Kristin Chenoweth on returning to 'Wicked' after 15 years
It's good to see her, isn't it? Fifteen years after Kristin Chenoweth first made her entrance in a magic bubble, she's back celebrating Wicked's anniversary. Decked out in pink sparkles, fitting for the good witch, Chenoweth performed her signature song "Popular" for the 15th anniversary celebration, which airs on NBC on October 29.
We caught up with Chenoweth to discuss how the musical shaped her career and whether she'd ever return to Oz.
How do you feel Wicked has shaped your career?
It's kind of a landmark. We have landmarks in our life, whether we make them or somebody else builds them for us.
What's one of your favorite memories from being in Wicked? Do you remember any onstage mishaps?
There're so many, but one that only I seem to find funny is there were lights that moved, very expensive lights. We were lucky to have them. And one time, the lights — instead of getting stuck on us — got stuck on about 20 people in the audience. They looked very uncomfortable.
It went on for 30 minutes, and I got the giggles, and Carol Shelley [who played Madame Morrible] — I know you're listening to this — got the giggles so hard. She was looking at me like, concentrate. I couldn't stop laughing until she got the giggles and then Norbert [Leo Butz, who played Fiyero] got the giggles. The 20 people were uncomfortable in this lighting. They just wanted to come see a show. They didn't want to be there, but they were.
Would you ever do Wicked again?
Oh gosh, I don't know if I would do it. I have this little compartment in my mind and that's what it was. People say it's hard to revisit something. You go back. You're always disappointed. I just want to keep it just like that.
What advice would you give to a future Glinda?
I would say: Don't look for the easy way out. Work your butt off; train for it. Don't look for how to become a star. If you want to be a star, go make a reality show. If you want longevity, train yourself.
Photo courtesy of NBC
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