Chenoweth was born in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. She graduated from Oklahoma City University, where she earned a bachelor's degree in musical theater and a master's degree in opera performance. She is a member of Gamma Phi Beta Sorority. In 1991, she won the title of "Miss OCU" and went on to win second runner-up in the Miss Oklahoma pageant. She performed at Opryland USA. She won a "most talented up-and-coming singer" award in the Metropolitan Opera National Council auditions, which came with a full scholarship to Philadelphia's Academy of Vocal Arts; she turned down the scholarship when she auditioned and won a part on an off-Broadway show. She also enjoyed watching her boyfriend at the time (professional baseball player Shawn Bryant) pitch.
Chenoweth made her Broadway debut in a production of Molière's Scapin starring Bill Irwin, followed in the spring of 1997 by the unsuccessful musical Steel Pier by John Kander and Fred Ebb, for which she won a Theatre World award. The following season, she appeared in the City Center Encores! production of the George and Ira Gershwin musical Strike Up the Band and the Lincoln Center Theater production of William Finn's A New Brain.
During the 1998–1999 season, she performed the role of Sally in the Broadway revival of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, sweeping the Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle Awards as the season's Best Featured Actress in a Musical. She then starred in the Broadway comedy Epic Proportions, followed by appearances in ABC's television adaptation of the musical Annie (as Lily St. Regis), and in the leading role of Daisy Gamble in the City Center Encores! production of On a Clear Day You Can See Forever.
In 2003, Chenoweth performed songs from her album Let Yourself Go in concert for Lincoln Center's 5th American Songbook. She also performed in City Center Encores! 10th Anniversary Bash.
In London, she was involved in Divas at Donmar for director Sam Mendes, then appeared in the Actor's Fund Benefit Concert of the musical Funny Girl in New York City.
Chenoweth was a part of ABC's An American Celebration at Ford's Theater with Kelsey Grammer, NBC's Salute to the Olympic Winners, The Kennedy Center Gala honoring Julie Andrews, and an episode of Frasier on NBC. She also starred as Marian Paroo in the ABC television production of Meredith Willson's The Music Man, opposite Matthew Broderick.
In October 2003, Chenoweth returned to Broadway in Wicked, a musical about the early years of the witches of Oz. She was nominated for a Tony as Best Leading Actress in a Musical for her performance as Glinda, but lost to co-star Idina Menzel (who played Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West).
Chenoweth's role in Wicked also brought the opportunity to co-star in Nora Ephron's 2005 film version of Bewitched. The film's star, Nicole Kidman, had attended a performance of Wicked and was so impressed with Chenoweth's charisma and stage presence that Kidman requested to Ephron that Chenoweth be cast in the film. Chenoweth got the part of Maria Kelly, Kidman's character's friend, neighbor, and personal assistant.
Chenoweth has also performed leading roles at the Goodspeed Opera House and the Guthrie Theatre, and she was chosen by the late Jerome Robbins as the guest soloist in his West Side Story Suite of Dances at New York City Ballet. She also starred in a short-lived semi-biographical sitcom, Kristin, for NBC. It was a mid-season replacement in 2001 that co-starred Jon Tenney, but it was cancelled after only six episodes.
Beginning in the sixth season (2004–2005) of The West Wing, Chenoweth has had a recurring role playing media consultant Annabeth Schott; as of the seventh season she is featured in the opening credits. In 2006, she is scheduled to appear in a remarkable five films including The Pink Panther, R.V., and Stranger Than Fiction. Chenoweth then will star in Asphalt Beach and in a bio-pic of Dusty Springfield.
Chenoweth is a Christian, but was disinvited from a Women of Faith conference in September 2005 because of her positive attitude toward gays and lesbians. She released an album in April 2005 called As I Am that's a mixture of hymns and contemporary Christian music, with arrangements that sound more like adult contemporary.
Chenoweth is 150 cm (4 ft 11 in) tall. She appeared in the March 2006 issue of FHM.
Evil Like Me
Kristin Chenoweth Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I don't know who to be
Mother
Is it wrong, is it right?
Be a thief in the night
Mother
Tell me what to do
I was once like you my child
Slightly insecure
Argued with my mother too
Thought I was mature
But I put my heart aside
And I used my head
Now I think it's time you learned
What dear old momma said
Don't you wanna be evil like me?
Don't you wanna be mean?
Don't you wanna make mischief your daily routine?
Well you can spend your life attending to the poor
But when you're evil doing less is doing more
Don't you wanna be ruthless and rotten and mad?
Don't you wanna be very, very good at being bad?
I have tried my whole life long to do the worst I can
Clawed my way to victory
Built my master plan
Now the time has come my dear for you to take your place
Promise me you will try to be an absolute disgrace
Don't you wanna be evil like me?
Don't you wanna be cruel?
Don't you wanna be nasty and brutal and cool?
And when you grab that wand that's when your reign begins
Who wants an evil queen without a sack of sins?
Don't you wanna be heartless and hardin' as stone?
Don't you wanna be finger licking' evil to the bone?
This is not for us to ponder
This was preordained
You and I shall rule together
Freedom soon regain
Mistress of the universe, powerful and strong
Daughter, hear me
Help me, join me
Won't you sing along?
Now we're gonna be evil it's true
Never gonna think twice
And we're gonna be spiteful
Yes, spiteful
That's nice
In just an hour or two
Our futures safe and sure
This mother, daughter act is going out on tour
If you wanna be evil and awful and free
Then you should thank your lucky star
That you were born the girl you are
The daughter of an evilicious queen
Like me!
The song "Evil Like Me" is a duet between the characters Maleficent and her daughter Mal, in the Disney Channel original movie "Descendants." The lyrics are full of metaphorical references to wickedness, evil, and power. The song is sung by Maleficent, who tries to persuade her daughter to embrace her evil destiny and follow in her mother's footsteps. In the beginning, Maleficent sings about the struggles of being a mother, unsure if she wants Mal to follow in her footsteps as a villain or not. She then describes her own journey to becoming an evil mastermind, but acknowledges that it's not too late for her daughter to choose her own path. She encourages Mal to embrace her dark side and join her in a life of crime and destruction. The chorus features Maleficent persuading Mal to be evil and depicting the benefits of being wicked.
The song uses metaphors such as "grab that wand, that’s when your reign begins" to describe the wand as a symbol of power and control. It also uses phrases like "finger-lickin' evil to the bone" as a reference to the pleasures of indulging in evil behavior. Overall, the song is an anthem for those who embrace their dark sides and do not care about what others think. The duet ends with both characters singing about their unapologetic malice and how they will tour the world together as an "evilicious" mother-daughter act.
Line by Line Meaning
Look at you, look at me
We are in a dilemma and confused about our identity
I don't know who to be
I have no idea about the kind of person I want to be
Mother
I need guidance from my mother
Is it wrong, is it right?
I am confused whether my actions are moral or not
Be a thief in the night
Steal when no one is watching
Mother
I need your advice
Tell me what to do
Please guide me on the right path
I was once like you my child
I also had similar doubts and insecurities when I was young
Slightly insecure
I lacked confidence
Argued with my mother too
I also had disagreements with my mother
Thought I was mature
I felt like an adult when I was not
But I put my heart aside
I did not let my emotions cloud my judgement
And I used my head
I made logical decisions
Now I think it's time you learned
I believe it's time for you to understand
What dear old momma said
The advice that I received from my mother
Don't you wanna be evil like me?
Do you not want to be like me and be wicked?
Don't you wanna be mean?
Do you not want to be cruel?
Don't you wanna make mischief your daily routine?
Do you not want to engage in mischievous activities every day?
Well you can spend your life attending to the poor
You can spend your life helping the less fortunate
But when you're evil doing less is doing more
But in the world of wickedness, doing less is doing more harm
Don't you wanna be ruthless and rotten and mad?
Do you not want to be merciless, wicked and crazy?
Don't you wanna be very, very good at being bad?
Do you not want to excel at being evil?
I have tried my whole life long to do the worst I can
I have been trying to do the most evil things my entire life
Clawed my way to victory
I used every means necessary to succeed
Built my master plan
I created a comprehensive plan
Now the time has come my dear for you to take your place
It is now your turn to take the reigns of evil
Promise me you will try to be an absolute disgrace
Promise me that you will be utterly shameful and act wickedly
And when you grab that wand that's when your reign begins
Once you have the powerful wand, your rise to power will begin
Who wants an evil queen without a sack of sins?
No one wants an evil queen who has not sinned enough
Don't you wanna be heartless and hardin' as stone?
Do you not want to be unfeeling and hard as stone?
Don't you wanna be finger lickin' evil to the bone?
Do you not want to be so evil that it's impossible to change?
This is not for us to ponder
We do not need to think this through
This was preordained
This was meant to be
You and I shall rule together
We will rule together
Freedom soon regain
We will soon have complete freedom
Mistress of the universe, powerful and strong
We will be the dominant beings in the universe with immense power
Daughter, hear me
My daughter, listen to me
Help me, join me
Help me and join me in my quest for domination
Now we're gonna be evil it's true
We are going to be evil from now on
Never gonna think twice
We will not have second thoughts about our actions
And we're gonna be spiteful
We will act maliciously
Yes, spiteful
Indeed, malicious
That's nice
That's good
In just an hour or two
It won't take long
Our futures safe and sure
Our future is secure
This mother, daughter act is going out on tour
Our mother-daughter partnership is going to be famous
If you wanna be evil and awful and free
If you want to be wicked and have complete freedom
Then you should thank your lucky star
You should consider yourself lucky
That you were born the girl you are
Your gender is favorable for your rise to power
The daughter of an evilicious queen
You are the apple of an evil queen's eye
Like me!
Just like me
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Andrew Lippa
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind