BWW Reviews: Kristin Chenoweth Dazzles in First Solo Concert at Hollywood Bowl

As if there was ever even an inkling of doubt, Broadway, Film and TV phenomenon Kristin Chenoweth's first solo concerts on August 23 and 24, 2013 at the 17,000-seat Hollywood Bowl was, as expected, nothing short of spectacular. Delivering a highly-entertaining, must-see event filled with plenty of laughs, many touching moments, and lots of opportunities to showcase her unique talents, the pixie-sized Emmy and Tony Award-winning musical superstar did not disappoint in her two-night engagement backed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

The evening began with a mini-burst of fireworks that took everyone by surprise.

"I like starting things off with a bang," she joked, after making her long way to stage center glistening in the first of two gorgeous sparkling-white frocks designed by Mark Zunino she wore especially for the occasion.

"I can't believe I'm at the Hollywood Bowl by myself!" she gushed like a giddy school girl.

Frankly, so did we.

To punctuate the environment of her solo debut at the world-famous L.A. venue, Chenoweth---along with director Richard Jay-Alexander and longtime creative partner Mary-Mitchell Campbell---concocted a two-act song-and-snark show specifically tailored for the Hollywood Bowl, with Kevin Stites on hand to conduct the L.A. Philharmonic. The cleverly-curated concert allowed her to pay tribute to some of her favorite Hollywood movie musicals in the first half, followed by a quirky "Pure Chenoweth" second half that included songs that she has sung in past stage productions.

Of course, the second act also included her now infamous practice of picking one very lucky, randomly-selected audience member to sing a duet with her on "For Good," the well-known ballad from the smash hit musical WICKED in which she famously originated the role of Glinda the Good Witch (this section, along with other material such as the "spontaneous" video phone call to Dolly Parton during "What Would Dolly Do?" were also featured in her recent mini-tour that made its sole Southern California stop at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Orange County last November).

Spunky, adorable, and incredibly theatrical, Chenoweth---armed with a beaming smile and that unmistakable, stratospheric voice---charmed and mesmerized her captivated audience with some witty barbs and sassy one-liners, while simultaneously wowing them with terrific renditions of classic songs like "Moon River," "I Could Have Danced All Night," and "Over The Rainbow." Sporadically, she even cops a funny, exaggerated "diva attitude" with conductor Stites and her trio of awesome NYC back-up singers (Johnny Stellard, Constantine Germanacos, and Jennifer Diamond) while quickly dispelling any notion that she is anything but a gentle soul with a penchant for self-effacing humor. (A sampling of her cute-sy snark: while bantering with a gentleman in the audience who doesn't seem to be acceptably enthusiastic about the show, she asked point-blank, "Hey, sir, do you work for ABC? Because they keep canceling my shows!")

In between jokes about her height, sips from her jumbo-sized Big Gulp/In-and-Out cups (the latter a nod to the infamous So Cal burger chain), and humorous anecdotes about her early years, the accomplished soprano sang a nice mixture of uptempo brassy tunes and emotionally-charged torch songs that pulled at the heart-strings. My jaw literally dropped in awe listening (and, yes, watching) her deeply defiant performance of "The Man That Got Away" that would have made Judy Garland proud. I even found myself a bit misty-eyed during her touching renditions of a pair of Disney gems: The Sherman Brothers' "Feed the Birds" from Mary Poppins, which also happened to be Walt Disney's favorite song, and Randy Newman's "When She Loved Me" the tear-jerker from Pixar's Toy Story 2.

Making sure we get a healthy sampling of her enviable vocal range and seamless genre-swapping, Chenoweth gave the audience legit operatic Broadway (via "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again" from PHANTOM), a bit of Country swing (Parton's "9 to 5," "Moonshine Lullaby" from ANNIE GET YOUR GUN, and her Act 2 original tribute to Parton "What Would Dolly Do?"), and, yes, even stirring message music (a beautifully-rendered "Hard Times Come Again No More")---all with equal musical mastery.

Chenoweth was certainly in top form during the Saturday evening performance, displaying that winning personality and multi-octave singing voice that many long-time musical theater fans have come to know and love about her. Though she can easily wring out the tears, Chenoweth is, above all, a gifted comic, as millions have recently witnessed in her work across all media spectrums.

As anticipated, she showered the second act with more amusing bon mots about her life in the theater. With tongue nested firmly in cheek, Chenoweth came back after intermission "protesting" that the first act exhausted her so much she needed more time to rest up and get ready (she came out beautifully disheveled in a dressing kimono before diving into "I'm Tired" from Blazing Saddles---sporting a quirky comic-German accent).

Later, she recalled having to audition for---and then earning---the role of Tuptim in the musical THE KING AND I as a young up-and-comer in the regional theater trenches of Wichita, Kansas (where, understandably, there weren't very many available Asians to take on the role). The opportunity, however, gave Chenoweth the chance to sing "My Lord and Master," which she beautifully re-created for the Bowl audience.

She also performed a very funny, more PG-rated version of "Dance: Ten, Looks: Three" from A CHORUS LINE which harkened back to the time she landed the role of saucy Val in another local production. Suffice it to say, the audience was howling as Chenoweth replaced the lyrics with "Boobs and Buns" during the, um, appropriate spots in the song.

This was followed by cameo appearances by The Bad Idea Bears and Lucy T. Slut from AVENUE Q---which plunged the show into giddy, more risqué territory. It was a hoot seeing the stark contrast between her goody-goody persona alongside these naughty puppets.

The night, of course, would not have been complete had she skipped over doing at least one or two numbers from WICKED, and luckily, she obliged. Changing things up a bit---and inspired by viewing bootleg videos on YouTube of the different actresses that have since played Glinda worldwide---Chenoweth took the audience on a virtual "Around the World" trip with Glinda, singing "Popular" in a handful of different languages. Super cute.

And then, finally, the moment---perhaps the most memorable one of the evening. After "interviewing" a few potential contenders from the audience for the coveted spot, Chenoweth settled on Boston Conservatory musical theater student Kellie McKay to come up to sing a duet with the superstar singer herself! And, boy, was the audience pleasantly surprised. To everyone's delight, the pair executed the song brilliantly, and McKay floored the entire venue with her keen knowledge of the song.

"Ohmigod! Harmonies!" Chenoweth bellowed mid-song as the two blended their voices.

And much like Sarah Horn, the fortunate lady featured in the now infamously-viral video of Chenoweth's opening night duet, McKay also enjoyed her own much-deserved standing ovation. In essence, she got to take part in something many in that audience would have dreamed of doing with the superstar. Brava, Kellie! What an unforgettable moment!

Towards the show's end, in another surprise, Chenoweth treated the audience to "God Bless America" accompanied with an even longer fireworks display that lit up the skies above the Hollywood Bowl. Suffice it to say, it was a satisfying, over-the-top finish and a wonderful bookend to the superb evening. She capped off the show with a lovely version of "Smile" as an encore.

Simply put, Chenoweth's concert was a delicious treat for both fans and newcomers alike. Her undeniable talent certainly filled every corner of that massive venue. Even newbies to the world of Chenoweth, to no one's surprise, were instantly smitten. To wit: at intermission and during the long, slow crawl out of the Bowl, I overheard many patrons who've never even heard of her until this past weekend exclaim how wonderful Chenoweth was and what a remarkable entertainer she is. One older gentleman walking behind me even said "she should really be in the movies! What a personality!"

That's right, sir. What a personality, indeed. Don't worry, we all get the feeling she's got great things ahead of her.

For more photos from the event, click HERE.

Read and watch Chenoweth's Opening Night impromptu duet partner, Sarah Horn HERE.

Read and watch her Closing Night duet partner, Kellie McKay HERE.

Follow this reviewer on Twitter: @cre8iveMLQ

Photos from the Closing Night Performance of Kristin Chenoweth's concert at the Hollywood Bowl by Lily Lim / BroadwayWorld.

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Tickets to future shows may be purchased online at HollywoodBowl.com, by phone at 323-850-2000, in person at the Hollywood Bowl box office, or by calling Ticketmaster at 800.745.3000, and at all Ticketmaster outlets.

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