Tag: kristin chenoweth

After 15 Years, ‘Wicked’ Continues to ‘Defy Gravity’

October 31, 2018

Ever since the curtain first rose on “Wicked’s” giant, mechanical dragon clock and the dancing citizens of Emerald City, Broadway has been changed “For Good.”

The untold story of the witches of Oz—Elphaba and Glinda—first captured the world’s imagination in Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel “Wicked,” in which he envisioned a story where the two witches at the center of L. Frank Baum’s “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” were not enemies, but best friends. (Fun fact: Maguire created Elphaba’s name out of the first sounds of L. Frank Baum’s name—“El,” “Fa,” and “Ba”—to create “Elphaba.”)

In October 2003, a song-and-dance-filled retelling of “Wicked” emerged on Broadway at Gershwin Theatre, with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and script by Winnie Holzman. Idina Menzel, previously of “Rent” fame (and eventually to be known as Elsa in “Frozen”), starred as Elphaba alongside Kristin Chenoweth’s Glinda. The combination of pop-inspired show tunes, a unique yet familiar story, and powerful voices marked “Wicked” as a show that longtime theater aficionados and newcomers alike would soon come to love.

Add 15 years, and the streams of the Original Cast Recording show that love for “Wicked” continues to defy gravity.

Read into this: The top 3,000-plus “Wicked” superfans on Spotify are currently ages 20-29, but they would have been between 5 and 14 when the musical first premiered—an age of open imagination, ripe for the magic of Oz to take hold. Following them are the superfans in the 30-39 range, the 15-24-year-olds of 2003—those who might have even spent their own money to see the show. The next set of superfans are ages 13-19, emphasizing the timelessness of the show and the hold it now has on a new generation of “Wicked” lovers.

“Wicked” superfans also stay on top of the newest, hottest Broadway shows, listening in high frequencies to other Great White Way soundtracks like “Hamilton,” “Dear Evan Hansen,” and “Mean Girls,” and even movie soundtracks like “A Star is Born,” “The Greatest Showman,” and “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again” in the past month. They also stream Ariana Grande and Taylor Swift when they’re looking for something a little less dramatic.

These superfans keep the “Wicked” star shining brightly on our constellation map of the top Broadway soundtracks on Spotify.

In this map, our data visualizer, Skyler Johnson, sorted each musical into constellations based on the connections between its top stars and the other singers with whom they share songs. In the “Wicked” constellation, Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel steal the stage, accompanied by Norbert Leo Butz (who danced through life as Fiyero), Joel Grey (the Wonderful Wizard), and Christopher Fitzgerald’s Boq, (now Ogie Anhorn in “Waitress”).

After 15 years of near-nightly performances, world tours, and general Broadway magic, “Wicked’s” superfans have ensured that the musical remains as “Popular” as ever.

100 Years of Beauty: Kristin Chenoweth On Leonard Bernstein’s Legacy

August 24, 2018

With legendary composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein’s (1918–1990) 100th birthday on August 25, we set out to search the world of entertainment for those who found inspiration in his work. As it turned out, we didn’t have to look too hard. Avid Bernstein fans are always game to talk about his many works, ranging from beloved musicals such as West Side Story and Peter Pan, to classic operettas like Candide. But Bernstein didn’t just contribute lasting scores and scripts: He also had a profound influence on the way we listen to music.

The author, pianist, and lecturer has inspired generations of composers, songwriters, singers, and artists, including Broadway standout Kristin Chenoweth. Kristin, an Emmy and Tony Award-winning actress and coloratura soprano, is perhaps best known for originating the character of Glinda in Wicked, and for her roles in TV shows Pushing Daisies and The West Wing. For Kristin, Bernstein’s impact spans from encouraging originality, to engaging youth in the classics, and using music to make the world a better place.

Remembering a Legend—And His Legacy

Kristin often cites female singers across time and genres as role models—including Judy Garland, Sandi Patty, Dolly Parton, Bernadette Peters, and Dinah Washington—but credits Bernstein as her favorite composer. “My biggest regret in life is that I was too young to meet him,” she says. Every year on his birthday, the singer takes some time to recognize Bernstein, whether by quoting him in a speech or performing one of his works.

“My favorite piece that I’ve done [to honor him] is an aria from the operetta Candide,” she says. “It’s called ‘Glitter and Be Gay.’ I just love Candide; it’s one of my top-three pieces that he composed. I also love Trouble in Tahiti, which is a very cool little opera that he did. And ‘The Masque.’ They’re all very different, and that to me shows what kind of composer he was and what kind of mark he left on the world.”

One of Bernstein’s best-known works is West Side Story. Set in New York City, the loose take on Romeo and Juliet portrayed the gang war between the Jets and the Sharks, and first premiered in 1957. In its 2009–2011 Broadway revival, instead of English, the Puerto Rican characters’ lines were translated to Spanish, a twist that revamped the musical for a modern audience. The director stayed true to the material while making the show accessible for new fans—in a way Bernstein himself would have loved, Kristin says.

Modern theater-goers now enjoy timeless classics in venues other than the theater, like at concerts. For Kristin, singing Bernstein’s songs at her own shows means exposing audiences to a new genre or composer. She’s encouraging other artists to do it, too: “I would love to see a country band do a classic standard just like I sing country music or pop music in my concerts. I think there are no more rules anymore. And if Leonard Bernstein were alive today, he would one hundred percent agree.”