Kristin Chenoweth | |
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 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) |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1991–present |
| Spouse | |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Labels | |
Musical artist | |
| Website | officialkristinchenoweth |
Kristin Dawn Chenoweth (/ˈtʃɛnoʊwɛθ/ ⓘ; bornKristi Dawn Chenoweth; July 24, 1968)[1] is an American actress and singer, with credits inmusical theatre, film, and television. In 1999, she won aTony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance asSally Brown inYou're a Good Man, Charlie Brown onBroadway. In 2003, Chenoweth was nominated for a secondTony Award for originating the role ofGlinda in the musicalWicked. Her television roles includeAnnabeth Schott in NBC'sThe West Wing andOlive Snook on thecomedy dramaPushing Daisies, for which she won aPrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 2009.
Chenoweth sanggospel music as a child inOklahoma and studiedopera before deciding to pursue a career in musical theatre. In 1997, she made her Broadway debut inSteel Pier, winning aTheatre World Award. Her other Broadway credits include Eve inThe Apple Tree (2006); Fran inPromises, Promises (2010); Lily inOn the Twentieth Century (2015), for which she received a third Tony Award nomination; and the title role inThe Queen of Versailles (2025).[2] She has also appeared in five City CenterEncores! productions,Off-Broadway, and inregional theatre.
Chenoweth had her own sitcom,Kristin, in 2001, and has guest-starred on many shows, includingSesame Street andGlee, for which she was nominated for Emmy Awards in 2010 and 2011. She also starred in the ABC TV seriesGCB in 2012, played Lavinia inTrial & Error in 2018, and played the characters Mildred Layton and Miss Codwell in the musical comedy seriesSchmigadoon! in 2021 and 2023, respectively. In films, she has played mostly character roles, such as inBewitched (2005),The Pink Panther (2006) andRV (2006). She has played roles in made-for-TV movies, such asDescendants (2015) and several Christmas-themed ones; done voice work in animated films such asRio 2 (2014) andThe Peanuts Movie (2015) along with the animated TV seriesSit Down, Shut Up andBoJack Horseman; hosted several award shows; and released several albums of songs, includingA Lovely Way to Spend Christmas (2008),Some Lessons Learned (2011),Coming Home (2014),The Art of Elegance (2016) andFor the Girls (2019). Chenoweth also wrote a 2009 memoir,A Little Bit Wicked.
Chenoweth was adopted when she was five days old by Junie Smith Chenoweth and Jerry Morris Chenoweth, bothchemical engineers[3] fromBroken Arrow, Oklahoma, a suburb ofTulsa,[4][5][6] and named Kristi Dawn Chenoweth.[7] She revealed in her 2023 bookI'm No Philosopher, but I Got Thoughts that her biological parents werebassist Billy Ethridge (briefly a member ofZZ Top) and "Mama Lynn".[8] She has stated that she is of one quarterCherokee descent[9] and that she eventually met her biological mother.[10] At an early age, she performed gospel songs for local churches. A performing highlight of her childhood was a solo appearance at theSouthern Baptist Convention national conference at the age of 12, where she performed theEvie song "Four Feet Eleven". The chorus begins, "I'm only 4 feet 11, but I'm going to Heaven" (Chenoweth is 4 ft 11 in (150 cm) in height).[11] After graduating fromBroken Arrow Senior High School, where she participated in school plays, Chenoweth attendedOklahoma City University, where she was a member ofGamma Phi Beta (Beta Omicron) sorority.[12] She earned a bachelor's degree inmusical theatre in 1990[13][14] and a master's degree in opera performance in 1992,[14][15] studying under voice instructor and mentor,Florence Birdwell.[13][16] While at OCU, Chenoweth competed in beauty pageants, winning the title of Miss OCU and was the second runner-up in theMiss Oklahoma pageant in 1991.[11][17] In 1992, Chenoweth participated in a studio recording ofThe Most Happy Fella.[18]
While she was in college and working towards her master's degree, Chenoweth performed at the Lyric Theatre inOklahoma City, among otherregional theatres, in roles like June inGypsy, Liesl inThe Sound of Music, Fran inPromises, Promises,[19] and Tuptim inThe King and I.[20] As she completed her master's degree, Chenoweth participated in several vocal competitions and was named "most promising up-and-coming singer" in theMetropolitan Opera National Council auditions, which came with a full scholarship toPhiladelphia'sAcademy of Vocal Arts.[21] Two weeks before school started, however, she went to New York City to help a friend move. While there, she auditioned for the 1993Paper Mill Playhouse production of the musicalAnimal Crackers and was cast in the role of Arabella Rittenhouse. She turned down the scholarship and moved to New York to play the role and pursue a career in musical theatre.[21][22]
AfterAnimal Crackers, Chenoweth continued to appear inregional theatre productions, such asBabes in Arms atThe Guthrie Theater inMinneapolis,[23] andPhantom (as Christine; she also toured in Germany in this role),[24] playing roles inOff-Broadway productions like Luisa inThe Fantasticks[11][25] and Kristy inBox Office of the Damned (both in 1994).[26] In 1997, she appeared as Hyacinth in theRoundabout Theater Company production ofMoliere's farcicalScapin, earning her firstNew York Times review, withBen Brantley writing "Kristin Chenoweth's sob-prone ingenue is delightful".[27] She made herBroadway debut in the spring of 1997 as Precious McGuire in the musicalSteel Pier byKander and Ebb, for which she won aTheatre World Award.[11] In 1998 she reprised one of her regional theatre roles, Anne Draper,[28] in theCity Center Encores! staged concert of theGeorge andIra Gershwin musicalStrike Up the Band[29] and created roles in the originalLincoln Center Theater production ofWilliam Finn'sA New Brain.[30]Ben Rimalower, inPlaybill, wrote: "It's unlikely anyone will equal Kristin Chenoweth in the role of 'Nancy D., the waitress.'"[31]
Chenoweth playedSally Brown, the title character's little sister, in the 1999 Broadway revival ofYou're a Good Man, Charlie Brown. Sally was not present in the original production. Chenoweth wonTony andDrama Desk Awards for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance.[32] Later that year, she starred on Broadway in the short-lived comic playEpic Proportions,[33] followed by starring as Daisy Gamble in the Encores! production ofOn a Clear Day You Can See Forever inFebruary 2000.[34]
After this, Chenoweth split her time between stage and TV or film roles and released her first solo album,Let Yourself Go (2001). In 2002, she performed in the City Center Encores!10th Anniversary Bash.[35] In October 2003, she returned to Broadway (after the San Francisco tryout) in the musicalWicked, asGlinda the Good Witch. She was nominated for a 2004 Tony Award asBest Leading Actress in a Musical for her performance; her co-starIdina Menzel (who playedElphaba, theWicked Witch of the West) won the award.[36] Chenoweth was also nominated for theDrama Desk Award[37] and theDrama League Award for this role.[38] Ben Rimalower, inPlaybill, wrote that, for Glinda, "the gold standard was unquestionably and indelibly set" by Chenoweth's performances.[31] After playing Glinda for nine months, Chenoweth leftWicked, onJuly 18, 2004,[39] soon joining the cast ofThe West Wing in Los Angeles.[21] TheWicked cast album earned a 2005Grammy Award.[40]
Chenoweth playedCunegonde in theNew York Philharmonic revival ofCandide, directed byLonny Price, inMay 2004.[41] The production was also broadcast onPBS'sGreat Performances. A performance of the rarely sung duet "We Are Women", between Cunegonde and the Old Lady (played byPatti Lupone), was included in the production.[22][42][43]
From December 2006 to March 2007, following a 2005 Encores! presentation of the piece, Chenoweth starred on Broadway as Eve in a revival ofThe Apple Tree with co-starsBrian d'Arcy James and former fiancéMarc Kudisch.[44] She received nominations for theDrama Desk Award[45] and theDrama League Award. She hosted the 2007Drama Desk Awards ceremony.[45] The same year, she played Female Star in the 2007 Encores! presentation ofStairway to Paradise[46] and returned for her fifth Encores! production inJerome Kern andOscar Hammerstein II'sMusic in the Air in 2009.[47] Chenoweth was scheduled to return to The Metropolitan Opera in 2010 to play Samira inJohn Corigliano's operaThe Ghosts of Versailles.[48] The Met canceled the expensive production in 2008 as the U.S. economy weakened.[49]
In 2009, Chenoweth was part of the rotating ensemble cast ofNora andDelia Ephron'sLove, Loss, and What I Woreoff-Broadway at theWestside Theater.[50] She next starred as Fran Kubelik in the 2010 Broadway revival of the musicalPromises, Promises, oppositeSean Hayes, which opened onApril 25, 2010.[51] The songs "I Say a Little Prayer" and "A House Is Not a Home" were added for her to sing.[52] Chenoweth and Hayes remained in the cast until the show closed on January 2, 2011,[53] although she missed performances from December 29, 2010, to January 1, 2011, to perform a New Year's Eve concert at Walt Disney Concert Hall on December 31, 2010.[53][54] She played televangelistTammy Faye Bakker in a reading of the musicalRise in 2011.[55]
Chenoweth played Lily Garland in a Broadway revival ofOn the Twentieth Century, oppositePeter Gallagher, which began previews on February 12 and opened on March 12, 2015, for a 22-week limited engagement through July 19, 2015, at theRoundabout Theatre Company.[56][57]Ben Brantley ofThe New York Times wrote that Chenoweth "uses [her character's] histrionics to create one of the most virtuosic portraits in song ever on Broadway. The vocal vocabulary she deploys here ranges from jazz-baby brass to operatic silver, often in a single number, and she switches among them with jaw-dropping ease. And every perfectly weighted note is set off by an impeccably exaggerated gesture."[58] She was nominated for a Tony Award and won another Drama Desk Award for her performance.[59][60] In November 2023, Chenoweth made a cameo appearance inGutenberg! The Musical! as The Producer[61] She co-produced and stars as the title character,Jackie Siegel, in the musicalThe Queen of Versailles, with music and lyrics byStephen Schwartz, which premiered atColonial Theatre inBoston, Massachusetts, in 2024,[62][63] and began performances at Broadway'sSt. James Theatre in October 2025.[2]
After a guest appearance onLateLine,[64] a role in the short-lived television seriesParamour (1999), and several roles intelevision films such asAnnie (as Lily St. Regis), Chenoweth starred in her ownNBCsitcom, the semi-autobiographicalKristin in 2001. Thirteen episodes were filmed, but only six aired before it was canceled.[65] Chenoweth appeared in the lead role of Marian in the 2003 television film,The Music Man, oppositeMatthew Broderick.[66][67] She also guest-starred on such shows asFrasier (2001),Baby Bob (2002),Fillmore! (2003),Elmo's World andSesame Street (several times as Mrs. Noodle) andUgly Betty (2007).[68][69]
In 2004, Chenoweth began playing the recurring role of media consultantAnnabeth Schott inThe West Wing.[21] For her performance, she was nominated twice, along with the cast, forScreen Actors Guild Awards. She appeared in the final two seasons of the program through 2006.[citation needed] Chenoweth had been considered originally for the role ofAinsley Hayes, but she had already accepted her role inWicked.[70] Another of Chenoweth's Christmas-themed TV films was12 Men of Christmas (2009); though it received lukewarm reviews, aVariety review praised Chenoweth, saying "with the right talent, it's possible to make even the moldiest of material sing just a little".[71]
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From 2007 to 2009, Chenoweth playedOlive Snook in the television series,Pushing Daisies. For her performance, she "became a favorite for her musical numbers and bright personality"[66] and was nominated two years in a row for anEmmy Award,[72] winning in 2009 asOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.[73] The series was canceled after two seasons.[11] In 2009, Chenoweth lent her voice to the animated comedy seriesSit Down, Shut Up, as Miracle Grohe, a science teacher who does not believe in science.[13] The series lasted just thirteen episodes. Later that year, Chenoweth began a recurring role asApril Rhodes inGlee, singing several songs, earning enthusiastic notices. The character is a former member of the glee club who never finished high school and ended up hitting rock bottom. A review inUSA Today observed, "Her presence may not make much sense, but if it means hearing Chenoweth sing, we can put up with any explanation the show cares to offer."[74][75] She received aSatellite Award for Outstanding Guest Star.[76]
In 2010, Chenoweth returned toGlee as April Rhodes, singing more songs.[77] TheLos Angeles Times review commented, "the best part about 'Home' was undoubtedly the return of Kristin Chenoweth as April. From her spunky duet ofFire with Schue, to the heart-achingly lonely coo of 'One Less Bell to Answer' which segued into a fantastic reprise of 'A House Is Not a Home' and of course her bone-chilling take onHome I fell in love with her again."[78] She was nominated for both 2010 and 2011 Emmy Awards for her performances onGlee.[79][80] Chenoweth returned again toGlee in "Rumours" in 2011,[81] and for its 100th episode in 2014.[82] In 2011, Chenoweth starred in a pilot forABC calledGood Christian Bitches as Carlene Cockburn.[83] ABC picked up the show and changed the title toGCB.[84] The series debuted in 2012 but lasted only one season, despite "the cast's comedic wit and strong performances";[66] Chenoweth generally sang a song in each episode.[85] In 2012, she guest-starred in an episode of the sitcomHot in Cleveland, titled "The Gateway Friend".[81]
Chenoweth played a recurring role asPeggy Byrne, a political reporter, in the fourth season ofThe Good Wife (2012).[86] However, she soon left the show after sustaining a skull fracture, broken nose, spinal and rib injuries and cracked teeth when she was struck by equipment on the set.[87] She appeared in the 2012 season opener[88][89] and returned in a short scene for another episode.[90] She later expressed regret at not pursuing legal action for her injuries,[91] which she said caused her to endure "hundreds of doctor appointments", "head-to-toe pain on a daily basis",[92] anxiety and depression.[93] In 2013 and 2014, she made two appearances as Brittany Gold on the TV series,Kirstie.[94][95][96] From 2014 to 2019 she appeared in five episodes of the animated seriesBoJack Horseman.[97] Chenoweth playedMaleficent in the live-actionDisney Channel original movie,Descendants (2015). TheEntertainment Weekly reviewer said that "Chenoweth stole much of the show".[98][99] It drew the largest cable TV movie audience of 2015 to that date.[100] later that year, Chenoweth appeared in an episode ofI Get That a Lot, posing as a waitress,[101] and co-hosted the69th Tony Awards, for which she was nominated for another Emmy Award.[102] Chenoweth played Velma Von Tussle in NBC'sHairspray Live! in 2016.[103]
In 2017, Chenoweth played the role ofEaster in theStarz TV seriesAmerican Gods[104] and guested onYounger[105] In 2018, a guest spot onMom[106] was followed by the main cast role, onTrial & Error, of Lavinia Peck-Foster, an eccentric heiress accused of her husband's murder, who hires Josh Segal and Associates to defend her.[66][107] She participated in a 2018 NBC broadcast,A Very Wicked Halloween, hosting and singingPopular and other numbers to celebrate the 15th anniversary ofWicked on Broadway.[108] The same year, she appeared as a guest on another NBC special,Darci Lynne: My Hometown Christmas.[109] The next year, Chenoweth made another Christmas TV movie,A Christmas Love Story.[110] The same year, she appeared on British TV as a judge on an ITV special "All Star Musicals", where she andElaine Paige performed the song "I Know Him So Well" together.[111]
Chenoweth hosted a six-episodeFood Network television competition show, derived from the gameCandy Land, in 2020–2021.[112][113] In 2021, PBS aired aWicked concert special, hosted by Chenoweth and Menzel, with "a starry line-up" of singers and actors performing the musical numbers.[114] She also appeared as the villainous Mildred Layton in theApple TV+ parody musical comedy television seriesSchmigadoon![66][115] for which she was nominated for the 2022Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.[116] and aHollywood Critics Association TV Award.[117] Later that year, she joinedThe Voice, season 21 as advisor toAriana Grande's team.[118] She returned in 2023 for season 2 ofSchmigadoon!, this time as Miss Codwell, owner of an orphanage, receiving another Hollywood Critics Association TV Award nomination.[119]
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Chenoweth made her theatrical film debut inTopa Topa Bluffs in 2002 playing Patty.[120] After a few years away from film, she returned to the big screen in the 2005 film version ofBewitched, directed byNora Ephron, as Maria Kelly. In 2006, Chenoweth played supporting roles in five films,The Pink Panther,RV,[66]Running with Scissors,Deck the Halls[66] andStranger Than Fiction. On February 24, 2008, Chenoweth sang "That's How You Know" from the filmEnchanted at the80th Academy Awards in theKodak Theatre.[121] In animated films, she voiced "a little charmer" called Kilowatt inSpace Chimps[122] and another role, Rosetta the garden fairy, inTinker Bell (both 2008).[13] She also appeared in the 2008 holidayromantic comedyFour Christmases, playing the sister ofReese Witherspoon's character.
In 2009, Chenoweth starred as a "suicidal prostitute" in the indie dramaInto Temptation, written and directed by Patrick Coyle. The film was screened at theNewport Beach Film Festival and was later released on DVD.[123] Also in 2009, Chenoweth reprised her voice role of Rosetta inTinker Bell and the Lost Treasure andTinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue, and filmed the Disney comedyYou Again (released in 2010). She was called "memorable" in the supporting role of Debra in the 2012 action comedyHit and Run.[66] She played Samatha inFamily Weekend (2013).[66][124] Chenoweth next voiced Gabi, a poisonous frog, in the 2014 animated film,Rio 2,[125][126] and starred as Mrs. Kemp inThe Opposite Sex (2014).[127]
In 2015, she appeared in the thrillerThe Boy Next Door and voiced the Sugar Plum Fairy inStrange Magic[128] andFifi,Snoopy's love interest, inThe Peanuts Movie.[129][130] The next year she played Lorna Buchanan inHard Sell.[66][131] In 2017, she played Janet Krauss inClass Rank and voiced Princess Skystar in the 2017 animatedMy Little Pony: The Movie,[132] and Abby the Mouse inThe Star.[133] Chenoweth headlined theHallmark Channel's 2019 Countdown to Christmas with filmA Christmas Love Story.[134] She voiced another mouse, Daisy, inThe Witches (2020)[135] and played Bailey inNational Champions (2021).[136] She was Aunt Susan inHolidate (2020)[137] and had cameos in the 2022 filmBros as herself,[138] and in the2024 film version ofWicked as a "Wiz-O-Mania" Superstar (together with Menzel), performing in theEmerald City.[139] Chenoweth andLindsay Lohan star in the romantic comedyOur Little Secret onNetflix, released in November 2024.[140] She sings the end credits song, "Live Like That," in the 2025 animated film,The King of Kings.[141]
Chenoweth often appeared onA Prairie Home Companion.[142] On August 27, 2008, Chenoweth released an internet video withFunny or Die calledIntervention with Kristin Chenoweth.[143] The video parodiedA&E's showIntervention, with Chenoweth starring as a singing, dancing interventionist. The song in the video was composed byAndrew Lippa, with lyrics by Amy Rhodes, who also wrote the script for the video.[143] Chenoweth admitted that she was hesitant about performing the lyrics.[144]
In 2010, she appeared in a three-minute video short forGlamour Magazine titled "iPad or Bust".[145] She posed for the cover and a photo spread in the March 2006 edition ofFHM magazine.[146] In 2011, Chenoweth released her first televised music video onCountry Music Television, directed byRoman White, for her song "I Want Somebody".[147] The video for the single peaked at #19 onCMT's Top 20 Countdown.[148]
In 2022, Chenoweth dipped into journalism in the mini-seriesKeeper of the Ashes: The Oklahoma Girl Scout Murders onHulu. In the special, she investigates the1977 murders of three girls at aGirl Scout camp that the young Chenoweth had been unable to attend that year due to illness.[149] The same year, she published her first picture book,What Will I Do for My Love Today?[150]
Chenoweth has a distinctive speaking voice, one she has compared to that ofBetty Boop.[151] She is a classically trainedcoloratura soprano, able to sing the note "F6" (also known as F above High C).[152]
Among other early recordings, Chenoweth participated in a studio cast recording ofThe Most Happy Fella in 1992. She was also in the cast recordings ofA New Brain (1998) andYou're a Good Man, Charlie Brown (1999) and a studio cast recording of110 in the Shade (1999). In 2000, she was featured on the albumGrateful: The Songs ofJohn Bucchino. The next year, with Mandy Patinkin, she was featured on the album titled "Kidults".[18] Also in 2001, she released her debut solo albumLet Yourself Go, which was a collection of standards from the musicals of the 1930s. One of the tracks featured a duet withJason Alexander. InOctober 2002, Chenoweth performed songs from the album in concert forLincoln Center's American Songbook concert series.[153] Ben Rimalower, inPlaybill, praised the album as "a joyous affair".[31] The same year, she appeared asFanny Brice in the Actor's Fund Benefit Concert of the musicalFunny Girl in New York City. In 2003 in London, she performed a solo concert as part of theDivas at the Donmar series for directorSam Mendes. Later that year, she sang Glinda in the cast recording ofWicked and the soundtrack recording of Disney'sThe Music Man. Rimalower wrote that Chenoweth "sparkles" on the album.[31] In 2004, she released her second albumAs I Am, which was a Christian music album containing various spiritual songs. The album peaked at number 31 on the U.S. Christian Albums Chart. The same year, Chenoweth gavea concert at Carnegie Hall.[18]
On January 19, 2007, Chenoweth performed a solo concert atThe Metropolitan Opera in New York titledKristin Chenoweth Live At The Met, making history as only the third musical theatre star ever to present a solo concert at that location, followingBarbara Cook andYves Montand.[154] The same year, she was featured in songs withNathan Gunn on an album titledJust Before Sunrise. The next year, she released her third solo studio album, titledA Lovely Way to Spend Christmas. The album included a duet withJohn Pizzarelli, and there are several modern holiday tunes, but many traditional carols as well, includingThe Lord's Prayer. This album has been her best-seller, reaching number 77 on the U.S. Billboard Albums Chart, number 7 on the U.S. Holiday Albums chart and number 1 on the U.S. Heatseekers chart. Ben Rimalower, inPlaybill, observed that the album "proved an ideal showcase for [Chenoweth's] many gifts".[31] Among many other solo concerts around the U.S., Chenoweth performed her own concert in 2009 with theSt. Louis Symphony Orchestra at theFox Theatre.[155]
In August 2010, during her nights off fromPromises, Promises, Chenoweth recorded her fourth album, acountry-pop CD titledSome Lessons Learned.[156] Released on September 13, 2011, the album contains songs byDiane Warren,Dolly Parton andLady Antebellum'sHillary Scott, among others. Chenoweth co-wrote two of the songs.[157][158] In advance of the album, Chenoweth released the song "I Want Somebody (Bitch About)".[159] Ben Rimalower, writing inPlaybill, thought that the album "may be Chenoweth's most accomplished".[31] From the TV showGCB, in 2012, Chenoweth released "Blessed Be the Ties that Bind",[160] "Jesus Take the Wheel",[161] "Prayer of St. Francis" (which was also onSome Lessons Learned)[162] and "This Little Light of Mine".[163] Chenoweth conducted her firstU.S. concert tour in the summer of 2012. The reviewer for BroadwayWorld.com wrote: "Kristin shines on stage."[164]
Less than four months after her July 2012 injury on the set ofThe Good Wife, Chenoweth returned to the concert stage for a short series of dates in California, where she performed "a sagely programmed 90-minute set, which merged pop, Broadway, gospel and country with perky, unforced-feeling remarks. Chenoweth's range, timbre and versatility are in peak form, with astonishing top notes, equalized registers and a delicious ability to variegate attack from number to number."[87] In 2013, Chenoweth performed at theSydney Opera House as part of an Australian concert tour.[165] In 2014, Chenoweth returned to Carnegie Hall with an autobiographical concert,The Evolution of a Soprano, where she sang "as good a rendition of 'Much More' as we're ever likely to hear".[25] She also made her London solo concert debut at theRoyal Albert Hall, where a reviewer's five-star review noted: "Chenoweth undeniably knows how to engulf a venue, not only with her (sometimes surprisingly) powerful, operatic voice but also with her irresistible personality that audience was in the palm of her hands for the duration of the evening".[166] She joinedAndrew Lippa in hisoratorioI AmHarvey Milk atAvery Fisher Hall on October 6, 2014.[167]
In 2014, Chenoweth released an album titledComing Home.[168] The album charted at No. 48 on the Billboard 200 chart.[169] HerComing Home Tour continued into 2017.[170] Chenoweth released her next album,The Art of Elegance, in 2016,[171] which debuted at No. 36 on theBillboard 200[172] and No. 1 on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart.[173] One of the songs on the album, "I'm a Fool to Want You", was nominated for aGrammy Award for its arrangements.[174] She gave a series of concerts at Broadway'sLunt-Fontanne Theatre, titledMy Love Letter to Broadway, in 2016.[175] In 2017, she gave a concert at theLondon Palladium, where she "put on a spectacular show and simultaneously formed a heartfelt connection with her fans."[176]
Chenoweth released the albumFor the Girls on September 27, 2019, which features covers of songs by female performers from various genres that have influenced her. She collaborated withDolly Parton,Reba McEntire,Jennifer Hudson andAriana Grande on the album.[177] In support of the album, she presented a concert series titledKristin Chenoweth: For the Girls at theNederlander Theatre from November 8 to 17, 2019.[178] She released a second holiday album,Happiness Is Christmas, in October 2021,[179] and returned to the Metropolitan Opera House with a new program,Christmas at the Met, on December 13, 2021, to promote the album.[180]
Chenoweth and the cast of the Broadway musicalWicked performed the song "One Short Day" in the 2003Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.[181] At the 2005 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Chenoweth performed the song "Oklahoma" while riding aboard the "Oklahoma Rising" float. The float was making the first of three annual appearances commemorating the state of Oklahoma's statehood centennial in 2007.[182][183] She was the star performer of the opening ceremony of the 2007 Tournament of Roses Parade. She sang "Our Good Nature", an original composition written to coincide with the Oklahoma centennial celebration and the theme of the parade.[184] In the 2008 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, she performed the song "The Christmas Waltz" from her "A Lovely Way to Spend Christmas" album while riding aboard the "Care Bears Winter Fun-Derland" float.[185]
She sang withIl Divo as part of Il Divo's Christmas Tour onDecember 15, 16 and 17, 2009, in New York City andDecember 18 in Boston.[186][187] She has sung theU.S. national anthem at various sporting events, including the 2010New York Yankees home opener,[188] atCandlestick Park for theNFL'sNFC Conference Championship on January 22, 2012,[189] at theArizona Cardinals' season opener in 2016 and their game atUniversity of Phoenix Stadium against theSeattle Seahawks on November 9, 2017.[190] Also in 2010, Chenoweth hosted the15th Annual Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards onVH1.[191]
In 2013, Chenoweth co-hosted theOscars Red Carpet Live immediately prior to the85th Academy Awards[192] and also sang the closing number of the ceremony, "Here's to the Losers", with hostSeth MacFarlane, in which, paraphrasing the originalFrank Sinatra song, the two poked genial fun at nominees who had not received awards.[193] Chenoweth was the solo performer in theLive from Lincoln Center feature "The Dames of Broadway... All of 'Em!!!"[31] In July, she hosted the fifthJust For Laughs gala in Montreal.[194] She also appeared in the 2013 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade performing the song "New York, New York" while riding aboardRoyal Caribbean's "A World at Sea" float.[195]
In 2015, she co-hosted the Tony Awards.[196] She appeared as a guest with Andrea Bocelli on some of his 2017–2018 American tour stops.[197] In December 2018, Chenoweth performed with and narrated theTabernacle Choir's yearly Christmas concert series inSalt Lake City, Utah.[198]
In 2025, she performed the U.S. national anthem at Game 7 of the2025 NBA Finals at thePaycom Center inOklahoma City, Oklahoma.[199]
In 2009, Chenoweth published a memoir,A Little Bit Wicked: Life, Love, and Faith in Stages, describing her life and career, including her adoption, her turn inWicked and her time in Hollywood.[200] Chenoweth suffers fromMénière's disease, an inner-ear disorder that can cause vertigo, headaches and nausea, among other symptoms. She has said that during some performances, she leaned on her co-stars to keep her balance, and that it has caused her to miss performances.[13]
Chenoweth has spoken publicly about her religious faith; she describes herself as a "non-judgmental,liberal Christian".[201] According toThe New York Times, when Chenoweth "assured her theater fans that she supports gay rights, her Christian base was outraged; she was disinvited from performing at a Women of Faith conference inSeptember 2005".[202] Chenoweth released an album inApril 2005,As I Am, a mixture ofhymns andcontemporary Christian music, withadult contemporary arrangements. To promote the album, she made an appearance onThe 700 Club, which upset some of her gay fans.[203] She later said she thought that the "Pat Robertsons andJerry Falwells of the world are scary" and that she regretted appearing on the show.[204]
In May 2010, Chenoweth wrote in response toan article inNewsweek by Ramin Setoodeh, an openly gay writer. Setoodeh thought that her Tony-nominatedPromises, Promises co-star,Sean Hayes, "comes off as wooden and insincere" in playing the straight character Chuck and thatJonathan Groff has a similar credibility problem in the TV showGlee. He questioned whether any openly gay actor could acceptably portray a straight character.[205] Chenoweth called the article "horrendously homophobic" and criticized Setoodeh's view as rationalizing "the same kind of bullying" that gay youths face in high school. Chenoweth argued that audiences "come to the theater to go on a journey" and do not care about an actor's sexual orientation.[206] The story was discussed in media includingThe New York Times[207] and theLos Angeles Times.[208]
Chenoweth endorsedHillary Clinton in the2016 United States presidential election and was one of many celebrities who sang an arrangement of "Fight Song" in a music video made for the2016 Democratic National Convention.[209][210]
Chenoweth has dated several men in Hollywood, including producerDana Brunetti,[211] actorsSeth Green,Lane Garrison andMarc Kudisch (to whom she was engaged from 1998 to 2001),[212] and producer/writerAaron Sorkin.[213] In Sorkin'sStudio 60 on the Sunset Strip, the character of the ChristianHarriet Hayes bears significant resemblances to Chenoweth, and the relationship between Hayes and "East coast liberal Jewish atheist" (Hayes' description)Matt Albie is modeled after that of Chenoweth and Sorkin. For example, Chenoweth's decision to appear onThe 700 Club and her falling out with Women of Faith were depicted with the Hayes character.[13][214] In 2018, Chenoweth began dating Josh Bryant, the guitarist for country band Backroad Anthem.[215] They became engaged in 2021[216] and were married on September 2, 2023.[217]
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [218] | US Christian [219] | US Holiday [220] | US Country [221] | US Jazz [220] | ||
| Let Yourself Go |
| — | — | — | — | — |
| As I Am |
| — | 31 | — | — | — |
| A Lovely Way to Spend Christmas |
| 77 | — | 7 | — | — |
| Some Lessons Learned |
| 50 | — | — | 14 | — |
| Coming Home[168] |
| 48 | — | — | — | — |
| The Art of Elegance |
| 36 | — | — | — | 1 |
| For the Girls |
| 68 [222] | — | — | — | — |
| Happiness Is...Christmas! |
| — | — | 17 | — | — |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | ||||||
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [224] | AUS [225] | CAN [226] | IRL [227] | UK [228] | |||
| "Maybe This Time" (Glee Cast featuring Kristin Chenoweth) | 2009 | 88 | 100 | —[A] | — | 87 | Glee: The Music, Volume 1 |
| "Alone" (Glee Cast featuring Kristin Chenoweth) | 51 | 94 | 58 | 25 | 47 | ||
| "Last Name" (Glee Cast featuring Kristin Chenoweth) | — | — | — | 44 | 83 | Glee: The Music, The Complete Season One | |
| "Fire" (Glee Cast featuring Kristin Chenoweth) | 2010 | 64 | — | 52 | — | 93 | |
| "One Less Bell to Answer /A House Is Not a Home" (Glee Cast featuring Kristin Chenoweth) | 53 | — | 63 | — | 77 | Glee: The Music, Volume 3 Showstoppers | |
| "Home" (Glee Cast featuring Kristin Chenoweth) | 90 | — | 92 | — | 116 | ||
| "Dreams" (Glee Cast featuring Kristin Chenoweth) | 2011 | 92 | — | —[B] | — | — | Glee: The Music, Volume 6 |
| "—" denotes a release that did not chart. | |||||||
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Bub. [230] | NZ Hot [231] | UK Sales [232] | ||||
| "Popular" | 2003 | — | — | — | Wicked | |
| "Defying Gravity" (withIdina Menzel) | — | — | 86 |
| ||
| "Evil Like Me" (withDove Cameron) | 2015 | 12 | — | — |
| Descendants |
| "One Short Day" (withCynthia Erivo,Ariana Grande and Idina Menzel featuring Michael McCorry Rose) | 2024 | 14 | — | — | Wicked: The Soundtrack | |
| "For Good"(Live from the Gershwin Theatre) (with Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande and Idina Menzel) | 2025 | — | 37 | — | Wicked: One Wonderful Night | |
| "—" denotes a release that did not chart. | ||||||
Chenoweth was awarded an honorary doctorate in Performing Arts from theUniversity of North Carolina School of the Arts in 2009, where she was the commencement speaker.[235] Oklahoma City University, where she received her undergraduate and master's degrees, awarded her an honoraryDoctor of Humane Letters degree in 2013.[14] In 2010, Chenoweth was inducted into theOklahoma Hall of Fame.[236] In 2011, she won theGLAAD Vanguard Award.[237]
In 2012, the Broken Arrow Performing Arts Center named its theatre the Kristin Chenoweth Theatre.[238] Chenoweth received a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame in 2015.[22] In 2015, she was inducted as an honorary member of theSigma Alpha Iota music fraternity's Sigma Theta chapter atEastman School of Music.[239]
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Theatre World Awards | Outstanding Broadway Debut | Steel Pier | Won | [240] |
| 1999 | Tony Awards | Best Featured Actress in a Musical | You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown | Won | [240] [241] |
| Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical | Won | |||
| Outer Critics Circle Award | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical | Won | |||
| 2004 | Tony Awards | Best Actress in a Musical | Wicked | Nominated | [240] [241] |
| Outer Critics Circle Award | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | Nominated | |||
| Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | Nominated | |||
| 2007 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | The Apple Tree | Nominated | [240] [241] |
| Outer Critics Circle Award | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | Nominated | |||
| 2015 | Tony Awards | Best Actress in a Musical | On the Twentieth Century | Nominated | [240] [241] |
| Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | Won | |||
| Outer Critics Circle Award | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | Won |
