Photo Flash: Chenoweth Charms At Westport Country Playhouse

Tony Award-winning actress Kristin Chenoweth joined the cast of Kern and Hammerstein's Music In the Air, the second Encores! production of New York City Center's 2008-09 season, that ran February 5-8. Chenoweth replaced the previously announced Marin Mazzie. Ms. Mazzie was no longer available due to the death of her father. Her duties for Music In The Air forced her to reschedule the Westport date.

Kristin Chenoweth effortlessly transitions between television, stage and film. She can be seen starring in the ABC series "Pushing Daisies," where she was recently nominated for an Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. Television fans know her as Annabeth Schott on "The West Wing," and she was seen in the season finale of ABC's hit comedy "Ugly Betty." She portrayed Marian, the librarian, in ABC's movie version of Meredith Willson's "The Music Man;" Lily St. Regis in the television adaptation of "Annie"; and Mrs. Noodle on "Sesame Street." Ms. Chenoweth also starred in her own series "Kristin" for NBC.

Many remember her Tony Award-winning Broadway performance in "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown" and her triumphant star turn when she originated the role of Glinda the Good Witch in "Wicked," which earned her a leading actress Tony Award nomination. She also performed in the Broadway comedy "Epic Proportions" and in the Kander and Ebb musical "Steel Pier," for which she won a Theatre World Award. Ms. Chenoweth also performed in an Off-Broadway production of Moliere's "Scapin" for the Roundabout Theatre Company. Ms. Chenoweth starred in "Stairway to Paradise," an original Encores! production celebrating the great Broadway revue, and in the highly lauded limited engagement of "The Apple Tree" at Roundabout Theatre Company's Studio 54.

Ms. Chenoweth was most recently seen in the Warner Bros. film "Four Christmases." She can also be heard as the voice of the fairy, Rosetta, in Walt Disney Picture's "Tinkerbell." She wrapped filming the independent film, "Into Temptation," directed by Sundance filmmaker Patrick Coyle opposite Jeremy Sisto. This past summer she starred alongside Cheryl Hines and Jeff Daniels in the animated film "Space Chimps" for Twentieth Century Fox. Moviegoers have seen her in "Deck the Halls" with Danny DeVito and Matthew Broderick, "RV" with Robin Williams, "Bewitched" with Nicole Kidman, "Running with Scissors" with Annette Bening, and "The Pink Panther" with Steve Martin. Her film credits also include a cameo in "Stranger Than Fiction" with Emma Thompson. Ms. Chenoweth is currently developing a feature film based on The Life of Dusty Springfield.

A veteran of the concert scene, Ms. Chenoweth took the stage in solo sold-out concerts at Carnegie Hall and the Metropolitan Opera House, and continues to tour the country. She performed her solo concert at Sam Mendes's acclaimed Donmar Warehouse as part of the "Divas at Donmar" series. She has had numerous collaborations with various symphonies, including The New York Philharmonic, Boston Pops, National Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony and the San Francisco Symphony. One of her proudest accomplishments was having the privilege to perform Bernstein's "Candide" at Lincoln Center with The New York Philharmonic. Other performances include her sold-out Los Angeles solo debut at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, an evening at The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, and the Washington National Opera's 50th Anniversary Gala with Placido Domingo. In addition to her recent Christmas album, "A Lovely Way to Spend Christmas," she has released two previous albums entitled, "Let Yourself Go" and "As I Am." She has written an uplifting candid, comedic chronicle of her life so far which will be released by Simon & Schuster in spring 2009.

Celebrating its 79th season, the venerable Westport Country Playhouse (Mark Lamos, Artistic Director; Michael Ross, Managing Director) is creating innovative new works and dynamic revivals. The Playhouse has produced more than 700 plays, 36 of which later transferred to Broadway including "Come Back, Little Sheba" with Shirley Booth; "The Trip to Bountiful" with Lillian Gish; "Butterflies Are Free" with Keir Dullea and Blythe Danner; "Absurd Person Singular" with Sandy Dennis, Geraldine Page and Tony Roberts; and "Our Town" with Paul Newman. The list of actors, directors, and other theatre artists who have worked and continue to perform on the Playhouse's legendary stage reads like a "Who's Who" of the American theatre. Following a multi-million dollar renovation completed in 2005, the Playhouse now produces year-round, welcoming 85,000 audience members annually. In addition to a full season of theatrical productions, the Playhouse presents educational programming and workshops; a children's theatre series; symposiums; music; films; and readings of short fiction, classical works and new plays. Westport Country Playhouse serves as a treasured home for the theatrical arts, its audiences and its artists. For the State of Connecticut, it is a true cultural landmark. Your experience begins at www.westportplayhouse.org. The Playhouse is a 501(c) (3) not-for-profit organization.

For reservations or more information, call the development office at (203) 227-5137, x138. Westport Country Playhouse is located at 25 Powers Court, off Route 1, Westport. Information about the Playhouse is available at www.westportplayhouse.org.

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