EXCLUSIVE: The Record: Issue 2 Kristin Chenoweth
By: Monica Simoes Sep. 15, 2011
The Record: Issue 2
The Record is a brand new column that gives Broadway performers an outlet to discuss their solo music. We love and support our favorite stage performers but this will be your first chance to really find out what their music is all about. You can learn about their CD's, concerts, influences, upcoming projects and much more.
Broadway performers are officially now on The Record.
We are thrilled to present our second issue with the incredible Kristin Chenoweth. We sat down with her to talk about her newly released country album "Some Lessons Learned".
Chenoweth is best known on Broadway for her performance as Sally Brown inYou're a Good Man, Charlie Brown (1999), for which she won a Tony Award, and for originating the role of Glinda in the musical Wicked (2003). Her best-known television role is Annabeth Schott in NBC's The West Wing. As Olive Snook on the ABC comedy-drama Pushing Daisies, she won a 2009 Emmy Award.
Find her CD's on sale on Itunes and in stores and
for more information on Kristin Chenoweth visit: www.KristinChenoweth.com
How do you define your sound?
I do a lot of different things with my voice. I think it’s a voice that you know who it is. If I'm singing a aria, if I'm singing country music, if I'm singing musical theatre, you know its me. I’m a soprano but I also belt. I think it’s my tamber in my voice that it may not be everyone’s favorite but it is recognizable and unique. Its just like I'm saying this one makes you great like its an unmistakable voice. I think that’s what I have going for me.
What were your influences in creating this album?
This is a return to how I grabbed faith and though I’m not known for it, Dolly Parton, Patsy Cline, Trisha, Faith, Randy Travis, Garth Brooks and Reba was a big influence. When I played ten years ago, I just said please ill do anything you want but please at some point can I do a country record. I’m thrilled with the material I got to choose. I had the best songwriters in Nashville and all over the world and I got to live in Nashville for a couple months to do it. I’ve been listening to music for years getting ready for this record. As you know I co-wrote a couple of them "What Would Dolly Do" (WWDD) and "Mine to Love" about someone who is in love with a man she cant or shouldn’t have. I know a lot of people that can relate to that aspect so evidently I have a lot to say on the record and I got my chance.
What was your favorite part in the creative process?
I think for me I'm so type A personality. Going to Nashville and just saying don’t give me the sheet music. Let me stand behind a mic and not get locked. Sometimes you get so locked in to the rhythm as a musician. I love music and I love being able to read it but let me just toss that aside and just sing. That was very freeing.
What does your solo music say about you as an artist rather than your acting and stage career?
When I’m doing a role or creating a role or reviving something I’m locked into what the character would do. With concert work and especially being a recording artist the thing that is so beautiful about it is getting to say what you want to say. In this album particularly “Some Lessons Learned” I get to speak about things that changed me. I think if you listen to the record, you can see that I’ve been hurt, that I question my faith. I am a Christian but I have questions for God and I think he wants us to. I think God doesn’t want us to be non-thinking people. Also there’s a song on the album called “I Was Here” that’s about leaving your mark on this world and I believe as for as I know we have one time here and I want to do that. People say how do you keep going with your schedule and I must admit I battle my health and I'm over tired but I have great opportunities and I'm blessed and don’t take that lightly. I don’t mean it in an arrogant way. A lot of people have great opportunities and I just want to utilize my time here wisely and have fun doing it. I want to leave my mark and thats why it’s the first song on the record. No matter what you think of me just try and hear that message. What are you going to do? Maybe you will compose a symphony or maybe you will cure cancer, maybe you will write like Mark Twain but what ever it is do something better than you ever thought you could do. Challenge yourself.
I think I've done that in my career, I've always taken jobs that not everybody will see me in and I will do that till the day I die. I am a risk taker and that doesn’t always equal what the world views as success. For example, Promises, Promises, I’m probably not the first person you think of as the sad, depressed Fran Kublick who is in love with a married man. However they're aspects to that role that I can relate to that people don’t know about. I want to again put my spin on the role. It makes not only a difference in the theatre box office But for me it was a victory because I challenged myself. I did something that people wouldn’t necessary see me in and I took some hits for it in the reviews but that’s ok, that’s all right. You can’t always get those five stars.
You have a wide range of fans from theatre, TV, film and now country what can they all expect?
I think this album you can expect things I wanted to say I got to say. I think you also see that I'm dipping my toe back into where I grew up. I want people to know that they're aspects you see of someone and you think you know what they're about. People don’t always want to see that I get sad, that I’ve been hurt and honestly people don’t want to hear that from me. They go you have a great life but I’m also human. Hopefully they will see that I’m just a regular Oklahoma girl wanting to fall in love and be with my soul mate like everyone else.
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