Kristin Chenoweth brings both music and messages to the Winspear
RICH LOPEZ | Staff writer
rich@dallasvoice.com
Of all the famous celebrities out there, Kristin Chenoweth is one who has always known how to keep it real. Her down-to-earth demeanor comes through on stage and on the phone.
And when she’s late to a gig, she owns up to it.
I saw Chenoweth perform live in 2017 in Midland, Texas, at the Wagner Noel Performing Arts Center. She was about an hour late, and the crowd wasn’t so much restless as they were confused.
But Chenoweth was not pulling a Madonna or Beyonce diva moment.
“I remember that,” the Broadway star recalled when I spoke with her this week. “The plane had run late, and when we landed, I came off that plane and headed straight for the venue.
“I didn’t bother with makeup or a gown. I just had to get there to start the show.”
She appeased the crowd by walking on lugging her rolling suitcase and wearing jeans.
It was so Kristin.
“I love touring. It makes me so happy, so I want the audience to be happy, she explained.
Chenoweth heads to Dallas this week to headline the Winspear Opera House on April 7. Just as she clearly recalled the West Texas show, she remembered her first performance at the Winspear. It was a big deal.
“I love that venue,” Chenoweth said. “I was there to open the Winspear with Patti LuPone. It’s such a beautiful venue, and I’m so thrilled to return to it.”
There’s something ironic about her love of touring. Audiences and fans know her through stage (Wicked, You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown), television (Glee, Schmigadoon!) and film (Four Christmases, Bewitched). She’s so prolific in those arenas, that touring would seem so secondary.
Far from it.
“I like concertizing because I’m not hiding behind a role. I can say the things I want through music,” she said. “People come expecting one thing, but I get to do what I want and say what I want through music.
“I’m the boss of me, right?”
Chenoweth will perform with her band, focusing on For the Girls, her seventh studio album highlighting songs written and performed by women.
But the show is bigger than just her songs — at least she wants it to be. On April 7, the Winspear isn’t just a stage to sing on; Chenoweth wants to bring more to her audience especially in today’s times.
“I just really love having a platform,” she said. “I’m bringing music to the people to hopefully forget. We have several wars going on. We have an upcoming election.
It’s not news to anybody what I stand for, but I also want them to forget about all that news for a little bit.”
Chenoweth also brings her faith to the stage. She said she likes to talk about how her faith has worked in show biz and how it hasn’t, but all with the hopes of connecting with her audiences.
And even as a gay icon, she can tie her faith to the community.
“That’s my people, and I’m so over these conversations against the community. God just wants us all to love each other and find happiness,” she said. “I can only imagine the community is just as tired of these conversations.”
While touring, Chenoweth has also begun working on the musical Queen of Versailles for Broadway. It’s a new show by Wicked’s Stephen Schwartz, directed by recent Tony-winner and out Texas native Michael Arden.
The show is based on the documentary of the same name, about Westgate Resorts owners Jackie and David Siegel establishing their massive private residence, Versailles, during the country’s economic decline.
Playing a real person is nothing new for Chenoweth, but this contemporary character is a welcome challenge for the actor.
“Stephen called me and said ‘I’m writing a show for you.’ It’s going to be great playing this contemporary person, and it’s a great score. But it’s hard to sing. I’m working on it all the time,” she said.
The show will open in Boston before finding its place on Broadway.
Chenoweth knows she has a busy schedule and is completely fine with that.
“I’m 55, but the older I get, I want to keep moving and evolving. I take care of myself,” she said. “I know when I get [to Dallas], I’ll hit up Stanley Korshak and head to Capital Grille, do some hot yoga and then, I’m gonna sing for y’all.”
For tickets, visit ATTPAC.org.
