Cheno - what's the big deal?

[children&art]

Posted: 12/29/05 at 4:29pm

Seriously. I know I'm gonna get a lot of flack for this, but come on - what is the big deal with Kristin Chenoweth?

She was nothing special in "Wicked", a not so funny, squeaky little mouse with a too legit voice to be in a musical. It was obvious she was pushing and trying way too hard to be funny in that show. It was and will be Elphaba's/Idina's show.

She ripped "Candide" a new one, totally destroyed that concert as Cunegonde. I can only imagine what horror she created out of Barbara Harris' genius with "The Apple Tree".

Why did she win for "Charlie Brown"? Not because she was the best actress but because Andrew Lippa wrote her a new song.

She should stick to commercials on TV because they are short and I can always turn the channel when I see her freakishly small body or hear her whiny annoying voice.

[moowithme111105]

Posted: 12/29/05 at 4:31pm

I think someone is jealous.

[touchmeinthemorning]

Posted: 12/29/05 at 4:32pm

I'm sure your loving critique will give Kristin something to think about as she rolls around in her piles and piles of money.

[ChiChi]

Posted: 12/29/05 at 4:33pm

I think she sucks, personally. I don't equate high pitched and fluttery with talent.

[children&art]

Posted: 12/29/05 at 4:35pm

"I think someone is jealous."

I am not jealous, I'm not a Broadway star and I'm not a chick - so nothing to be jealous of.

I remember the first time I heard her was on the "Steel Pier" CD, a great score going along until I got to her screechy "Fralinger's Wedding Song" - that is one song that I will forever skip.

[buffyactsing]

Posted: 12/29/05 at 4:35pm

What does it mean that she had a "too legit" voice to be in a musical? Is there only one kind of voice that someone is supposed to have on Broadway? That's unfortunate.

While I'm not a crazy Kristen fangirl, I think she did a great job with Candide. I think her "legit" voice is lovely.

[SorryGrateful]

Posted: 12/29/05 at 4:36pm

touch, that's hysterical!

I think she's great and very funny, but I can see how it's a personal opinion. I don't like the musical RENT at all and lots of people think it's amazing. I just don't get it, just like you don't get Cheno. It's not a big deal either way.

[moowithme111105]

Posted: 12/29/05 at 4:36pm

Yes she has a sqeaky voice, and yes she is short, but she can sing, and she can dance. She can't help her sqeaky voice, or her "freakishly small body."

[children&art]

Posted: 12/29/05 at 4:37pm

I would say that she AND Lonny Price's direction ruined "Candide" but I loved everything else about that concert, it really gave that show a life I had never considered - but she was it's Angel of Death.....

[xM3L24x]

Posted: 12/29/05 at 4:40pm

I personally like her voice. I'm not a huge fan, but I think its different and I think it was perfect for Wicked and YAGMCB.

[timote316]

Posted: 12/29/05 at 4:40pm

To each their own. I thought she and Patti were the best things about the Candide concert. I enjoyed it immensly

[buffyactsing]

Posted: 12/29/05 at 4:41pm

Haa haa, well everyone has their opinions about that concert. People saying Patti was awful, people saying she was amazing, ect....I've not heard that yet about Kristen.

I like Kristen, but she's either very limited in range or she's been really directed to play things the same way each time because she always seems to be playing the same character, but I think, given that scope, she does a good job.

Posted: 12/29/05 at 4:43pm

a lot of people can't stand her but a lot of people LOVE her. thats what they mean by "different strokes for different folks". my mom can not stand her. i worked with her when she was very first starting out and she was nice back then. everyone thought she had HUGE star potential and it looks like they were right. but if i see ONE more old navy commercial i am going to throw something at my TV!! i like the new one though where she falls out of the camera range. its pretty funny.

[Georgeanne]

Posted: 12/29/05 at 4:45pm

Someone's a bit bitter and vindictive, aren't we?

Who says that only belters and those with less legit voices can only be in musicals? What a horrendous generalization.

[keatonbynumbers]

Posted: 12/29/05 at 4:51pm

Oh, please. She saved Candide. Without her (and Patti LuPone), I would've been put to sleep. Her voice being "too legit" to be in a musical actually makes no sense, but I suppose -- yes, I suppose someone with a voice that doesn't sound like Yet Another American Idol Audition could perhaps be deemed, um... "too legit".

The fact is Kristin has charm. She's extremely talented and where she isn't talented, she makes up for it in good old-fashioned charm. Obviously this charm is not as far-reaching as it could be, since there are people who still ask "What's the big deal about the talented and successful Kristin Chenoweth?" But her legions of fans indicate that there are people who can appreciate her talent and charisma. If you don't think she's talented, that's one thing. The problem is, a great deal of the people who don't like Chenoweth always bring up her height and speaking voice -- two things she has absolutely no control over, obviously -- which leads me to believe that they're possibly ignoring her immense talent in favor of focusing on the shallow details.

Which is cool, whatever.

[children&art]

Posted: 12/29/05 at 4:54pm

charisma, charm? she has about as much of those as a dead fish.

[Aigoo]

Posted: 12/29/05 at 4:56pm

I think Kristin is one of those people who is vastly overlooked (despite the number of fans she has). I can't stand her speaking voice, but that isn't exactly something that it's in her power to change. At least it DEFINES her, and she's remembered by something. People have gotta have their...faults. Although her stature and her speaking voice are nowhere near what we may classify as faults.

I, for one, absolutely ADORED her in Candide. The entire cast really made the show for me. She's lost a lot of operatic clarity, but I love simply listening to her higher register. She did a fine job in Wicked and in Charlie Brown. I don't know where all this spite is coming from, but I'll tell you that you're not in the minority.

[Jazzysuite82]

Posted: 12/29/05 at 4:56pm

Ok it seems that some people don't seem to know what they speak of when they critique. First of all you can't be a singer, or a good one without at least recognizing what an amazing singer she is. Seriously, you can hate her voice or her sound, but you can't say that she's not skillful and talented because she's got a high voice. She's much more talented than you seem to realize. Especially once you hear a lot of other girls trying to sing Glitter and be Gay.

Second there's no such thing as too legit for musical theatre. The word legit is a musical theatre term. Opera singers don't use that word. THey sing classically. Legit vs Belt is strictly a musical theatre distinction. How can you be too musical theatre to be in a musical.

Your analysis of her in Wicked doesn't make sense. Firstly there are only too ways to sing a High C (which she had to do twice in Wicked), classically and Legit. Secondly, you can't look at the song Popular and say she's too legit because she's belting. You may not like her belt but yeah that's her belting. There's no such thing as legit belting (which is different from chest). So I don't get what you say about her there.

Now Candide, how you can say she ruined that is odd to me. She sang it flawlessly and the piece was written as a farce. She did both. I mean Leonard Bernstein himself had her recording the song for his personal archives because she did it so well. You'll have to explain what you don't like about it.

As far as her Tony is concerned, you would have had to see Ain't Nothing But The Blues, On the Town, and Fosse with the original casts to make that assessment.


It's absolutely your right not to like her talent, or to find her annoying or whatever. But you can't say she doesn't HAVE talent that she's not got something in her own right. I mean I really can't stand Idina Menzel, but I can't in good conscience say she's not talented. It might help to know what your talking about too.

[Georgeanne]

Posted: 12/29/05 at 4:59pm

I don't know, children&art, some of those fish have pretty big charm.

I don't idolize her or worship her like so many fangirls have, but I respect her for working with what she has and being proud of it. People bring up her height or her speaking voice when they can't find anything else to make fun of.

It's like disliking someone because they have a big, deep voice and a gigantic height. Shallow and unnecessary.

Many - no, most - of the reasons you listed about why she "ruined" shows like Wicked and commericals like Candide are because of her body and her speaking voice.

Wow. I'm speechless. It's just, well, rude - to make fun of something someone can't do anything about.

[Aigoo]

Posted: 12/29/05 at 5:08pm

I won't lash out on you, but just the general "atmosphere" of this thread is INCREDIBLY negative and almost unecessary. Why now? Why this sudden urge to bash our poor Kristin in such a manner? I can understand if you don't LIKE her, but if you don't recognize that she has at least a SHRED of talent and charm...then I guess I've lost most of my hope in people.


You don't have to like her, but you don't have to express your opinions so outrageously either.

Updated On: 12/29/05 at 05:08 PM

[children&art]

Posted: 12/29/05 at 5:12pm

Whatever, i knew i would get a lot of crap for this. It is my opinion, and one that is shared by others on this board...

She is too classically trained to be in a musical.

Her acting, her attempts at comedy (even when it's written into the script) are harshly jarring and ridiculously amateur.

She is small, no getting around that one. Maybe she should play Claudia, the vampire child, in LESTAT.

I'm not into disecting her talent technically and microscopically, she doesnt do it for me.

How many grown women in their 30s do you know that rely on cute to get them by, it doesnt work - cute at that age is desperate and creepy.

And while I did not see AINT NOTHING BUT THE BLUES, I did see FOSSE and ON THE TOWN - Mary Testa shoulda gotten the award.

She bugs the crap out of me, sorry but she does.

[Steve2]

Posted: 12/29/05 at 5:14pm

children&art, I am a big fan also.

Are you or anyone going to LA on February 26 to see her?
I have my ticket!
Updated On: 12/29/05 at 05:14 PM

[Georgeanne]

Posted: 12/29/05 at 5:16pm

Since when did someone "bugging the crap" out of you mean that they aren't talented?

Of course you're going to recieve flack for posting about a respected performer in an undignified way. If you had been more civil, I'm sure the reaction would have been less angry or negative towards you.

People play to their strengths. Whether it is the ingenue, the thirty-something, or the old aunt, people play to what they're good at. Kristen, because of her voice and her stature, can play cute very well. Hey, if it gets you work!

I find it laughable that someone is "too classically trained" to be in a musical.

Updated On: 12/29/05 at 05:16 PM

[uncageg]

Posted: 12/29/05 at 5:22pm

I'm speechless.

[SorryGrateful]

Posted: 12/29/05 at 5:24pm

I find it laughable that someone is "too classically trained" to be in a musical.


Agreed, Georgeanne. Thank you. That's such a load of crap.