Chenoweth no Tony for Wicked because she was Christian? — Page 3

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.

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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!!"

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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......!

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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.

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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.

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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

"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

Kristin'll still get the Tony for her upcoming performance in "You're a Good Jew, Peppermint Patty."

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If Cole Porter had been a Jew, his songs would still be sung today, I tell you!

ghostlight..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

Power to Chenoweth for standing strong.

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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.

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