Chenoweth puts TV on the front burner
By Bruce R. Miller, Journal staff writer | Posted: Friday, August 29, 2008
Kristin Chenoweth is nominated for an Emmy for "Pushing Daisies."
LOS ANGELES -- Talk about appropriate: Kristin Chenoweth shoots "Pushing Daisies" on the same stage where films like "Damn Yankees," "Gypsy" and "Pajama Game" were shot.
"Really?" one of Broadway's biggest stars says with utter sincerity. "I had no idea. Now that I know that, it's even more special."
After securing her reputation in "Wicked," the Tony-winning actress could have spent the rest of her life in New York reviving one show after another. Instead, she moved to California, got her feet wet in a sitcom, then settled into a regular role on "The West Wing."
Now, as an Emmy-nominated star of "Daisies," the 4'11"-inch actress is becoming just as big on television as she was on stage.
"I love it," she says of the ABC comedy. "When I was doing 'The Apple Tree' on Broadway (producer Barry Fuller) told me about the show and said, 'I know Olive isn't quite there yet,' but he told me what was going to happen. It sounded like a real growth part and, well, I went for it. Now, it's like a glove for me. He writes well for me...and that's what every actor hopes and dreams."
In on the show's secret (a pie baker has the ability to bring the dead back to life just by touching them), Olive doesn't think she can keep quiet, so she goes to a convent. "You will see her have her 'Sound of Music' moment," Chenoweth says with a smile. Just steps away, another set confirms as much -- it contains so many religious set pieces you can practically hear "Climb Ev'ry Mountain." "She's going to get a love interest this year, too." The pie baker? "We'll see."
A pig has been added to the show -- yup, Olive has to tend to it -- and music will continue to play an important role in several of the episodes. That bodes well for Chenoweth, who gave up a role in "Young Frankenstein" just to do "Daisies."
Broadway, she says, will always be a part of her life. But, now, there's so much to be tried in Hollywood.
In mid-July, for example, she recorded her first Christmas album. Later this year, she hopes to dig into a pile of film scripts. And then there's her memoir, "A Little Bit Wicked."
"Yeah, I just finished the book," she says with typical impishness. "I had a ghost writer -- I'm not going to pretend I'm a writer -- but I worked on it for three months. It's not a memoir -- I'm not old enough -- but it is about my life, my adoption."
Angered when people talk about Angelina Jolie's "adopted" and "biological" children, Chenoweth wanted to show just how important adoptive parents can be. "They led me to what I am today. Usually when people hear you're adopted, the first thing they say is, 'Have you found your birth parents yet?' Well, I'm not interested in that. I believe you connect with the people who raise you. If you met my parents, you'd say, 'She is so their kid.' But we don't look alike. They're tall and brunette and can't sing. But they're mine."
When Chenoweth signed the book deal, "I was nervous to tell my mom. She was always like, 'If you ever want to find your real parents, we'll help you.' But I told her how I felt and she and my dad were thrilled. There is no wrong decision. Some people just don't need to search."
The book also talks about growing up in a small town, harboring a desire to act and dealing with her size, "a little bit of depression" and a voice that sounds like it belongs to a cartoon character when she's speaking, an opera diva when she's singing.
"There's a whole chapter about 'Wicked,'" she says of the hit musical. Gossip? "I'm not that kind of girl," she says. "But I am honest. The book is very truthful."
Then, did she fight with co-star Idina Menzel?
"I'd be a liar if I said it was happy and all roses all the time. But do we hate each other? No. We couldn't do that show if we hated each other. We just have very different ways of working. Our processes are extremely different but there was no denying what we brought on stage. And that was the most important thing."
Obstacles? They're something you work through. "I wanted to be a ballerina," Chenoweth says. "But I knew I would never be one. I'm too short. But my mom said, 'There are other plans for you. The things that make you different are what are going to make you succeed.' "
Who knew? "She did," Chenoweth says with a smile.
When she went from Oklahoma to New York to break into the business, she forgot to put her height on her head shot. "I'd get called into 'Will Rogers Follies' and they'd say, 'Are you in for the kid part?' 'No, I'm in for the lead girl.' I learned very quickly."
Now, those lessons are bearing fruit. Although she's cast in a show that's big on pies, Chenoweth prefers cake and cookies. "I never met a cookie I didn't like."
When she brought a pie to work (it's made from crushed Butterfinger candy bars and Cool Whip), stagehands thought it was French onion dip. "They put chips in it.
"The important thing is to freeze it," she insists. "Then it looks like a pie."
Put Chenoweth on the set where movie magic occurred and similar results are possible.
"You know, I played both Baby June and Dainty June in 'Gypsy,'" she offers. "Yes, I danced with a cow."
And now, on "Pushing Daisies," she's working with a pig. "It all comes full circle," she says, then laughs. "I grew up in the city but my cousins grew up in the country. I used to tease them for showing pigs and now they're like, 'Ha, ha, ha.' But I'm not going to complain. This is one of the best times of my life."
"Really?" one of Broadway's biggest stars says with utter sincerity. "I had no idea. Now that I know that, it's even more special."
After securing her reputation in "Wicked," the Tony-winning actress could have spent the rest of her life in New York reviving one show after another. Instead, she moved to California, got her feet wet in a sitcom, then settled into a regular role on "The West Wing."
Now, as an Emmy-nominated star of "Daisies," the 4'11"-inch actress is becoming just as big on television as she was on stage.
"I love it," she says of the ABC comedy. "When I was doing 'The Apple Tree' on Broadway (producer Barry Fuller) told me about the show and said, 'I know Olive isn't quite there yet,' but he told me what was going to happen. It sounded like a real growth part and, well, I went for it. Now, it's like a glove for me. He writes well for me...and that's what every actor hopes and dreams."
In on the show's secret (a pie baker has the ability to bring the dead back to life just by touching them), Olive doesn't think she can keep quiet, so she goes to a convent. "You will see her have her 'Sound of Music' moment," Chenoweth says with a smile. Just steps away, another set confirms as much -- it contains so many religious set pieces you can practically hear "Climb Ev'ry Mountain." "She's going to get a love interest this year, too." The pie baker? "We'll see."
A pig has been added to the show -- yup, Olive has to tend to it -- and music will continue to play an important role in several of the episodes. That bodes well for Chenoweth, who gave up a role in "Young Frankenstein" just to do "Daisies."
Broadway, she says, will always be a part of her life. But, now, there's so much to be tried in Hollywood.
In mid-July, for example, she recorded her first Christmas album. Later this year, she hopes to dig into a pile of film scripts. And then there's her memoir, "A Little Bit Wicked."
"Yeah, I just finished the book," she says with typical impishness. "I had a ghost writer -- I'm not going to pretend I'm a writer -- but I worked on it for three months. It's not a memoir -- I'm not old enough -- but it is about my life, my adoption."
Angered when people talk about Angelina Jolie's "adopted" and "biological" children, Chenoweth wanted to show just how important adoptive parents can be. "They led me to what I am today. Usually when people hear you're adopted, the first thing they say is, 'Have you found your birth parents yet?' Well, I'm not interested in that. I believe you connect with the people who raise you. If you met my parents, you'd say, 'She is so their kid.' But we don't look alike. They're tall and brunette and can't sing. But they're mine."
When Chenoweth signed the book deal, "I was nervous to tell my mom. She was always like, 'If you ever want to find your real parents, we'll help you.' But I told her how I felt and she and my dad were thrilled. There is no wrong decision. Some people just don't need to search."
The book also talks about growing up in a small town, harboring a desire to act and dealing with her size, "a little bit of depression" and a voice that sounds like it belongs to a cartoon character when she's speaking, an opera diva when she's singing.
"There's a whole chapter about 'Wicked,'" she says of the hit musical. Gossip? "I'm not that kind of girl," she says. "But I am honest. The book is very truthful."
Then, did she fight with co-star Idina Menzel?
"I'd be a liar if I said it was happy and all roses all the time. But do we hate each other? No. We couldn't do that show if we hated each other. We just have very different ways of working. Our processes are extremely different but there was no denying what we brought on stage. And that was the most important thing."
Obstacles? They're something you work through. "I wanted to be a ballerina," Chenoweth says. "But I knew I would never be one. I'm too short. But my mom said, 'There are other plans for you. The things that make you different are what are going to make you succeed.' "
Who knew? "She did," Chenoweth says with a smile.
When she went from Oklahoma to New York to break into the business, she forgot to put her height on her head shot. "I'd get called into 'Will Rogers Follies' and they'd say, 'Are you in for the kid part?' 'No, I'm in for the lead girl.' I learned very quickly."
Now, those lessons are bearing fruit. Although she's cast in a show that's big on pies, Chenoweth prefers cake and cookies. "I never met a cookie I didn't like."
When she brought a pie to work (it's made from crushed Butterfinger candy bars and Cool Whip), stagehands thought it was French onion dip. "They put chips in it.
"The important thing is to freeze it," she insists. "Then it looks like a pie."
Put Chenoweth on the set where movie magic occurred and similar results are possible.
"You know, I played both Baby June and Dainty June in 'Gypsy,'" she offers. "Yes, I danced with a cow."
And now, on "Pushing Daisies," she's working with a pig. "It all comes full circle," she says, then laughs. "I grew up in the city but my cousins grew up in the country. I used to tease them for showing pigs and now they're like, 'Ha, ha, ha.' But I'm not going to complain. This is one of the best times of my life."
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