Chenoweth no Tony for Wicked because she was Christian?- Page 3
Chenoweth no Tony for Wicked because she was Christian?
re: Chenoweth no Tony for Wicked because she was Christian?#50
Posted: 9/18/05 at 12:35pmThe guy at the bagel place threw a poppy seed bagel at me because I "looked Catholic."
re: Chenoweth no Tony for Wicked because she was Christian?#51
Posted: 9/18/05 at 12:37pm
I have a bit more respect for her after learning that she didn't give in to that producer's manipulations - trying to get her to stay by threatening to not promote her for a Tony if she left - it's not like she was leaving BEFORE her contract was up. She was leaving at an already-agreed upon time.
Of course it was the producer's prerogative to promote the person who was staying on and not bother with the one who was leaving, I have no problem with that. My problem is with using it to try to blackmail her to stay past her original end date.
Leading Actor Joined: 3/7/05
re: Chenoweth no Tony for Wicked because she was Christian?#52
Posted: 9/18/05 at 12:43pm
Isn't it a business decision though, who the producers promote? I mean obviously they wanted a Tony for one of the two of them, if you court the Tony voters with both, they ran the risk of the two cancelling each other out (which is what many predicted early on might happen)
I just don't understand why she brings that up in an article about her faith. "What's difficult is that once they know it, they will begin to watch how you react to things." That's the line I didn't get. Does she think being Christian one is perceived as just rolling over and taking things? Or is she saying that because she was Christian they would use it against her?
To mean it just seems it's straight up business, having nothing to do with religion so much as perhaps people didn't get along. But referring to someone as "non-Christian" I just thought was not needed. Who cares?
re: Chenoweth no Tony for Wicked because she was Christian?#53
Posted: 9/18/05 at 12:47pm
That's what I'm saying, bunchamuncha. I have no problem with them actually doing that, I have a problem with them using it as a strongarm technique in a contract negotiation that had already been decided.
"Sure she's already said she's not renewing, but I bet if we threaten her Tony chances she'll think twice!!"
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/29/03
re: Chenoweth no Tony for Wicked because she was Christian?#54
Posted: 9/18/05 at 12:49pm
"the fact that one is not jewish in NYC theatre quite frankly can be a handicap."
Yeah, it's so unfair how it held back Nathan Lane, Bernadette Peters, Hugh Jackman, Patti Lupone, Barbara Cook, Mary Martin, Gwen Verdon, Angela Lansbury, Chita Rivera, Liza Minnelli, Carol Channing, Julie Harris, Colleen Dewhurst, Jason Robards, the list goes on and on. They could have amounted to something without that hideous anti-gentile prejudice.
re: Chenoweth no Tony for Wicked because she was Christian?#55
Posted: 9/18/05 at 12:54pm
Isn't it good business for a producer to do a Tony push for a performer currently in the show? I would. There's no issue here. Now, if said producer ran a SMEAR campaign against an actress who left in show when her contract was up, THEN there's a problem. If both Kristin and the producer both fulfilled the terms of their contract in good, pardon the expression, FAITH then there is no problem.
If Kristin has a persecution complex, well so be it. She's not hurting anyone.
Also, don't forget...Journalism 101...who knows how the question was slanted when it was presented to her?
Maybe the editorial bent was to make her look, dare I say, a martyr? A interviewee can only answer the questions posed by the reporter.
Much ado about nothing......!
re: Chenoweth no Tony for Wicked because she was Christian?#56
Posted: 9/18/05 at 1:00pmTo me, this is an insult to the winner that year, her co-star, and furthers the widely held belief that these women don't really like each other very much. She not so subtly implies that the reason she didn't win the Tony was because she wasn't promoted. As if to say, if the producers had wanted to promote her, she'd have been the winner. If I'm Menzel and reading this, I'd think, "there's a woman who's really jealous." (Forbidden Broadway had a perfect sketch about that at one point).
re: Chenoweth no Tony for Wicked because she was Christian?#57
Posted: 9/18/05 at 1:05pm
I agree, adamgreer.
She should have left the whole Tony thing out of this interview. Sounds to me like a "sour grapes" rationalization that has nothing to do with faith.
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
re: Chenoweth no Tony for Wicked because she was Christian?#58
Posted: 9/18/05 at 1:07pm
I don't think that's what she's saying. Her point is that the producers used some unsavory techniques to try to get her to extend her contract. You're all taking it further than that.
And anyone who thinks the Tonys aren't about promotion and campaigning - much like the Oscars and Emmys - isn't paying attention.
re: Chenoweth no Tony for Wicked because she was Christian?#59
Posted: 9/18/05 at 1:11pm
adamgreer-where in the article does it say "And then I lost to a certain person who didn't deserve it."?! This article has NOTHING WHATSOEVER TO DO WITH FECKING IDINA MENZEL! It has everything to do with the producers of the show and the business. She's saying how despite the producers' threat to cancel out her chances of even receiving a Tony nomination that she got one. You want to know why? Because she deserved it. She deserved to win too, then again pretty much everyone in that category did (some will say "Idina didn't",but let's not open that can of worms). Kristin Chenoweth is stating what happened backstage at Wicked and why it happened. She went through a lot of personal trauma, and yet she still managed to do Wicked, a movie, and "keep up appearances". With every bit of success that she has gotten, she has had to pay for it. Whether being shunned by many in her religious community, or in her professional community, she has had to cope with a lot. And I hope she realizes that she isn't alone because her very devoted fans (myself included) will back her up 100% of the time with great effort.
P.S. adamgreer, this isn't directly written to yo ubut to rather everyone who has been "bashing" Cheno on this thread.
Understudy Joined: 9/18/05
re: Chenoweth no Tony for Wicked because she was Christian?#60
Posted: 9/18/05 at 1:13pm
It's just so nice to see a person starting a thread simply to stir up illogical and completely ridiculous negative buzz about an actress.
I think it's obvious that what she's saying is that, first off, being Christian is simply a part of who she is, and that it filters into her everyday reactions and responses to people. And because being Christian makes her the way she is (just like many important facets of what you believe in make you the way you are) that she and others who were brought up differently and have a different belief structure may not see eye-to eye. Secondly, there ARE a lot of pre-set stereotypes when dealing with ANY religion--not just Christianity. And who knows what went on backstage at WICKED. None of us can say. Thirdly, she's being interviewed specifically by a Christian magazine, and so of course she's going to look at whatever she's talking about from a religious perspective (as opposed to, I'm sure, the MANY angles which she sees this subject.)
Sounds to me like she had differences with people she worked with. Well gee and oh my God, someone string the woman up!
Looks to me like some people will just search for ANY reason at all to hate a person who is either very successful and talented, or who just approaches life from a different perspective than they do.
re: Chenoweth no Tony for Wicked because she was Christian?#61
Posted: 9/18/05 at 1:17pm
I don't care what faith you are, nor, do most people. But, if you lead with your faith, i.e., come telling people that "I am a [insert Jew, Christian, Muslim, Atheist] and" . . . then you will create friction no matter where you work if the purpose of your day appears to be to convert others rather than to do your job - unless of course you work only with like-minded people. I an not accusing Kristin of doing this, but I think many of those in the WoF group and the 700 Club would like her to do that. So, that may be an obvious slant to the article. I tend to think she is just a good person, who actually follows the teachings of JC, rather than the Dogma spewed by some of the religious institutions.
Do you think anyone would put up with Tom Cruise's crap on Scientology if he wasn't the one holding the power? No. A movie set, or a theater, is, at its core, a place of business. If someone is a star, and says "I cannot do this on a specific day because of my religious beliefs" then more often than not, their views will be accomodated because of their status. If someone is the Chorus, well, I doubt it is as likely to happen. At its core, it is a business, and folks are there to make money.
As for Kristin losing the Tony, maybe it was because she already had one, or maybe it was because Idina was thought to have the more demanding role of the two, or maybe it was because the Producers decided to make a business decision and promote the star that was staying. Or maybe . . . who the hell knows.
Kristin is a great talent, and from what I have read, a wonderful human being. It seems to me she makes a bigger deal about her faith than others do, until she does something silly like appearing on the 700 Club. Maybe the comment is more fallout from that appearance. Who knows.
It also sounds like some of the producers of Wicked were less than fabulous, but, if you want me to start listing all of the assess I have worked with over time, then we would be here all day, and, I don't even work in the entertainment industry, where egos tend to seem a bit larger than elsewhere.
OK - off to find a Muslim to annoy, a Christian to offend, an Orthodx Jew to tease, and a Buddhist to just bother.
Updated On: 9/18/05 at 01:17 PM
re: Chenoweth no Tony for Wicked because she was Christian?#62
Posted: 9/18/05 at 1:25pm
I don't hate Chenoweth at all. In fact, I like her a lot. I loved her in Wicked, and think she's a breath of fresh air on West Wing. I wasn't "bashing" her. However, I do believe she was justifying her loss that year by saying she wasn't promoted enough. As others have pointed out, that could have been a completely pragmatic decision by the producers- wouldn't you promote the actress who was going to stay with the show, so if she won, you could plaster "Best Actress in a Musical" all over your advertisements?
The funny thing about this is, Chenoweth was getting nominated for a Tony that year no matter what the producers did.
Understudy Joined: 9/18/05
re: Chenoweth no Tony for Wicked because she was Christian?#63
Posted: 9/18/05 at 1:39pm
"However, I do believe she was justifying her loss that year by saying she wasn't promoted enough."
That isn't what she's saying at all. There's nothing in there about her Tony loss. NOTHING at all. She simply stated what the producers said to her when bargaining with her to stay with the show. And what they did was threaten to not promote her for a Tony nomination. That has NOTHING to do with how she felt about who eventually won, or even what she felt about who else would be promoted alongside her that year. And in fact, she says that she told the producers that she didn't care if they didn't want to promote her--she would be leaving anyway. Her last statement was a fact and nothing more. She DID get a nomination anyway. She doesn't say "I loss and this is why." She doesn't even talk about who won. She doesn't seem to care. Go back and re-read what she said.
Updated On: 9/18/05 at 01:39 PM
Stand-by Joined: 2/16/04
re: Chenoweth no Tony for Wicked because she was Christian?#64
Posted: 9/18/05 at 9:22pmI love how Kristin is just a wide-eyed girl with stars in her eyes and powerless to negotiate with the powers that be in this article. BULLSH*T!!! I love the woman but who does she think she is fooling? Her contract people are vultures....
re: Chenoweth no Tony for Wicked because she was Christian?#65
Posted: 9/18/05 at 9:41pmKristin'll still get the Tony for her upcoming performance in "You're a Good Jew, Peppermint Patty."
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/5/04
re: Chenoweth no Tony for Wicked because she was Christian?#66
Posted: 9/18/05 at 9:45pm
Avigdor, saying that not being jewish in theatre is a handicap is absurd. I'm neither jewish nor catholic (or muslim for that matter). One's religion is irrelevant in NYC in theatre.
Otherwise, what kjklo said. Concrete evidence is hard to come by because it doesn't exist.
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/29/03
re: Chenoweth no Tony for Wicked because she was Christian?#67
Posted: 9/18/05 at 10:26pmIf Cole Porter had been a Jew, his songs would still be sung today, I tell you!
Featured Actor Joined: 3/14/05
re: Chenoweth no Tony for Wicked because she was Christian?#68
Posted: 9/18/05 at 11:26pm
YEAH.kjklo....so nice you pay attention to what is being said...selective editing is not only irritating but juvenile. i may be wrong but i think i balanced my statement for both sides and only based on my experience and i dont recall relating any comments to "stars" "celebrities" did you actually read my whole statement or were you to worried about some smart snappy come back you only read every other word.
discrimination based on ones religious preference is not a laughing matter...it does happen and i have been on the receiving end of it..and have watched it happen. your smart retort is sadly a reflection of the times we live in. lack of understanding, caring and fair play.
Featured Actor Joined: 3/14/05
re: Chenoweth no Tony for Wicked because she was Christian?#69
Posted: 9/18/05 at 11:29pmghostlight..you cannot be so naive as to believe this. and i am only speaking from my experience. and that experience is here in nyc so yes ghost it does exist. as it does in nearly every other business in the nation. your naive attitude is one of the variables that continues to allow such things to grow and fester and be passed on from generation to generation
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/19/05
re: Chenoweth no Tony for Wicked because she was Christian?#70
Posted: 9/19/05 at 12:04am
You know what i finally have an explation as why Idina won the tony!
isn't it also rumored that Marissa Jaret Winoker had soem form of cancer and that is why she beat Bernadette.....because clearly Kristin and Bernadette were screwed in their years
re: Chenoweth no Tony for Wicked because she was Christian?#71
Posted: 9/19/05 at 12:10amPower to Chenoweth for standing strong.
re: Chenoweth no Tony for Wicked because she was Christian?#72
Posted: 9/19/05 at 12:13am
How can someone "clearly" get "screwed" in a subjective awards competition? Why can't people just can't accept that their opinion was not the prevailing opinion?
The Tony Awards aren't polls...it has nothing to do with the popular vote. It has everything to do with the "electoral college" of theater insiders. I often don't agree with awards like the Tonies, Emmies, Oscars ect.... it doesn't mean someone got screwed; it's just means the people who make the decision had different choices...so what? You have a right to your opinion about who should have won...but got "screwed"....nah!
re: Chenoweth no Tony for Wicked because she was Christian?#73
Posted: 9/19/05 at 12:44am
I think it was perhaps more of an upset than a screwing.
Kristin didn't even mention winning or losing in the article. She was talking about the nomination process. It was a series of events, basically. People in the show were difficult and tested her faith. That combined with her mother's illness really got to her. She decided to leave. They threatened to not promote her for a nomination. She was nominated anyway. She wasn't saying they wouldn't promote her because of her faith. Don't read too much into it. It's unfortunate that she had a hard time during Wicked. I know some people would rather like to think that it was all peaches and roses.
As for Idina, I have never met her, so I can't say personally. I have heard that she is very shy when it comes to the public and genuinely shy. If you watch the Rent blog videos on the website her entries seem shorter and she seems uncomfortable. It seems strange to me becuase she is so outgoing on stage. Who knows? I would be willing to place money on Kristin having a problem with Idina's lovely potty mouth...lol.
Broadway Star Joined: 7/18/05
re: Chenoweth no Tony for Wicked because she was Christian?#74
Posted: 9/19/05 at 12:55am
Broadway is so full of politics. I wouldn't be suprised if her faith and conservatism were deciding factors.
As bull****, and descriminatory as it sounds, that's how theatre is. Liberals have a lot of power, and being a sucessful conservative is not easy.
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