Enjoy A Night Of Broadway Classics, Standards And Pop Hits With Kristin Chenoweth At The Ridgefield Playhouse

Don't miss this night of Broadway classics, standards and pop hits when Emmy and Tony Award-winning actress and singer Kristin Chenoweth takes the stage at The Ridgefield Playhouse's Fall Gala on Saturday, September 28 at 8pm. Chenoweth's career spans film, television, voiceover and stage. She received an Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her role in "Pushing Daisies," won a Tony Award for You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown and was also nominated for her original role of Glinda the Good Witch in the Broadway smash-hit Wicked. Chenoweth will make her Playhouse debut the day after her new album, For the Girls, is scheduled for release. The Gala begins at 5:30pm in Yanity Gymm, which will be transformed into a beautiful party space, with dinner, open bar and silent auction (Gala ticket holders only) and continues in the theater with a live auction and Kristin Chenoweth performance at 8pm. This event is part of Northern Trust Broadway & Cabaret Series. Media partner for this event is WEBE 108.

The Ridgefield Playhouse Fall Gala is made possible by our generous sponsors: Diamond Sponsors: Berisford, Cox, Rabinowitz, Ross, & Stockel Families; Colonial Automobile Group & the Beylouni Family; Tauck and Wells Fargo Private Bank; Gold Sponsors: Scott & Danielle Edwardson and Mr. & Mrs. Robert Kaufman; Silver Sponsors: Daniela Sikora & Keitha Kinne and AllShows.com; Bronze Sponsors: Deb & Howard Bubb, Ann & Steve Carlson, and The Sawtelle Family; With support from: All Season Party Rentals, Pepsi, and Reliance Merchant Services & Reli-Bid.

Chenoweth's seventh album, For the Girls, will be released the day before her performance at The Ridgefield Playhouse. It is one of her most personal and compelling projects to date. The album is a tribute to some of the great singers who have influenced her, with Chenoweth's personally charged interpretations of 12 classic songs identified with such iconic artists as Barbra Streisand ("The Way We Were"), Eva Cassidy ("It Doesn't Matter Anymore"), Dinah Washington ("What a Diff'rence A Day Made"), Doris Day ("When I Fall In Love"), Patsy Cline ("Crazy"), Judy Garland ("The Man That Got Away"), Carole King ("Will You Love Me Tomorrow"), Eydie Gorme ("I Wanna Be Around") and Linda Ronstadt ("Desperado").

"I really wanted to pay homage to all the women singers who have influenced me over the years," Chenoweth explains. "I wanted to make something that men could also enjoy, but this is by the girls and for the girls. These songs have all stood the test of time, and most of them are songs that I grew up listening to. It was a little intimidating, because people like Judy, Barbra and Dolly are the people who made me want to be a singer in the first place. I wanted to pay homage to these women and do them proud, but I also wanted to put my own stamp on it. And I think I was able to do that."

"Sometimes it felt impossible," she continues, "because there were about 45,000 songs I wanted to record, and it took me a year and a half to narrow it down for the album. Some of the songs were obvious choices, but others were not. I also tried to find a story arc for the album through the songs, which I was able to do with the help of my producer, Steve Tyrell."

On several tracks, Chenoweth is joined by some high-powered guest vocalists, including Dolly Parton, who lends her voice to her own composition "I Will Always Love You"; Ariana Grande, who's featured on a pointed reading of Lesley Gore's feminist pop anthem "You Don't Own Me"; and Jennifer Hudson and Reba McEntire, who trade vocals with Chenoweth on "I'm A Woman," originally popularized by Peggy Lee.

"These are some of my favorite singers in the world," Chenoweth asserts. "'I Will Always Love You' is a song I've loved since I was a child. I used to think, 'One day I'm going to sing that song.' Little did I know that I'd get to sing it with the queen herself."

Chenoweth credits veteran producer/performer Steve Tyrell, a key collaborator who also produced her acclaimed 2016 release The Art of Elegance. According to Chenoweth, Tyrell's experience and insight made him an ideal collaborator.

"Steve and I are a match made in heaven," Chenoweth states. "Not only is he an incredible singer and performer in his own right, he has a wealth of knowledge of all music. He has a fantastic ear and kept reminding me, 'KC, you don't have to be perfect the first time!"

Since achieving Broadway stardom with her roles in You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown and Wicked, Kristin Chenoweth has effortlessly transitioned between her parallel careers in stage, television, film and music. After winning a Tony award for her work in You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown and earning a Tony nomination for her breakthrough role in Wicked, she won an Emmy Award for her work in the ABC TV series "Pushing Daisies," and received two Emmy nominations for her work in the Fox series "Glee."

In addition to numerous other TV, film and stage projects, Chenoweth was featured in 34 episodes of NBC's "The West Wing," was a guest judge on "American Idol" and "Project Runway," and has recorded four studio albums. In 2014, Chenoweth released Coming Home, a live album, DVD and PBS special recorded at a historic concert in her hometown of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, followed by the celebrated studio effort The Art of Elegance. Among her many upcoming projects are a pair of holiday-themed films, A Christmas Song and Holidate.

Her multimedia successes notwithstanding, Chenoweth retains her enthusiasm for the recording process, regarding her album projects as a vehicle for creativity and expression.

"I love to make records, because I love getting to say something through music on my own terms," she states. "Music is such a powerful, healing force. Whether you like rap or opera or country, music is something that bonds us together. And we live in a time where music is really speaking to us. There are no more rules, and that's really inspiring to me, because there's no limit now."

For tickets ($195 - $250) call or visit the box office, 203-438-5795 or go online at ridgefieldplayhouse.org. The Ridgefield Playhouse is a non-profit performing arts center located at 80 East Ridge, parallel to Main Street, Ridgefield, CT.

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