in the Miss Oklahoma pageant in 1991.

In 1992, Kristin was offered a scholarship to study opera in Philadelphia. But she decided to go to New York City to help a friend move. While there, she auditioned for a musical called Animal Crackers and got a part. She chose to move to New York and start her musical theatre career instead of taking the scholarship.

Kristin's Career Highlights

On Stage: Theatre Roles

After Animal Crackers, Kristin performed in many regional and Off-Broadway shows. She made her big Broadway debut in 1997 in the musical Steel Pier. For this role, she won a Theatre World Award.

In 1999, Kristin played Sally Brown in the Broadway show You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown. She won a Tony Award and a Drama Desk Award for this performance.

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 her most famous roles was Glinda the Good Witch in the musical Wicked. The show opened in 2003. Kristin was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical for her amazing performance as Glinda. She left Wicked in 2004 to join the TV show The West Wing. The Wicked cast album, which features Kristin, won a Grammy Award in 2005.

Kristin continued to perform on Broadway. She starred in The Apple Tree (2006), Promises, Promises (2010), and On the Twentieth Century (2015). For On the Twentieth Century, she received another Drama Desk Award and a Tony Award nomination. Critics praised her powerful voice and acting in this show.

In 2023, Kristin made a special appearance in Gutenberg! The Musical!. She is also a co-producer and star of a new musical called The Queen of Versailles, which will open in 2024.

On Screen: TV Shows

Kristin has had many roles on television. In 2001, she starred in her own NBC sitcom called Kristin. She also played Marian in the 2003 TV movie The Music Man. She made guest appearances on shows like Frasier and Ugly Betty. She was also Mrs. Noodle on Sesame Street several times.

From 2004 to 2006, Kristin played Annabeth Schott in the TV series The West Wing. She was nominated for Screen Actors Guild Awards with the rest of the cast.

Chenoweth at the 2012
Drama League Benefit Gala

From 2007 to 2009, Kristin starred as Olive Snook in Pushing Daisies. She was loved for her singing and bright personality in this show. She won an Emmy Award in 2009 for her role.

In 2009, Kristin began a recurring role as April Rhodes in Glee. She sang several songs and received Emmy nominations in 2010 and 2011 for her performances. She returned to Glee for its 100th episode in 2014.

In 2012, Kristin starred in the ABC series GCB, where she often sang a song in each episode. She also had a recurring role in The Good Wife in 2012. However, she had to leave the show early due to serious injuries from an accident on set.

Kristin played Maleficent in the live-action Disney Channel movie Descendants (2015). She also played Velma Von Tussle in NBC's Hairspray Live! in 2016. In 2018, she played Lavinia Peck-Foster in Trial & Error.

More recently, Kristin appeared as Mildred Layton in the musical comedy series Schmigadoon! in 2021. She was nominated for awards for this role. She returned for season 2 of Schmigadoon! in 2023 as Miss Codwell. In 2021, she also became an advisor on The Voice for Ariana Grande's team.

On Screen: Movies

Kristin's first movie role was in Topa Topa Bluffs in 2002. In 2005, she appeared in Bewitched. In 2006, she had supporting roles in films like The Pink Panther and RV.

She has also done voice work for animated movies. She voiced Kilowatt in Space Chimps and Rosetta the garden fairy in Tinker Bell (both 2008). She 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.

Kristin has also been in several Christmas-themed movies, such as Four Christmases (2008) and A Christmas Love Story (2019). She had cameos in the films Bros (2022) and the 2024 film version of Wicked. She will star with Lindsay Lohan in the romantic comedy Our Little Secret in 2024.

Other Projects

Kristin has appeared on the radio show A Prairie Home Companion. In 2008, she released a funny internet video called Intervention with Kristin Chenoweth.

In 2022, Kristin explored journalism in a mini-series called Keeper of the Ashes: The Oklahoma Girl Scout Murders on Hulu. In this special, she investigated a 1977 murder case that happened at a Girl Scout camp she was supposed to attend but couldn't due to illness. The same year, she published her first children's picture book, What Will I Do for My Love Today?.

Music: Recordings and Concerts

Chenoweth in 2008

Kristin Chenoweth 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.

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.

On January 19, 2007, Kristin performed a solo concert at The Metropolitan Opera in New York. This was a special event, as she was only the third musical theatre star to perform a solo concert there.

In 2008, she released her third album, A Lovely Way to Spend Christmas. This album became her best-seller. In 2011, she released a country-pop album called Some Lessons Learned, which included songs she helped write.

Kristin has toured the U.S. with her concerts. Reviewers have praised her wide vocal range and ability to sing different styles of music. In 2013, she performed at the Sydney Opera House in Australia. In 2014, she returned to Carnegie Hall with a concert called The Evolution of a Soprano. She also made her London solo concert debut at the Royal Albert Hall.

Her album Coming Home was released in 2014. Her next album, The Art of Elegance, came out in 2016 and reached number one on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart. One song from this album was nominated for a Grammy Award.

In 2019, Kristin 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. She released another holiday album, Happiness Is Christmas, in 2021.

Special Events and Appearances

Kristin has performed in many special events. She sang "One Short Day" with the cast of Wicked in the 2003 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. In 2005, she sang "Oklahoma" in the parade, celebrating Oklahoma's upcoming statehood centennial. She was also the star performer at the 2007 Tournament of Roses Parade.

She has sung the U.S. national anthem at various sporting events. These include a New York Yankees home opener in 2010 and an NFL game in 2012. In 2010, she hosted the 15th Critics' Choice Awards.

In 2013, Kristin co-hosted the Oscars Red Carpet Live show before the 85th Academy Awards. She also sang the closing number of the ceremony with host Seth MacFarlane. In 2015, she co-hosted the Tony Awards. In 2018, she performed and narrated the Tabernacle Choir's Christmas concert series.

Kristin's Personal Life

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

In 2009, Kristin published her memoir, A Little Bit Wicked: Life, Love, and Faith in Stages. The book shares details about her life and career, including her adoption.

Kristin has a health condition called Ménière's disease, which affects her inner ear. This can sometimes cause dizziness and affect her balance. She has mentioned that during some performances, she has had to lean on her co-stars to stay steady.

Kristin is open about her religious faith. She describes herself as a Christian who believes in being accepting of everyone.

Kristin Chenoweth married Josh Bryant, a guitarist, on September 2, 2023.

Kristin's Music Albums

Studio Albums

Singles

Other Charted Songs

Awards and Honors

Kristin Chenoweth has received many awards and honors throughout her career. In 2009, she received an honorary doctorate from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Oklahoma City University, where she studied, also gave her an honorary degree in 2013. In 2010, Kristin was added to the Oklahoma Hall of Fame. In 2011, she won the GLAAD Vanguard Award for her support of LGBTQ+ rights. The performing arts center in her hometown, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, named its theatre the Kristin Chenoweth Theatre in 2012. In 2015, Kristin received a star on the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame.

See also

In Spanish: Kristin Chenoweth para niños