Broadway diva, TV staple and voice actress Kristin Chenoweth is 48 today. She is known for many roles on Broadway and television including her Tony Award winning turn as Glinda in the musical Wicked and portraying Annabeth Schott in The West Wing, as well as her guest star turn on Glee.
Her tiny stature of four feet eleven inches is a common source of conversation and even she often pokes fun at her small size, but everyone celebrates her big voice.
Chenoweth, who was adopted when she was a few days old, sang gospel music in local churches as a child in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. This beauty queen decided to study opera and musical theater. At Oklahoma City University, she earned her bachelor's degree in musical theatre in 1990 and her master’s degree in opera performance two years later. She moved to New York and pursued a career in the theater. The Wicked star worked in many local, regional and off-Broadway companies and starred in many shows.
She made her Broadway debut in Steel Pier that resulted in her earning a Theatre World Award. Chenoweth earned a Tony Award for her performance as Sally Brown in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown in 1999. (She would later voice Fifi in the film The Peanuts Movie in 2015.)
Chenoweth continued to wow on stage and TV. She briefly had her own TV series called Kristin in 2001. In 2009, she was nominated for her role as Olive Snook in Pushing Daisies. She also guest starred on Sesame Street.
Chenoweth penned a memoir entitled A Little Bit Wicked: Life, Love, and Faith in Stages in 2009. She is set to appear on Starz new series American Gods playing Easter as revealed at this year's Comicon.
She is a stanch supporter of LQBTQT issues, but maintains her Christian faith.
Happy Birthday, Kristin.
Please see below clips from her homecoming concert in Broken Arrow, OK.