Kristin Chenoweth

HIT AND RUN TRAILER!

admin — Thu, 17 May 2012 06:52:27 +0000

BWW TV Seattle Exclusive: Behind the Scenes of Kristin Chenoweth on Tour!

admin — Fri, 11 May 2012 23:14:22 +0000

BroadwayWorld Seattle was granted EXCLUSIVE access to Kristin Chenoweth’s debut performance of her new (and first ever) tour, which opened in Seattle on Wednesday night … and received a whopping NINE standing ovations for a show unlike we had ever seen.

Watch Kristin Chenoweth on Hot in Cleveland Tonight!!

admin — Wed, 02 May 2012 06:05:28 +0000

Please TUNE-IN to watch Kristin Chenoweth on Hot in Cleveland tonight at 10:00 PM/9:00 PM C on TV Land.

Kristin Chenoweth and Maddie’s Corner invite you to a special celebration…

admin — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 21:55:10 +0000

Please join for an exclusive concert after party to celebrate Kristin’s first national tour. All proceeds to benefit Kristin’s charity, Maddie’s Corner.*

June 2, 2012 immediately following

New York City Center concert, Grand Tier Lobby

Tickets: $350.00 each or two for $600.00

To purchase your tickets to the party:

call (516) 672-4288 or

email info@maddiescorner.org

Please note there are a small, limited number of tickets to the party, so purchase early, and concert tickets must be purchased separately. See info below.

BOOK YOUR TICKETS NOW!!

About Maddie’s Corner

Maddie’s Corner was founded by Kristin in honor of her beloved Maltese, Maddie. Our mission is to bring awareness and support to animals in need and groups working on their behalf as well as to highlight the many ways animals help people and enrich our lives “Animals Helping People-People Helping Animals.”

Maddie’s Corner is a charitable fund of Almost Home Animal Rescue and Adoption, Inc., a not for profit 501(c)(3) organization. Contributions are deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.

Kristin Chenoweth Talks Sacrificing for Success, Southern Christian Women & Going Home Again on Tour

admin — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 06:58:20 +0000

By Allison Kugel, Senior Editor - April 17, 2012


	Kristin Chenoweth

That sparkling smile, angelic voice and disarming mid-western speech lilt; think you know Kristin Chenoweth? Think again. In my interview with the multi-hyphenate, multi-award winning star of stage and screen, Chenoweth opens up to reveal that the road to success has been paved with a few bumps and many life-transforming events. They have all made Kristin Chenoweth the beautiful being she is today, but she is the first to assert that there is more to her than her idyllic public image suggests. The girl has bad days just like the rest of us.From show stopping success in Broadway’s Wicked, to comic turns in films like RV with Robin Williams and Four Christmases with Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn, Kristin Chenoweth soon became a hot property on television. Her multiple appearances as would-be actress and recovering alcoholic, April Rhodes, on Fox’s Glee earned her rave reviews from Glee fans as well as her awed castmates. Kristin Chenoweth has now officially claimed her stake in primetime as the lovably scheming Carlene Cockburn on GCB, ABC’s humorous deconstruction of well-to-do devout Christian women in the South.

Now, the Tony and Emmy-award winning actress and vocalist will embark on her first world concert tour, beginning with a nineteen-date North American leg that starts May 9 in Seattle, Washington and culminates on June 24 with an inaugural appearance in her hometown of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.

Kristin Chenoweth describes her live stage show to me as a seamless performance of “Opera, Broadway, Pop and Country.” As she breezily recites that eclectic mix of musical genres, it’s clear that her vocal talents transcend the limits of any one specific style of music. Hers is a rare gift, and as Chenoweth herself puts it, “I guess that’s my niche. I do a lot of things with my voice.”

PR.com (Allison Kugel): Let me just tell you, aside from GCB, I’ve been watching you as Ms. Noodle onSesame Street for the longest time because I have a three year old son (laughs).

Kristin Chenoweth: (Laughs) Of course! I’m really big with people under five.

PR.com: Your GCB co-star Miriam Shor told me that while you were shooting the show, you commented that the characters are very familiar to you. Where you grew up in Oklahoma, was it very much a bible-belt area?

Kristin Chenoweth: Oklahoma is definitely part of that bible-belt world. I didn’t know that not everybody was like that growing up. I don’t mean that in a negative way. I love the role I’m playing, and if I didn’t love her I wouldn’t play her. There are a lot of great things about Southern Christian women. But we’ve been taught to not really deal with confrontation in a confrontational way. I think that’s why a lot of Southern women who move away from that area have trouble with… well, when I moved to New York, I was like, “Uh, why is everyone screaming and yelling at each other?” What I realized they were doing is just talking. In the south, we just don’t do that (laughs). With that being said, there’s also a very passive-aggressive manner in which things can be done. I grew up in the church and I am a Christian, and I definitely think that [our show] is a very real aspect of that world. We do it, obviously, with humor and fun. We don’t make fun of it; we just have fun with it. There’s a big difference, and I’m proud of the show and what it’s doing.


	Miriam Shor, Kristin Chenoweth, & Jennifer Aspen in GCB

PR.com: I read that you refer to yourself as a “non-judgmental, liberal Christian.” I find that statement so interesting because, if you think about it, that’s actually the true meaning and spirit of Christianity. Why do you think that concept escapes so many Christians?

Kristin Chenoweth: It’s not a very popular thing to say. I find myself using those adjectives before I get to the word “Christian,” and that makes me sad. We as Christians have not really done ourselves any favors. We need to be open and loving, and not judgmental. That is exactly what the true meaning is. Hopefully I can live and be an example that not all Christians think alike and not all Christians are brought up in the same manner. I think that would be true for any religion. There are many different kinds of sects of Muslims, and not all of them fly planes into buildings. I am very conservative in a lot of ways, but I am very liberal in other ways. I’m not a politician, thank God. I would never want that job. But I find myself in a position to be able to say what it is I truly believe, and that is definitely a part of who I am. My faith has been a big deal in my life, and it’s probably the reason I’m still here. Yet I want people to know that not all of us are the same. That’s really my message.

PR.com: How do you approach playing a character like Carlene Cockburn on GCB?

Kristin Chenoweth: She’s an amalgamation of a lot of things. She’s complicated. I’m somewhat of a complicated individual myself in that I like to do a lot of different things. I’m not married, I don’t have children. I’ve chosen a path that has kept me incredibly busy and incredibly blessed, but I haven’t made that commitment to settle down yet. Carlene definitely has done that. I know lots of women that I grew up with where what you did was: you went to college and then you got married and started a family. But there’s a lot to relate to with [Carlene]. She’s a Christian who has been hurt, who is not always choosing what we would say is the right path. That’s humanity and that’s the fun in playing her. I keep reminding myself that she’s not a villain. I know a lot of people I grew up with who are like that, and a lot of people that I work with today. It’s not a bible-belt thing, it’s a human thing. Even though she’s a pretty out there character I want to make sure I keep playing her with the truest of intentions which is that the big things really matter to her. She’s one hundred percent in or one hundred percent out, and that’s what makes her really fun.

PR.com: In everything I have ever seen you in, you always make me laugh. I don’t know if you’re always intentionally playing to the comedy, but it appears that you inject humor into everything you do. How would you describe your sense of humor?

Kristin Chenoweth: I think there is humor around us in life all the time and we can’t find it, we can’t see it. We’ve got our minds and our hearts in so many different directions. I can walk down the streets in New York and I can laugh at all kinds of things. Even in tragedy we have to be able to find the humor or we’ll jump off a cliff. It’s so important to remember to laugh. I love comedians and I love actors. I love to make people laugh and I love to make people forget about their own troubles. When I read Olive in Pushing Daisies (Kristin won an Emmy for her role as Olive), I thought this is kind of a sad individual. She’s alone and she’s in love with a man she can’t have, but there’s humor in that. We’ve all been there, I don’t care who you are. And of course, Carlene is a fun character with these great one-liners, but there’s a real pain in there. I think comedy is tragedy fast-forwarded.

PR.com: Hmm. That’s a good way of putting it.


	Kristin Chenoweth

Kristin Chenoweth: That’s what I see in life a lot of times. Yesterday I was walking across the street in New York and a homeless guy was singing “Home,” from The Wiz. I thought, “This is so ironic.” He was singing about home, and of course he doesn’t have one. I went up to him and [gave him] five bucks because it was funny and smart, and he loved it. He just thought it was so great that I sort of got it. I don’t mean that I laugh at homeless people, I just try to find the humor in life, because there is enough of the negative. Here’s a homeless guy singing “Home.” It’s just funny to me.

PR.com: I feed homeless people when I see them. The hunger aspect really gnaws at me.

Kristin Chenoweth: I have to do it too. I don’t care if they go get beer. Whatever makes them happy. And I don’t want them to be starving. I figure if they are going to use drugs or alcohol that’s not my worry. My worry is to help them now. I’m the same way. And it’s not to make myself look good, because I do a lot of things that are wrong, but if someone is in need, I don’t like to see it. It makes me sad.

PR.com: The title of your latest album is Some Lessons Learned, and there’s a track called “Lessons Learned.” Why did you want to explore the theme of lessons learned with this album?

Kristin Chenoweth: I have a lot of young people asking me how I got to be where I am today. It’s probably the biggest question I get asked. What I want to leave them with and what I want to leave the audience with is that I’m still learning. I’ve learned a lot, but I have a lot to go. I don’t think we ever stop learning. It’s called life. I want to be heard in a different way from how I’ve been heard in the past. These songs were all chosen because of experiences in my life. Some of them are really fun and breezy, but some of them are really hard and heartbreaking. I wanted to make sure that was all represented. Everything good that comes to you in life, you’ve got to work for and you have to be thankful for. Sometimes that’s not always easy to remember when you’re going through the hard crap; nobody wants to do that. So it was sort of my answer to the question that I get asked a lot.

PR.com: To be specific about it, what’s been your biggest lesson in life, so far? That pivotal lesson that defines who you are…

Kristin Chenoweth: I can’t say that there’s been one instance. I will tell you that as I get older, I realize that all of the things that I used to worry and fret about, it matters less to me. Advice I was given [when I was] growing up, by my father, was, “Don’t sweat the small stuff.” I used to roll my eyes at that and think, “Well he just doesn’t get it.” But it was me who didn’t get it. Now I get it. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Life’s so short. If you believe, like I do, that we’re only here a brief time so we might as well enjoy it and learn, and do the best we can. So don’t sweat the small stuff, because a lot of times we can’t change it anyway.

PR.com: You’re talking about going through hard times and lessons learned. It’s interesting, because if people were to sum you up, they would likely say, “God, Kristin Chenoweth, she’s so bubbly, and full of energy and happy all the time.” Are you happy most of the time or is that just your default setting when you’re in the public eye?


	Kristin Chenoweth, Jennifer Aspen & Miriam Shor in GCB

Kristin Chenoweth: There’s definitely been times where I’ve had to put on a happy face even when I didn’t feel like it, surely I have. There is a conception about me that I’m happy all the time, I wake up smiling, go to bed smiling, and life is great for me and I have no problems. That’s obviously not true because I’m human. I’m also in a very tough business. I have battled depression in my past, and I’ve been very open about the fact that everything is not perfect, and that nobody’s life is. What I have also learned is that people don’t want to hear that I would have a problem or a bad day. They think, “Oh, she’s got this great life.” And yes I do and I’ve been blessed, and I’m thankful. But that doesn’t mean that it has been easy and that there have not been times when I wanted to just quit. I’ve sacrificed to be where I am. I’m sure it is going to come in the years to come, but right now my life is not perfect. The problems and situations that I have will be shared with my closest family members and friends because they are the ones who truly love me, have known me the longest and love me for me. Yes, I am a happy person, I am. I do try to find the happiness and the humor in life, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have bad times. That would make me a robot.

PR.com: By sacrifices, are you referring to being single and not having children yet? And do you feel compelled to adopt a child at some point in your life, because of your own life situation (Chenoweth was, herself, adopted)?

Kristin Chenoweth: If I were to have a child, I could see myself adopting a child. I’ve always kind of not wanted to do it alone. I’d love to have a partner that I could be a parent with. But I look at Sandy Bullock and I think that’s a great example. At almost age fifty she’s a mama and she has a baby. I can see that in time I could say, “I’m going to do that.” I’m to the point now where I do want to share my life with that special person, but I’m also to the point where I don’t want to waste time with someone that’s not going to work out. I would rather be with my friends, or alone(laughs), than be with the wrong person. If that person doesn’t come into my life, that’s ok too. I continue to be so happy with my friends and my family, and I’m an aunt and a godmother. My life is full.

PR.com: Tell me about your experience recording this album, Some Lessons Learned, in Nashville. And how have you been received by the country music community?

Kristin Chenoweth: I don’t think that country radio has accepted me and that’s ok too; that’s really ok. My love for country music will not go away. That’s how I began in this business and started singing. I’m glad I recorded in Nashville because I wanted to be in their world. I wanted to be back home, which is what it felt like, and what it feels like when I go there; anywhere in the south, really. I also wanted to work with some of the greatest musicians of the genre, in the world. There is no better place for that than in Nashville. I worked at Opryland when I was nineteen and I’ve always had such an affinity for the town and the people. I could definitely see myself retiring there one day. As far as going on tour, this album is definitely going to be big- time represented, but so is the music that I am known for. It’s been a true gift to get to go back to my roots, if you will, from Oklahoma, and to sing the way I got started. Whether it’s accepted or not accepted doesn’t matter to me because I am so proud of it. I look back at my career and my first three albums and every one of [my] albums are so different, and I love that. There’s a lot of different sides to me, and I’ve been lucky enough to have a label who got that. When I signed with Sony, I said, “All I care is that you let me do a country record at some point.” I’m lucky that I even got to do it.


	Kristin Chenoweth

PR.com: And now you’re about to head out on a North American tour, with a stop in your hometown of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. What’s the feeling about “going home again” as they say, and performing for your hometown?

Kristin Chenoweth: Oh, I’m so excited, Allison. I can’t wait! My parents moved when I was eighteen. It’s been a long time since I’ve been to Broken Arrow. I know that a lot of my classmates are planning on coming, and that will be really great because I haven’t been to any of my reunions. I’m nervous. Obviously, I want to do great in all the cities, but Broken Arrow is the last stop for a reason. I think I’ll probably be pretty emotional. They’ve never had a performing arts center in my town until, like, two years ago. It’s a state-of- the-art facility and they’re naming the auditorium after me. I’m kind of like, “Wait a minute, don’t do that yet, I’m not ready for that yet.” (Laughs) But the other part of me thinks no, accept it. You’ve worked hard and you’re proud of where you’re from.

PR.com: And you want to do good!

Kristin Chenoweth: And I want to do good!

Kristin Chenoweth’s 19 date, North American leg of her debut world tour runs May 9 through June 24. Tickets are on sale now. Visit Kristin-Chenoweth.com for tour dates, cities and ticket information.

Follow Kristin Chenoweth on Twitter @KChenoweth.

Kristin Chenoweth & Jim Parsons to Announce Tony Award Nominations

admin — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 06:03:47 +0000

Two television and Broadway faves will make the big announcement for Tony Award nominations come May 1st.

Tony and Emmy Award winner Kristin Chenoweth and Emmy Award winner and current Broadway leading man Jim Parsons will announce the nominees for the 2012 Tony Awards on May 1, 2012, at the New York Public Library for Performing Arts located at 111 Amsterdam Avenue between 64th and 65th Streets.

The Tony Noms will be broadcast live at 8:30 a.m. ET in their entirety via the Tonys’ website as well as locally on NY1.

Expect many of the favorites to come from the plays opening now as well as the musicals and big revivals hitting the boards between now and the eligibility cut-off date toward the end of April. But don’t forget the critically acclaimed performances from shows that have already closed, including the star-studded Follies and the powerful Wit.

The 66th Annual Tony Awards event will take place at the Beacon Theatre on June 10, 2012, with impresario Neil Patrick Harris back again to host.

Click here to read more

TUTS’ Tommy Tune Awards

admin — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 17:09:51 +0000

via culturemap.com

It isn’t prom but it feels like it. It isn’t a pep rally though the high-decibel cheers may indicate otherwise. It isn’t Broadway but there’s glam, excitement and plenty of jazz hands.

Sure, the recent news that Kristin Chenoweth and Jim Parsons are set to co-host Tony nomination announcements in May would encourage any musical theater junkie to break out in an endless kick-ball-change sequence.

But the electric energy of high schools students on their way to Theatre Under the Stars this week — akin to a massive flash mob dance invading Hobby Center for the Performing Arts — give the professional awards ceremony a run for its money.

Move over Tonys: The 10th Annual Tommy Tune Awards for excellence in high school musicals is around the corner, set for 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.

The glossy red carpet affair is everything musical theater should be for the 500 students on stage, the 300 behind the scenes and the 2,000 or so fans cheering in the audience. Amid performances by nominated troupes and mashups of students hoping to garner titles, one of the 15 crystal trophies isn’t what high schoolers are hoping to take home.

“I wanted to make Houston proud. But when I got there, I was surrounded by wonderful, supportive and passionate people so instead, I left with 49 very close friends.”

What they want is one of the coveted eight scholarships — one at $5,000 and seven at $3,000 — to further their education in or outside the arts, plus a chaperoned all-expenses-paid trip to New York City to partake in the national Jimmy Awards, reserved for the first-prize winning leading actors and actresses from 25 cities.

Winning stories

Sixteen-year-old Episcopal High School junior Mia Gerachis earned top accolades last year for her role as the Baker’s Wife in Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods.

“The character of the Baker’s Wife doesn’t have your normal 11 o’clock numbers,” Gerachis explained, referring to the all-out musical number that traditionally closes a Broadway show. “I was initially intimated by the role, wasn’t sure how to make her stand out as she’s very humble.

“But once I saw the audience’s reaction, I thought maybe I did produce art this time. Maybe it was her character or maybe I found something different to say. The show made me grow as an artist, but more importantly, as a person.”

Gerachis’ six days in New York weren’t what she initially expected.

“I went into it thinking of it as a competition,” she says. “I wanted to make Houston proud. But when I got there, I was surrounded by wonderful, supportive and passionate people, so instead, I left with 49 very close friends.”

She plans to participate in Carnegie Mellon’s School of Drama pre-college summer program, which consists of a daily regiment of classes to prepare her for college and a career in musical theater or film.

For Stephanie Gibson and Josh Brener, who took top prizes in the first Houston Tommy Tune in 2002, the experience was a step in climbing the show biz ladder. Gibson was in the national tour of A Chorus Line and Happy Days and covered a major role in Spamalot and The Addams Family on Broadway. Brener graduated from Harvard, studied at the American Repertory Theater and appeared on Glory Daze, Glee, The Big Bang Theory and House of Lies.

“When I am playing a role and when I’m totally going full out, because I am on stage, I change. My confidence has grown tremendously.”

“Whenever we enter into discussions about the program, we remind ourselves that it isn’t about the trophy,” Bob Lawson, TUTS director of administration and education, explains. “It’s about what’s best for the kids.”

For some, musical theater and the event helped overcome personal obstacles. Such was the case for Jacob Khalil, who won Best Supporting Actor last year.

“I used to be kind of shy as I have a few speaking problems and a stutter,” Khalil told ABC 13′s Don Nelson in a backstage interview. ”When I am playing a role and when I’m totally going full out, because I am on stage, I change. My confidence has grown tremendously.”

How it all works

The event has come a long way since its inception 10 years ago. When TUTS was moving into the Hobby Center in 2002, there was a desire to expand the company’s mission to impact the community through education. They looked at programs in other cities and built on them to create somthing unique. Today, companies in Raleigh, Dallas, Atlanta and Charlotte are looking at TUTS’ strategy in preparing to launch their own awards.

Invitations are sent out to more than 150 public and private high schools in nine counties including Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Liberty, Montgomery and Waller.

Qualifying schools are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis, with the only criteria being that they must stage a musical within the judging period, between October and March. Katy, Klein and Clear Creek independent school districts consistently show strong interest.

We want people to know that they can see great theater in their own communities, whether that is with us or in Katy, The Woodlands or Klein or anywhere in Houston

This year, 44 schools participated, with 154 nominations in 15 categories and 44 potential scholarship recipients.

An army of judges made up of working industry professionals and theater educators volunteer their time — give up their lives, Lawson says — to scramble from production to production while keeping a tight lip on the progress. They assess 1) the nominees’ natural ability and 2) whether smart production choices were made in relation to allocated budget.

Final evaluations are tabulated into worksheets, audited and verified by Ernst & Young — it’s all serious business. Once it’s all said and done, the judges’ notes are sent to the schools to provide critical, yet helpful, feedback.

Final price tag? The complete bash, including administrative costs and scholarships, adds up to $150,000. While a significant amount, TUTS officials believe it’s a worthwhile way to engage the community and the response has been overwhelming.

In the end

The concluding awards gala, this year hosted by Jim Bernhard and Ayana Mack, is akin to mounting another performance. New to the awards ceremony is a grand opening number and a 10th anniversary lithograph sketched by Tune, who will serve also as the presenter.

“The event is about musical theater awareness,” Geneva Cisneros, TUTS assistant manager of education, says. “We want people to know that they can see great theater in their own communities, whether that is with us or in Katy, The Woodlands or Klein or anywhere in Houston.”

Digitas Presents NewFront 2012: Big Content—From Video Bloggers to Blockbusters

admin — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 08:49:57 +0000

New York, NY – April 12, 2012 – Digitas announces the return of the annual online content event, Digitas NewFront 2012. In its fifth year, Digitas NewFront is one of the anchor events for the inaugural 2012 Digital Content NewFronts, whose mission is to shape a new and practical marketplace for connecting the wealth of native digital content with brand marketers and their media and marketing agencies. The Digital Content NewFront includes 15 events by leading distributors, producers, creators and thought leaders in online video content.

The Digitas NewFront was created in 2008 to help leading content creators mix with brands and make digital content happen. Half workshop, half marketplace, the event pulls together the best and brightest digital content players, from Hollywood A-listers to YouTube sensations to renowned brand leaders who are making content drive their businesses.

This year’s program, “Big Content: From Video Bloggers to Blockbusters” will showcase how longer-form digital content continues to make inroads into prime time viewing; how distribution models morph with the arrival of mobile, tablet and social interactions; and, how content drives business results.

The annual event is attended by the world’s most prominent and respected business leaders, innovators, provocateurs, thinkers and doers across technology, entertainment, media and content. Among those taking the center stage at this year’s event are:

Kristin Chenoweth, Emmy and Tony Award Winner
Andy Cohen, EVP Development & Talent, Bravo & Host, “Watch What Happens: Live”
Jane Fonda, New York Times Bestselling Author, Two time Academy Award winner; and Star of the upcoming feature film, Peace Love and Misunderstanding
Rashida Jones, Actress and Writer

Also appearing are on panels throughout the program are Janet Balis, SVP and Head of Sales Strategy, Marketing & Partnerships, AOL; Robert Bennett, General Manager and Executive Producer, MSN; Christa Carone, Corporate VP and CMO, Xerox; Michael Lazerow, CEO and Co-Founder, Buddy Media; Adam Ostrow, SVP Content and Executive Editor, Mashable; Jennifer Pate and Barbara Machen, Creators, Executive Producers, Authors and Hosts, “Jen and Barb, Mom Life” and “The Single Life”; Jonah Peretti, Founder and CEO of BuzzFeed; and, Krista Smith, Senior West Coast Editor of Vanity Fair among others.

Event Details:

April 26, 2012: 12:00-6:00 PM EDT
New York City, Invite Only
Live Stream: digitasnewfront.com
Hashtag: #NewFront

Program panels will be announced shortly.

About Digitas

Digitas, the top global integrated brand agency, builds active brands for some of the foremost companies in the world. In 2012 Digitas was named OMMA Magazine’s Agency of the Year and The Drum’s London Integrated Agency of the Year. The agency also counts Agency of the Year honors from the Festival of Media, BtoB Magazine, and Les Agences de l’Année, France, and has been named to the Advertising Age Digital A-List among its many awards

Digitas also operates the brand content platform, The Third Act:, producers of first and most well renowned event on digital content, The NewFront and, Prodigious Worldwide, the world’s only standalone, global digital productions company.

With sister agencies Starcom MediaVest, ZenithOptimedia, Denuo and Razorfish, Digitas is a member of Publicis Groupe’s VivaKi—a global digital knowledge and resource center that leverages the combined scale of the autonomous operations of its members to develop new services, new tools, and new partnerships.

Publicis Groupe [listed on the Euronext Paris Exchange - FR0000130577 - and part of the CAC 40 index] is the world’s third largest communications group. With activities spanning 104 countries on five continents, Publicis Groupe offers local and international clients a complete range of advertising services. Web site: www.publicisgroupe.com

www.digitas.com | Twitter: @Digitas | Facebook: Digitas Fan Page | Blog: Digitas Distillery

Contact:
Julian McBride

Corporate Communications
Office: +1 212 699 0129
julian.mcbride@digitas.com

Good Cheno-Bits: Kristin Chenoweth Brings Broadway to Hillside Park Memorial Church on GCB

admin — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 07:39:16 +0000

By Lindsay Champion via broadway.com

Hallelujah! Kristin Chenoweth enlists the help of a few of her Broadway buddies on this week’s episode of GCB, which features the premiere of Hillside Park Memorial Church’s very own original musical, The Miracles of Jesus. Naturally, head mean girl Carlene Cockburn (Chenoweth) assumes she’ll play the lead. But when she’s re-cast as a Leper, Carlene suspects her rival Amanda has something to do with it. The episode features Broadway cameos by The Lion King alum Mark Deklin as Lazarus (singing “It’s a Miracle” by Barry Manilow), Bare favorite Michael Arden as Reverend Steve Stewart, and of course, an operatic rap battle between Carlene and Cricket. We’ve sorted out the best Cheno-Bits from this week’s holy episode below.

Name: Carlene Cockburn

Church Musical Role: The Holy Spirit

Costume Changes: 8

Cutest Outfit: Glittering white dress with giant feather wings

Word of Mouth Review: “It’s been years since the Exodus operetta, and folks are still talking about my burning bush.”

Operatic Rap Battle: “This Little Light of Mine”

Career Goals: “I wanted to be a star. I had dreams. Unauthorized biographies and pressing my body parts into wet cement. I had a plan!”

Diva Moment: “Oh silly Cricket, you know I don’t audition. I’m always just given the lead. It’s tradition.”

Bible Wisdom: “I don’t bring Ecclesiastes out lightly, but let’s visit 9:10: ‘Whatever thy hand finds to do, do it with all thy might.’”

High-Flying Finale: “Jesus is Just Alright”

Best Onstage Exit: Falling backwards through a stained-glass window

‘GCB’ recap: Give My Regards to Bozeman

admin — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 07:36:18 +0000

By Marc Snetiker via tvrecaps.ew.com
Amanda directs the church musical as Cricket and Carlene face off for the starring role; Sharon takes her business to public access television.

Let it shine! I barely had time to catch my breath from last week’s double serving of GCB before this week’s generous portion made me realize that this show has certainly found its stride (perhaps quicker than other freshman shows), and said stride comes hand in hand with this week’s blissful offering of musical moments between Cricket and Carlene. Hands down, GCB is absolutely the most fun you’ll have watching TV on Sunday — especially when we’re treated to sing-your-face-off contests between Miriam Shor and Kristin Chenoweth, television’s most delectably campy duo.

Someone definitely snuck a little Glee and Smash into the holy water this week. “Pride Comes Before a Fall” revolved around Amanda’s decision to direct an original church musical after she and Pastor Tudor ran into dimpled teddy bear rival Reverend Steve (played by the delightful Michael Arden), whose own house of worship was putting on a lavish production of Godspell. Amanda dug up a script for The Miracles of Jesus, a biblical stage show written by Heather in high school, and soon the whole church was buzzing to try out.

Cue the funniest audition you’ve ever seen: Cricket’s initially tame “This Little Light of Mine” evolved into a sparring match against techno beep-booping Carlene. Would I be weird if I said I wanted to download the mash-up on iTunes? Because I do.

Naturally Carlene lands the lead role despite opposition from Cricket, who attempted to bribe Amanda with dazzling stage effects. Ripp is cast as Jesus (a hilarious match) and Blake as a shimmering Lazarus; Cricket, stuck with the role of the Leper, quits in a huff. After getting another dose of Reverend Steve’s gloating (“We have a rotating platform and lasers. But hey, less is more. Sometimes.”), Amanda decides to plead with her teenage rival. She agrees to cast Cricket as the Holy Spirit, a decision which earns her full access to an array of flight harnesses and gobos (special theatre lights, y’all!).

Speaking of the word “y’all,” Sharon and Gigi took over B-plot land with Sharon’s disastrous attempt at promoting her Losin’ It With Jesus biblical diet on local Texas television. Sharon employs the talent of former pageant queen image consultant Gigi to make her “camera-ready.” Gigi’s coaching is unexpectedly brutal; she immediately requires Sharon to drop her voice, watch her hand gestures and cut out her signature “y’all” salute. But what will she end her sentences with now!?

Back at church rehearsals, where Ripp has been running things (“I asked myself, what would Jesus do? Turns out he’d direct.”). Big kudos to Mark Deklin and David James Elliott, who play Blake and Ripp, respectively; both actors are exceptionally amusing in most situations — especially when their scene-stealing female counterparts leave them wiggle room. Tonight they deserved just as much praise for thoroughly gut-busting performances, stemming mainly from Ripp’s ridiculous Jesus sight gag and Blake’s surprise vaudeville routine. (An episode highlight!)