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.
One Short Day
Kristin Chenoweth Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
One short day
In the Emerald City
I've always wanted to see the Emerald City
One short day
One short day
In the Emerald City
One short day
Full of so much to do
Every way
That you look in this city
There's something exquisite
You'll want to visit
Before the day's through!
There are buildings tall as quoxwood trees
Dress salons
And libraries
Palaces!
Museums!
A hundred strong
There are wonders like I've never seen
It's all grand
And it's all green
I think we've found the place where we belong!
I wanna be in this hoi polloi
So I'll be back for good someday
To make my life and make my way
But for today, we'll wander and enjoy
One short day
In the Emerald City
One short day
To have a lifetime of fun
One short day
And we're warning the city
Now that we're in here
You'll know we've been here
Before we are done!
Elfie, come on, we'll be late for Wizomania!
Who's the mage
Whose major itinerary
Is making all Oz merrier?
Who's the sage
Who sagely sailed in to save our posteriors?
Whose enthuse for hot air ballooning
Has all of Oz honeymooning?
Woo
Wiz-n't he wonderful? (Our wonderful wizard!)
One short day
In the Emerald City
One short day
To have a lifetime of fun
What a way
To be seeing the city
Where so many roam to
We'll call it home too
And then, just like now
We can say
We're just two friends
Two good friends
Two best friends
Sharing one wonderful
One short
The wizard will see you now!
Day!
The song "One Short Day" from the musical Wicked is sung by the characters Elphaba and Glinda as they arrive in the Emerald City. The lyrics describe their excitement and wonder as they explore the city and all of its grandeur. The characters express their desire to stay in the city and become a part of its lively culture. The song is also used to introduce the character of the Wizard, who the characters hope will help them achieve their goals.
The lyrics of "One Short Day" capture the excitement and anticipation that comes with exploring new places and experiencing new things. The idea of one short day being full of so much to do and see is a reminder to appreciate the present moment and make the most of every opportunity. The idea of finding a new home and a sense of belonging in a place that captures one's heart is also something that many people can relate to.
Line by Line Meaning
Come with me to the Emerald City
Join me as we go to the Emerald City
One short day In the Emerald City
We only have one day to spend in the amazing Emerald City
I've always wanted to see the Emerald City
I've always dreamed of going to the Emerald City and seeing its wonders
One short day Full of so much to do
In just one day, there's so much to see and do
Every way That you look in this city There's something exquisite You'll want to visit Before the day's through!
Everywhere you turn, there's something beautiful and exciting to see or experience
There are buildings tall as quoxwood trees
There are very tall buildings in the city, comparable to quoxwood trees
Dress salons And libraries Palaces! Museums! A hundred strong There are wonders like I've never seen
There are many amazing places to visit in the city, such as dress salons, libraries, palaces, and museums, all with unique attractions
It's all grand And it's all green
The city is very impressive and all of it is green-colored
I think we've found the place where we belong!
I feel like we've finally found the place where we fit in and belong
I wanna be in this hoi polloi So I'll be back for good someday To make my life and make my way But for today, we'll wander and enjoy
I want to be part of this society and I plan on coming back here to stay permanently someday, but for now, we'll enjoy our time here
And we're warning the city Now that we're in here You'll know we've been here Before we are done!
We're letting the city know that we've arrived and plan on making the most of our time here by experiencing as much as we can before we leave
Who's the mage Whose major itinerary Is making all Oz merrier? Who's the sage Who sagely sailed in to save our posteriors? Whose enthuse for hot air ballooning Has all of Oz honeymooning? Woo Wiz-n't he wonderful? (Our wonderful wizard!)
We're talking about the wonderful wizard who has made Oz a happier place with his playful and unique itinerary that includes hot air ballooning and his wise ways of saving us when we need him
What a way To be seeing the city Where so many roam to We'll call it home too
We're amazed at how amazing the city is and we want to make it our permanent home too
And then, just like now We can say We're just two friends Two good friends Two best friends Sharing one wonderful One short
We can look back at this one day and remember how we bonded as two good friends, sharing this wonderful experience together
The wizard will see you now! Day!
It's time to meet the wizard as our one short day in the Emerald City comes to an end
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: STEPHEN LAWRENCE SCHWARTZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind