Kristin Chenoweth’s memoir chronicles her successful career as a Broadway, television, and movie singer and actress. She is well known as the good witch Glinda in Wicked.
Some of her career memorabilia is displayed at the Broken Arrow Performing Arts Center in her hometown. The theater there is named in her honor.
Every summer she returns to oversee a Broadway Bootcamp for aspiring young performers.
On display at the PAC are Kristin’s jacket, shoes, and bag she used when she was a Tigette at Broken Arrow High School , in Broken Arrow Oklahoma.
A LITTLE BIT Wicked:Life, Love, and Faith in Stages
a memoir by Kristin Chenoweth
Like me, Kristin Chenoweth was born and raised in Oklahoma; unlike me, she is an award-winning singer and stage, screen, and television actress. She is loved and admired here in our home state, being an inductee into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame, as well as the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame.
I have been to the Broken Arrow Performing Arts Center in Oklahoma where she conducts an annual Broadway Bootcamp. But I didn’t know much about her until I listened to the audiobook version of her memoir A Little Bit Wicked: Life, Love, and Faith in Stages, read by her. Now I almost feel like we are best friends.
From the opening paragraph, Kristin is candid, no-nonsense, transparent, and hilarious. She’s one of those “you never know what she’s going to say next” people and you don’t want to miss any of it. She is just as upfront sharing her failures as she is celebrating her successes.
This part of the country is referred to as the “Bible belt” and Kristin admits to reading and believing it. So don’t be surprised when she mentions and even occasionally quotes from the Bible in her memoir. Like when she talks about the circumstances of her birth.
Kristin’s faith and family
Kristin was adopted at birth by a couple who had one child but were unable to have more. She describes herself as the product of “forbidden love.” Her biological mother was an unmarried flight attendant who became pregnant. Instead of abortion or raising a child alone, she opted for adoption. Kristin joined the Chenoweth family soon after birth.
Her adoptive parents have loved her and supported her career and she is immensely grateful to them.
Rather than being angry or bitter, Kristin is grateful to this woman who she says was kind enough to “let me go”. To illustrate, she tells a Bible story from the Old Testament about the wise King Solomon. It goes like this.
One day two women (prostitutes in some Bible versions) came to King Solomon, and one of them said:
“Your Majesty, this woman and I live in the same house. Not long ago my baby was born at home, and three days later her baby was born. Nobody else was there with us.
One night while we were all asleep, she rolled over on her baby, and he died.
Then while I was still asleep, she got up and took my son out of my bed. She put him in her bed, then she put her dead baby next to me.
In the morning when I got up to feed my son, I saw that he was dead. But when I looked at him in the light, I knew he wasn’t my son.”
The other woman shouted.
“No! He was your son. My baby is alive!”
The first woman yelled.
“The dead baby is yours. Mine is alive!”
They argued back and forth in front of Solomon until finally he said,
“Both of you say this live baby is yours. Someone bring me a sword.”
“Cut the baby in half! That way each of you can have part of him.”
The baby’s mother screamed.
“Please don’t kill my son. Your Majesty, I love him very much, but give him to her. Just don’t kill him.”
The other woman shouted,
“Go ahead and cut him in half. Then neither of us will have the baby.”
Solomon pointed to the first woman saying,
“Don’t kill the baby. She is his real mother. Give the baby to her.”
Everyone in Israel was amazed when they heard how Solomon had made his decision. They realized that God had given him wisdom to judge fairly.
From 1 Kings chapter 3 Contemporary English Version (CEV)
Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society
She compares her birth mother to the woman who loved her child so much she would rather lose her than see her die. She believes, “The ultimate test of love is letting go.”
And last year, after a lifetime of not knowing, Kristin met her birth mother, a meeting that thrilled both of them. In an interview with Katie Couric, Kristin said ,
Not everyone can say that, but I count myself lucky to have a birth mother who loved me enough to know she wasn’t ready to be a mom. I’m lucky that I have wonderful parents who chose me. I often say adoption is a full-circle blessing and I truly believe it. Adopted children were not abandoned, we were chosen.
Kristin’s personal life
Unlike many entertainment celebrities, Kristin doesn’t seem to have any skeletons in her closet; she has avoided problems with alcohol, drugs, abusive relationships, financial problems, or other scandals.
Kristin makes living with Meniere’s Disease sound like a sitcom. Meniere’s causes dysfunction of the inner ear, resulting in sudden, unpredictable, debilitating attacks of vertigo(dizziness), nausea, and vomiting. Episodes resolves after a few hours or sometimes days.
There is no cure for Meniere’s except a radical ear surgery which might leave her with hearing loss. As a professional singer she doesn’t want to risk that, so she copes with the condition with humor and an unwillingness to let it stop her from fulfilling her work commitments.
Memorabilia from Kristin’s career on display at the theater in Broken Arrow
Kristin describes singing at her beloved grandfather’s funeral, and supporting her mother through breast cancer diagnosis and treatment, showing that she has a serious side to her fun loving persona.
She sometimes feels caught between the Christian community which criticizes her liberal social views and her friends with unconventional lifestyles who are turned off by her uncompromising Christian witness. As she puts it, she wants to love and help everyone like Jesus did; she doesn’t want to take sides or exclude people just because they are different.
Kristin’s professional life
Kristin performs on the stage, in movies, and on television, and records albums. She won a Tony award as Sally Brown in “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.”
I hope you will read, or better yet listen to Kristin’s memoir.
She may be “A Little Bit Wicked”, but I think you will love her as much as we do here in Oklahoma.
These are affiliate links which support this blog in sharing the HEART of health.
Enjoy Kristin’s singing
Listen on Apple Music to COMING HOME
Buy on the iTunes Store THE ART OF ELEGANCE album
And find her on Amazon
Thanks for joining me to meet Kristin Chenoweth and see a little bit of our home state.
WICKED is a touching saga of love, friendship, betrayal, courage, and forgiveness.
After hearing how wonderful it is, I finally saw the touring production of WICKED and it is every bit as “wicked” as everyone says.
Although Kristin no longer performs in it, other actresses bring Glinda and Elphaba to life with singing, non-stop action, and gorgeous costumes.
It may be based on a children’s story, but WICKED is a touching saga of love, friendship, betrayal, courage, and forgiveness. Don’t miss it if you have a chance to see it.
Listen to the WICKED album on Amazon Music (affiliate link).
About Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
statistics from the City of Broken Arrow, 2020
- Population- 113,000
- Land area -61 square miles
- Median household income -$82,831
- Median home value-$163,900
- Median age-37 years
- 274th largest city in the U.S.A
Top 5 employers in Broken Arrow
- Broken Arrow Public Schools
- Walmart
- City of Broken Arrow
- Northeastern State University
- Flight Safety
watercress words by Dr Aletha 