Menzel/Cheno - Clarification Please

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 12/11/05 at 2:40am

Sorry, I couldn't really find a real answer to this problem. I heard that they hated each other during the run of Wicked. I just wanted to know why, or is there any proof? Like did either of them say something in an interview, etc. I saw the Wicked performance on the Tonys and Cheno looked so happy to see Menzel up there belting away.

[apdarcey]

Posted: 12/11/05 at 2:43am

neither of them ever said anything. in fact they've said the opposite, citing the tony's you mentioned. however people start rumors because they like drama and this will always be a rumor. no, they're not best friends, but that doesn't mean they hate each other.


ETA: though it was pretty clear that menzel got along much better with jlt.. but that doesn't matter. Updated On: 12/11/05 at 02:43 AM

[jimmirae]

Posted: 12/11/05 at 2:43am

Did you ever see the fights between Linda Evans and Joan Collins on "Dynasty"??
Last time I saw "Wicked" with those two I said I am simply NOT going to break up another bitch slap fest and they will just have to duke it out themselves this time dammitt!
LOL!
They are each others greatest fans!

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 12/11/05 at 2:49am

On all the interviews I have seen, Menzel always showed such respect for Chenoweth as a person and an actress, she also seemed to be genuine when she thanked her during her Tony speech, then again the award was for Best Actress. I don't see why people like starting rumors like this.

[Radioactiveduck]

Posted: 12/11/05 at 3:10am

Part of me wonders if Kristin was a bit stand-offish towards Dee, because she had been rehearsing with Stephanie Block for MONTHS, and then they canned her for Idina. Accoring to Stephanie, she and Kristin were great friends during the workshops.

[Jazzysuite82]

Posted: 12/11/05 at 3:11am

lol Dee wow are you guys BFF's?

[bwayondabrain]

Posted: 12/11/05 at 7:56am

haha
wow, someone started a rumor one time about kristin not winning the tony (for wicked)cuz she was christian? is that true?
sorry, just another cheno/menzel rumor i heard...

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 12/11/05 at 8:33am

No bwayondabrain, that's not true.

There's no way to know how they felt towards each other and, honestly, it really doesn't matter.

But if you want my opinion, I think they weren't the best of friends but had a professional relationship. As Kristin Chenoweth said on opening night at the press line, "Off stage we both have our own best friends and are our own people, but on stage, when we're together, we're TOGETHER."

Part of me wonders, though, why Chenoweth seems to be hostile towards "Wicked" these days. A couple months ago she said in that interview with a Christian magazine that it was "bad situation" backstage and that when she said she wasn't extending her contrasct they threatened to not campaign her for the Tony.. it was just so odd for her to come out of nowhere and see that.

But alas, we'll never know.

[jasobres]

Posted: 12/11/05 at 9:50am

By the looks of the interviews on "Broadway: The American Musical," Kristin and Idina enjoyed working together, if not exactly the best of friends. That's all I have to say about that.

[jasobres]

Posted: 12/11/05 at 9:50am

Sorry, double post.

Updated On: 12/11/05 at 09:50 AM

[suzycat]

Posted: 12/11/05 at 9:54am

Stephanie wasn't "canned" for Idina - she chose to leave the show to do "The Boy From Oz," right?

[Songsstresss]

Posted: 12/11/05 at 9:56am

No, they do not get along. It happens. But they are both professionals and you never saw it on stage! That's what's important.

[BwayBaby18]

Posted: 12/11/05 at 10:00am

No i believe Stephanie was canned because she decided to leave Wicked when she was just the stand-by. She was playing Elphaba in workshops before Idina.

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 12/11/05 at 10:08am

No, Stephanie was let go because the producers felt she did not have enough credits to bring the show to Broadway. They then hired Idina and the rest is history.

[Horton]

Posted: 12/11/05 at 10:19am

I think that Kristen had a problem with the producers because of the fact they fired Stephanie Block for Idina, and if you look at the television appearances that Kristin did with Idina verses Idina with JLT Idina and JLT seem much closer and they did A LOT more publicity together, and I think there is a reason for that, they just got along a lot better. But I think we should look up to the fact that Idina and Kristen were able to put there personal feelings together and put on a great show even they didn’t get along great. It is great when you see great chemistry such as Nathan and Matthew, but you have to remember that these people don't have to get along wonderfully with anybody in there job, it really helps if they do, but it just can't always happen. For example, in the Producers Hunter Foster did it on Broadway with Brad Oscar for a few months and was brilliant (saw it with then two times) and i think it is clear that they had an amazing chemistry, but then Hunter did the tour for one stop, and he took i think a week to make the transfer, but i have people that had seen it both on Broadway and on tour, and Hunter delivered the same performance both times regardless of the Max that he was acting with. And a similar thing happened with Eden in SF with Kendra, and it is THIS why i think when you have a major understudy affects a show.

There is a wonderful episode of Theater Talk with both of them, now this is not my website, but it is a really good one, so I don’t want to take credit for it, but really, appreciate how good this woman’s website is:

-Horton

[Horton]

Posted: 12/11/05 at 10:22am

sorry, i forgot to add the website

http://www.idinamenzel.net/Idina%20Downloads/PBS%20Theater%20Talk.wmv

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 12/11/05 at 10:40am

I don't think that Kristin and Idina's hostility towards each other had anything to do with Stephanie J Block. I think it was frustrating for Kristin that the show was built around her and then Idina came in and stole the show (it shouldn't have been suprising for her.. the show is called 'Wicked,' so it's obviously going to center around Elphaba.)

[YankeesFan175]

Posted: 12/11/05 at 10:42am

im sure cheno was upset when they brought in idina instead. but she doesnt seem like the type to hold a grudge like that. maybe it was just that cheno was working with stephanie for so long from scratch that it was hard to start that relationship over again so far into it.

[Horton]

Posted: 12/11/05 at 10:46am

somethingwicked,

If you get the Wicked Gremmerie (sp) you will see that Kristin says that the show was built around elphaba, and at first she was not in it at all and she just sort of devoloped into it. So with all do respect i dont agree.

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 12/11/05 at 10:53am

When I say the show was built around her, I don't mean the show was built around Glinda. I mean the show was built around Kristin. Winnie Holzman wrote the book of the show with Kristin in mind as Glinda, and tailored alot of things about Glinda specifically to Kristin. In fact, Glinda was/is as big a character she is because of Kristin. On the other hand, was Elphaba built around Stephanie particularly? No.

Plus, people shouldn't get it misconstrued. Stephanie was only involved in those first few readings throughout the first year the show was being shopped around (as a matter of fact, according to Stephanie's father, she only read with Kristin once at a table reading at Universal for Marc Platt in LA.) She was never involved in any real rehearsels or anything like that, so to say Kristin became so attatched to her is quite misleading. Idina was brought in before any real work on bringing the show to San Fran and NY was done. The decision that Stephanie would not play the role was made fairly early on.. As they say in that NY1 interview, Kristin was involved with the show for three years prior to Broadway. Idina was involved for two.

In regards to TBFO, Stephanie got that offer while she was the Standby in San Francisco, and took it instead of continuing with "Wicked" to Broadway.

Updated On: 12/11/05 at 10:53 AM

[PJ]

Posted: 12/11/05 at 2:38pm

They're two completely different women. Complete opposites, really. It was only natural that they wouldn't be the best of friends. That's not to imply that they had backstage slapfests, but perhaps they just weren't that close. It happens. Not everyone is friends with everyone.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 12/11/05 at 3:00pm

Yeah, it seems to me that they're def. two different personalities. No to put this in a bad way, but Idina seems more of the edgy / cursing type while Kristen seems like the holy heavenly perfect type. Basically the type of ppl they played in the show. Just wondering. I had heard so much sh*t about them hating each other, just wonderin' if there was any proof of it.

[JerseyGirl2]

Posted: 12/11/05 at 3:02pm

Amen, PJ. These women ARE polar opposites. Kristin reminds me of myself when I was growing up Southern Baptist and during my high school days. Idina reminds me more of my crass self now. I wouldn't have gotten along with myself back then...lol.

[WickedOne2]

Posted: 12/11/05 at 3:50pm

I had the chance to meet Kristin several months ago and she said nothing but nice things about Idina. We discussed Idina's Tony speech and Kristin said she was like Idina stop talking about me and thank your husband :) Kristin also said she and Stephanie were best friends and she was so excited that Stephanie was Elphaba in the national tour.

[PJ]

Posted: 12/11/05 at 4:04pm

"...said nothing but nice things about Idina."

It's called professionalism.