By Andrew Gans
04 May 2007

Despite any fears she has about learning the material so quickly, Chenoweth notes, "What I always say [about] Encores! [is] the people that are there want to be there, so they show you love. It kicks in and it does feed you, and then it becomes a great relationship between the actor and the audience. With this kind of material, it's gonna rely on the audience." Chenoweth also hopes that the show will have a life beyond the May 10-14 City Center run. "I think it's very relevant for today," she says. "I think that there's lots to learn from it, and my challenge will be — which is what I look to do in every show, even in a show like Wicked that's contemporary — to bring back a sort of rhythm and an old-fashioned style, but also make it relevant for today. So you can be Mary Martin or you can be Cameron Diaz, you know what I mean? And that's the challenge for this, too, because we're gonna have people who remember this stuff, and then we're gonna have people who never heard it."

Chenoweth is equally enthusiastic about her upcoming appearance on the aforementioned hit series "Ugly Betty," portraying Betty's dentist. "I am so hard on TV, [but 'Ugly Betty'] is fantastic, so how could I not [appear on the show]? And [star] America [Ferrera] is my height," she laughs. "We love each other. I will say [that] I don't know a lot about dentistry, so I made the choice that she's not very good! That's the easiest thing to do in that situation. I didn't have time to go research dentistry, but I had a blast. Just being with cool people and great writers — it was nothing but fun."

Chenoweth's other recent projects include two trips to the recording studio: a duet with baritone Nathan Gunn on John Bucchino's "Feels Like Home" for Gunn's new CD "Just Before Sunrise"; and a duet with Hugh Panaro on "Tonight" for the "West Side Story Tribute Album"; both discs are due in stores Aug. 7.

And, of course, one can't speak with Chenoweth without discussing Wicked, the mammoth hit Stephen Schwartz-Winnie Holzman musical that cast her as the curly-locked Glinda, where she cemented her reputation as one of the great musical comedy stars of her era. In fact, this writer has seen several terrific Elphabas, and several very good Glindas, but none who has matched the role's originator in both comedic and dramatic moments.

"When Stephen Schwartz called me and talked to me about the show, I had just finished 13 episodes of 'Kristin,'" Chenoweth says, "and I was really tired and not in the mood. And I just thought, 'Do the reading [without me] and then, if you're [still] interested, come to me.' But he sent [the script] to me anyway, and I went, 'Oh okay, I'll do the reading!' [Laughs.] Because I wasn't a fool! I saw what it could be. And by the way, Glinda was very much a side character [at that time], but I loved her. It wasn't until we first started doing the readings, at first with Stephanie [J. Block] and then with Idina [Menzel], that I realized that this was just unbelievable because it's a story that we all think we know. . . . [In the beginning it] really was Fiyero, Madame Morrible and Elphaba. And then Stephanie and I did one scene together, and they saw that this was actually about the relationship between these friends, and so it changed. It wasn't me going, 'I should have a bigger part.' I would have been fine being what it was. . . . It evolved and developed into these two girls, and that's what made it a hit, I think. Now the love story is really them. It's a powerful story, and I always had this hanging on my mirror when I was doing the show: it was about judgment, acceptance, friendship, forgiveness, and love, in that order. Every night — no matter what was going on in my life — I would get to 'For Good' with Idina, and it was just such a wonderful moment. It really did change my life. It was special."

When asked about the much-rumored Wicked movie, Chenoweth says, "I haven't heard a thing! Have you? I've just basically heard they're gonna try and run that sucker and make as much money as they can. But I hope they hurry because pretty soon I'm gonna be old enough to play Madame Morrible!

"And I have to say something about that show. It really touched people's lives. I'll be out and about, and . . . a straight guy will come up to me and be like, 'I don't want to admit it, but Wicked really changed me.' You know, like a crew guy will say that! And I love that. And then, of course, you have the young people who it spoke to. And I'm honored. I don't think I realized it while I was doing it, because you're in it. When you're in it, you're just doing your job. But, having left the show, I realized how many people whose lives it touched. And I'm really honored that I was a part of that because not everybody has had that experience onstage. And it's gonna live on forever. I think it'll probably be one of the biggest hits of all time."

Would Chenoweth ever consider returning to the stage version of Wicked? "You know, recently I have. . . . just recently I was like, 'I kinda miss Glinda a little bit.' And I never thought I'd say that just because I'd done it so long. Even though I loved her, you get to a point where you're kinda done. But just recently I thought, 'Well, maybe I could.' But I don't even know if that's a consideration for them or for me. But I did really love her. My challenge there was to make her lovable even though she's not exactly what we call a lovable person. . . . I do love her [though], but by the end, I was popping bubbles with my wand. It was time for me to go!"

[Stairway to Paradise will play City Center (West 55th Street, between Sixth and Seventh Avenues) May 10 at 8 PM, May 11 at 8 PM, May 12 at 2 and 8 PM, May 13 at 6:30 PM and May 14 at 7 PM (benefit performance) Tickets, priced $25-$90, are available by calling (212) 581-1212 or by visiting www.nycitycenter.org.]

DIVA TIDBITS
Ellen Greene, the celebrated singing actress best known for her work on stage and on screen in Little Shop of Horrors, will make a guest appearance on the new NBC show "Heroes." Greene will appear on the May 7 episode of the acclaimed show, which airs in the metropolitan area on WNBC Channel 4 from 9-10 PM ET; check local listings. Greene will portray the mother of Sylar, the character played by actor Zachary Quinto. The upcoming episode is titled "The Hard Part" and is described by TVGuide.com as such: "Hiro and Ando are even more determined to save the world after seeing the grim future; Nathan takes steps to win the election. Thompson (Eric Roberts) brings someone new into the organization; and Sylar visit his mom (Ellen Greene)." For more information visit www.nbc.com.

Melissa Errico, last on Broadway in Dracula, will return to Birdland May 21 and 28. Errico's 7 PM concerts will feature a mix of jazz standards, theatre classics, original songs and lullabies, and she will be accompanied by Andy Ezrin on piano and Tim Lefebvre on bass. Audiences can expect to hear such tunes as "I Remember," "Once Upon a Summertime," "Speak Low," "The Summer Knows" and "Another Life." Errico will also perform tunes from her upcoming CD, including "Gartans Lullabye" and the Beatles' "Goodnight." Birdland is located in Manhattan at 315 West 44th Street, between Eighth and Ninth Avenues. There is a $30 cover charge and a $10 food/drink minimum. Call (212) 581-3080 for reservations.

Saycon Sengbloh, who recently completed a two-year stint as the Elphaba standby in the Broadway production of Wicked, will go it solo in June. The singing actress will perform in concert at the BookHouse @ Eastern Monroe Public Library June 22. The 7:30 PM concert will feature tunes from the worlds of Broadway, jazz, R&B and soul. The BookHouse @ Eastern Monroe Public Library is located at 1002 North 9th Street in Stroudsburg, PA. For further information, call (570) 421-0800, ext. 30 or visit www.monroepl.org/bookhouse.html.

Well, that's all for now. Happy diva-watching! E-mail questions or comments to agans@playbill.com.