Kristin Chenoweth, the current star of Broadway's The Apple Tree, and Nathan Lane, the current star of Butley, are developing a sitcom pilot together.
According to The New York Times, the sitcom is about a pair of talk-show hosts reminiscent of Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa, who host the syndicated "Live with Regis & Kelly."
Chenoweth starred in the sitcom "Kristin" that lasted six episodes on NBC in 2001. Her other TV credits include "The West Wing," "Frasier," "Sesame Street," Marian in "The Music Man" and Lily in "Annie." She is the inspiration for the character of Harriet Hayes in the NBC drama "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip," created by her ex-boyfriend Aaron Sorkin.
Lane starred in such short-lived television shows as "Charlie Lawrence," "Encore! Encore!" and "One of the Boys." His other television credits include guest spots on "Frasier" (Emmy nomination), "Mad About You" (Emmy nomination) and "Sex and the City."
Chenoweth has appeared on Broadway in Wicked (Tony nomination), You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown (Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards), Steel Pier and Epic Proportions. Off-Broadway credits include Scapin, Dames at Sea, The Fantasticks and A New Brain and she has appeared in the Encores! series in On a Clear Day You Can See Forever and Strike Up the Band. She is also a recording artist and opera singer. Her film credits include the current "Deck the Halls," "Running With Scissors" and a bit role as a TV interviewer in "Stranger Than Fiction."
Lane has won Tony Awards for The Producers and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and has also appeared on Broadway in Present Laughter, Merlin, Some Americans Abroad, On Borrowed Time, Guys and Dolls, Laughter on the 23rd Floor, Love! Valour! Compassion!, The Man Who Came to Dinner, The Odd Couple and The Frogs (co-author). His Off-Broadway credits include Dedication and many other Terrence McNally plays. He has appeared in more than 25 films, including "The Birdcage" " Mousehunt" "The Lion King," "Nicholas Nickleby" and "The Producers."
Tonya Pinkins: Then we had a "Lot's Wife" last June that was my personal favorite. I'm still trying to get them to let me sing it at some performance where we get to sing an excerpt that's gone.
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Lets hope for BRILLIANT writers and lots and lots of theatre guest stars. (I would also hope for filming in NY but I don't know if that will be possible.)
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mamie4 5/14/03
It'll fail completely, unless it's brilliantly written - not too smart to turn viewers off, not too dumb to keep viewers watching....talk show sitcoms have been done and have failed miserably. I personally believe that Lane and Chenoweth's personalities are too broad for television.
Chances are it would tape in NYC, there are enough sitcom spaces in Queens and Manhattan. Updated On: 12/4/06 at 02:22 PM
It could work if it had brilliant writers like FRASIER. That show had a larger-than-life feel as well. Look at all the failures much bigger stars (Bette Midler, for example) had when the show was simply not well written.
let's hope for a NYC filming AND that it's filmed in front of a live studio audience (assuming it's one of those "laugh track" sitcoms)
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I think the two of them together would be hysterical!
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When they say that they're "developing" a sitcom, does that mean that they are creating it?
It's already been created..at least the basic idea. It means the basic premise is there..and characters and more of the story are being worked on (fleshed out..so to speak)..
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He's only had 3 fails at it he should try again. He had 2 hit TV shows and 2 flops.....the 2 hit ones being cartoons don't help but you get the idea If at first you don't succeed, try, try, again!
I CAN'T WAIT!!!!!!! I hope it happens soon. I have never seen Kristin's show but I saw one episode of Charlie Lawrence and it's not a wonder why it was cancelled but it wasn't horrible.
Like someone has said already, it could be really good or really bad.
This is not going to be the next Seinfeld or Fraiser but then again....what is?
"I'm tellin' you, the only times I really feel the presence of God are when I'm having sex and during a great Broadway musical." - Nathan Lane - Jeffrey
This is what should come from a Lane/Chenoweth pairing.
Picture it: Depression era America. Two con artists, a brother and sister team, travel across America performing vaudeville shows in small towns. One is a song/dance man who hits the bottle a little too often creating situations that put him in hot water and keep him running from the local sheriffs. The other is his bubble headed assistant. Her talent involves shaking her Jazz Age fringe and enticing men to fork over their blue collar wages.
Special guest star: James Naughton as the FBI agent hot on their trail.
Various weeks have cameos by: Angela Lansbury - a small town church organist who is conned out of the church's mortgage payment Chita Rivera - a bordello owner who tries to "befriend" Chenoweth Rachel Griffiths - a young mother yearning for a glamorous life and to get out of the hole in the road town she lives in Emma Thompson - a spinster schoolteacher who gets smitten by Lane's Shakesperian repartee Patti LuPone - an Italian immigrant who runs a roadside cafe and teaches Lane Italian love songs Robert Sean Leonard - a young widower who fancies Chenoweth Victor Garber - a small town vaudeville theater owner
If anyone ever tells you that you put too much Parmesan cheese on your pasta, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
"I'm tellin' you, the only times I really feel the presence of God are when I'm having sex and during a great Broadway musical." - Nathan Lane - Jeffrey