And That's what You Really missed with Jenna.
And Kevin An iHeartRadio podcast.
Welcome to and That's what You Really miss podcast. Okay, we've got no Glee member here today. Queens the Queen Versailles.
Oh that's right, Kristin Chenowith got a lover.
She is just the best. I love her.
You gotta get the sores because you and I just like, Ah, she's the best. She is like in every I don't know how to encapsulate her anymore.
Is the best.
She's the Mecca, She's the Queen. Well, she needs no introduction. It's Kristin Chenleman, one of the people on the planet joining us.
Thank you. Here's Kristen.
Oh, Kristen, if I miss you?
Where is God? It's so good to see you.
I feel like I just keep up with you guys just online. I know house life, guys. How's life.
We're surviving.
We're good, yeah.
Choice, but to survive.
We're trying, you know, we have we all have each other's.
Right trying to thrive, not just survive.
Oh, I'm so happy to see these babies.
Thank you for joining us.
Time it works, it's the only time we get to see each other anymore.
I don't like it.
It's true.
We'll take it.
Get you come on the podcast coming out.
I saw you. I saw you from Afar. At the Wicked premiere, I was like, oh, there you go.
Kristen key over and give me the biggest hunt.
No, it was far. The carpet was big, you know you. It was it was your moment, not you know, I was not trying to. You were getting all the love and respect that you deserve.
Okay, well what has that been like? This movie?
It's oh so good. You know what it is you guys, and you too understand what it's like to be a part of something that people love and you are beloved and people feel like they watch you grew up and you know, Glee, just like Wicked, is a juggernaut. I was in I'm living in Nashville now and I was at a little place eating yesterday and the girl, this waitress comes up. She goes, I'm sorry. I know you've done a lot of work, but I loved you on Glee.
And that always you never really know what they're going to say, whether it's yeah, pushing you don't know what it's going to be. But it always makes me feel so special because I remember the very first time I went on set and you guys were all so lovely to me. And that's the way it felt that the Wicked premiere, because you know, you do these things, and it's been you guys twenty two years since I did Wicked. Oh my god, I've done a lot of work since then.
And yes, yeah, sometimes I go, dang, does anybody remember what I've done?
Right?
Yeah, but my mom keeps saying. I said to me, you know, you should be so lucky, and I have a couple of things that are attached and for the rest of my life, and we should all be lucky. But to feel the love that way, I was very I was very surprised at my emotion. I and Diana and I were like, ohka, I want to do this thing. You know, we're going to be supportive and past the torch, then the wand the perspective room whatever. I was obviously
proud of those girls I want. Arianna and I are extremely close and that I'm glad it shook out that way. I'm glad it went that way. Be them bring it to life on film was extremely like you just it's surreal. It's surreal, and it's layered. It's layered, you know, complicated, and those are the people that I love so much.
I mean, Right and Arihanna are just well I think we can thank them for making musicals, bringing it it back, you know, and maybe there'll be other producers, directors willing to take a risk, you know, as John shoot.
It, you know, seeing the how involved you guys were at the premieres, like multiple premieres in the movie, because I kept thinking of, you know, Glee reboots get mentioned all the time. Oh, I know, and like that how that would feel if you're not a part of it. Where it's like again, I have the same thoughts we've all talked about it, like it's great that there would be another musical thing, what the show means to people who are unrepresented, all of that, all of those things.
But at the same time, I'm like, I feel as a fan of you and a friend and a wicked when you popped up on screen, I was like, thank God. I was like, I was like, you know, I sell the care, it seems, and I hope you feel like the care that you guys are involved in it in some way. It's like that's that's how you pay respect. And I hope it feels like that for you guys too.
Good and John Hue, I just have to.
Say, sweet man, isn't he the sweetest man?
Yes, the right person for this project and said to us both many times and has since. I mean I've talked. I probably talked to him once a week. I'm just like you believe that I not. But he he was just kept telling us you are you have informed this movie, you want to do Heaven. Your performances are indelible and without without you, there would be no movie. And he's been so vocal about that. I thank him so much
for making us feel so loved. And Diana and I, you know, we've come full we have just been That is a person that, just like you guys, only she and I know how wonderful and difficult and all of the things. It was only she and I yea, yea, and only her and I can look at each other and go we only yes, just like y'all, just like y'all.
And it was so nice after all these years to be with her and just to be going, you know, really and just falling right back into hey me, you know I have you know me you've worked with me, I have fifty five ideas, and I can see how sometimes you know in the past that might not be for a co star, like the most enjoyable process. What if I did and then you put and then a comedian right. Yes, this time we just fell back in and I was like, I could I go. Oh my god, Dina,
I'm sorry, sorry, please do it. This is what she said, please do it. This is what you do. Wow, I have a skill. This is what you do. Please let's and I mean it made me beautiful.
See.
Yes, we just look at each other and our careers.
You know, the two of you have have just it's like from one thing to the next sense where you guys, you know, started in the and you had done things pre Wicked like great thanks pre Wicked. But the both of you, the variation in your careers, the breadth of your work like it is. It must be surreal to come full circle like that. And you're on this set of the Wicked movie that's been talked about since the beginning of inception of the show.
Yes, yeah, and you're both so funny, we're both on gleek crazy God.
I love that girl, I love that, you know, I can't. I would say she's more of a sister than a friend. Does that make sense?
Yes, totally, totally.
You guys get it, don't totally.
And it's even more so than us when you're like you guys get it with each other because there's a lot of us. I know, with YouTube, it's even more. It's harder because there's you only have each other. Like we have always talked about how we're so grateful that we have a large group who understands this. With you two, it really is just you have each other. And when you're on set doing the movie or on the carpets or whatever it may be, you can't look at each
other and you don't have to say anything. I'm sure because you just fully know.
I know. Isn't it such a beautiful gift?
Yes, it's a gift.
When I hear about the Glee reboot, it just like I would hear about I would hear I did a show called Good Christian Bitches gc B. Yes, it was a little bit ahead of its time. I loved, I love, thank you. I love that show. And now they're talking about rebooting it with a younger cast. And when you hear that, you there is a stab in the heart. There is a stab in the heart, but at the same time, at the same time, I don't know how easy and wonderful it might feel to go.
Back, right, I don't know.
I mean, I would be interested to hear y'all's thoughts sometime on how it would feel. It's not always great to go Yah had that, and it actually actually can't be recreated.
It's never going to be that.
Oh look at Will and Grace, remember when they rebooted it. And Sean is one of my really good friend I'm actually really good friends with all of them. I know, uh, Sean the most, but Devi and Eric were fromt Friendly and I don't know how they feel about that. I haven't actually asked, but I wonder. You know, you're onto other things. I don't know.
It feels like you're chasing something to me, because.
It's a bottle that you don't know if you can catch again.
Because you want to go back because it was so good, but there is no way. You're all different places in your lives, the world is different, everything is different, and so it could be a new, different, great experience, but it's never going to be what it was. And I think if you go into it thinking or chasing that feeling, you're just going to be disappointed. And so I don't know what it looks like.
Yeah, going toward.
Thinking of something new but still doing the old thing. I don't know about.
It because I'm crazy. This is what I do at night, not about the Glee reyboot, because you know I read it all the time. Yeah. Not. The only way I'd like to see it is if you guys are all parents and the new kids are.
Cute or are you're older.
And you're maybe you're teaching at school.
Or right, Yeah, well.
Then that way you're still in it, but you're ushering in a new group. That would be the only way as a as fans, A lot of fans would want to I guess I'm honest the grandmother, I don't know you at all. I could be the girl that's still doing the fan.
He's the same. Yeah.
Going back to anything that has and you've worked on so many of those projects that had such.
Also Westering reboot has been talked about and all these like God, now that I would love to see, but.
Well that's that's yeah, Oh god, we're in season five now, we're watching when you when when April comes back episodes one hundredth episode where her and Holly Holiday are together, and so you and Gwynneth, yes, yes, yeah, I'm.
Glad y'all are reminded me.
No, I know, we forgot to. Yeah, And what happens is you and Gwyneth have a really great storyline where you were like in cahoots for an entire episode, you know, obviously trying to get the Glee club to stay together, and it was like two of our favorite girls together conspiring and it was so fun to watch. Do you remember what that experience was like to film and to get to work together.
Never even met her, nor had I worked with her, obviously, and so I was really excited about that. Working with her was so the only thing I can say it was was easy. It was another go and you know, I don't like to enter a room with that stuff either, you know me. So I was kind of nervous because you know, that's a big Hollywood movie star and then I'm just I'm like, you know, I'm not so and so I didn't know how she would respond to me and if ideas would be welcome or but I enjoyed.
There's one particular moment that I remember the most, when we were sitting in the rafters in the theater and watching it and we were both kind of quiet, just watching, y'all act. I mean, we could have been released, but we were just watching. And it was very informative for our characters too, and she was just so kind to me. I remember she wore this jumpsuit and I was like, I need to have that. She was like, I don't think it's your size. No, I just need to made it.
And I probably went out as Kristen and went out in about the same jumpsuit because she looked so amazing at it. And then of course she's tall and long, Coleen, I am short. It doesn't look the same. So I had my tailor in there trying. But I just really, I have a lot of respect, respect when when she could have to be honest, not done a TV show.
Yeah, totally totally.
But our characters were fun and I thought they entered. I thought the writers did write by us. I actually sat that Anne Brennan a lot.
Isn't he the best?
I mean he was I think wrote a lot of April.
Yeah, No, he's a genius.
He was such a genius, and you guys were so fun together, and it's so fun. You're you know, You're comedy is just is your thing, it's where you live, it's obviously. And then but then you get Gwynneth, who it's not. You don't always see her being goofy and silly like that, and so the two of you together was just watching like comedic genius, brilliance.
It was so exciting.
And then we also did define Gravity again. I don't know if you remember, but we did it again.
And you know what I thought. I thought, they're doing that again. That's what I heard. And then I thought I was like, thank.
God it worked.
Yeah, it worked, y'all.
It I felt. I watched you in that scene. I was like, I feel so bad for her having to listen because you know how long it take the film a musical number, and I was like, she has to listen to the song over and over, like like we're dragging her in here to make her. Do hear this again? I guess like gives a different show, yes.
But you know many times done poorly. Oh yeah here, not by anyone on stage or anyone. I mean, I just mean like an audition online.
Yeah, it was it's good hands you have Leah and Amber and Chrissy.
Yeah, it's gonna be it's gonna be good. Yeah, it's just hearing that song again.
It's never away. Neither is popular. You can run, but you can't hide.
I know.
And I've heard that.
You just I you're wicked for one more second. I heard that you you said, and I think Ariam said, thank Goodness is your favorite song in the show.
It's my favorite song too. There's so it's so.
Thank you.
It really is, it really is. It's so powerful and it really encompasses a huge message.
For Glinda in the show, I think.
But also you can hear it this show, right, Yes, oh god, it's my favorite so soprano.
I mean, I could talk about the because I'm crazy. I could talk about the character characterizations for all my characters and why. But I can just remember telling Ryan if I could just he said, I'm going to have April, you know, like shoplift, and I was like, oh my god, if it could be in my clothes somehow. But then Ian writes it words between my leg It's you know, this is how my brain works. But for Glinda vocally,
in the beginning of the show Stephen. Originally, originally it had been Madam Morble coming in and singing No One mourns the Wicked good News. And then I was asked to do the workshop one of the first readings, and they said what if it was Kristen or Glinda and Stephen had me doing it, and so it kind of stuck. And then you probably know the story that it was really Madam Morble and Alphaba and Fierra's story in the beginning.
Then I started there and it wasn't me going. It just involved you know, it just evolved and they saw that these two girls were the were the love story as I Then eventually I went to Stephen. I mean, I love him so much and I know he loves me, but I just said I can't come in. I'll come down on a bubble and go it's good to see me as an it No One wns good News. I said, to be a soprano, she has to be colored to a soprano. And he said, you just want to show off.
I said, well yeah, but I also want it's the character. It's how we think now, yes, so, and he kind of you know, and the next day he came in and it was let us be glad. It was that, And then the reason I love the way he wrote the character is there we had somewhere to go, so that the time we get to Thank Goodness, popular is
belted and it's in a medium mixed belt. And then you go to thank Goodness, which was a more of a mixed belt but lower but high still, but you still hear Glinda in there, Glinda and less of Glinda. And then by the time we get to for good she's singing all the low harms because of the growth. And I love I love it when things musically make sense.
Though.
My favorite Stevens.
We're working together right now on a new show and it's going really well.
Yeah, so you're doing Queen Overside.
UNIVERSEID we did it. We learned a lot, you know, That's why we go out of town. Yeah, ended up at about eighty five percent where we needed to be. And I just got back from California and doing a workshop with him and the writer and Michael, our director, Michael.
Arden, and yes, love Michael, who worked with Darren on Maybe Happy Ending recently.
Yes, I mean I worked with my boyfriend on Spring Awakening.
Arden is just uh yeah, he's filling it.
He's special and he should he should have his glee.
He needs Yes, he needs to. He needs to because he did once on The Silent Yeah with Alex it's time. Yeah, you know, I just don't.
I'm gonna. I'm I want to do television. I'm like, I just remember that.
Yes, sell opinions.
But also there's this Darren Chris when I went, I went to New York and I had like three days of work and I went immediately to see Maybe Happy Ending. And I don't have seen it yet.
I've read it.
And read it.
Yes, okay, it is what I think. This is my best review. The sets are amazing, the music is great, but those two that cast it is a little gem. It's almost like its own there's Broadway and then there's Maybe Happy Ending and it's so sweet and tears. But also I was so proud of Darren and his physicality work.
Yes, you have to go.
It's very very interesting piece. It was begging to be done and it's one of my favorite things this season.
Amazing.
That's what anyone who's seen it, they come away saying the exact same thing, where it's its own special thing.
Yeah, well you guys should check it out. But anyway, I'm really proud of you both. Keep doing, keep doing all the things that you're supposed to do. God has really been very very attentive to both of you. And you have a spirit and a light about you. You had it when I met you, when I came in that very first day, and you still have it, and that is a very hard thing to have.
You do too, You do mediate that light all the time. You are our favorite. You continue to be here. You're like home. You know.
It's like anybody asked us who are our favorite guest stars, it's.
You because you came in early. You took us under your wing like a sibling, you know, not in the way that like you had done way more than all of us combined, but you really got the show. You understood us, and you have always been that way.
We always ask everybody on the show, Kristin, what is the feeling that Glee leaves you with? And we can't leave it and let you leave without asking.
Well, I'm not going to say it leaves me with Glee because everybody's said that.
No, it's we haven't gotten that maybe once.
Well, I mean I was going to say joy, but Glee is it? Because Glee represents for me something I didn't have in high school. We had madrigals because there was only five of us, and I always wanted to have a glee club. And so for me getting to do the show Glee and then go back to my high school and see that they had developed a glee club and that's all thirty five people in it. And
that's because of the show. I don't even know if I've ever gotten to tell Ryan Murphy that, but the choir director said, it's because of the show Glee that you were on that that developed an interest. I mean, this show changed choir. And so because I love young talent and I have my camp and arch and education fund and all that stuff to be it leaves me with pure joy. So Glee, that's what it leaves me.
And it still does when the girls yesterday emo, so thank you, and I love y'all and take care of yourselves, would you?
Oh you too? And we can't. We got to come se queen over side when it's up.
Yeah, good luck.
Oh I need it.
I need it. It's hard. Eight tymes of week I burned eight eight thousand steps to show.
Oh I want to watch. Oh, there's nothing I trust you with anything. There's nothing you can't do.
You take care of yourself.
I'm doing hot yoga all the time now, so I'm doing it.
I love you and I love me so much.
I love you so much.
Take care of you.
Have a good time too. Bye.
God.
I love her.
She's a gem is.
She just the best.
She's just always her, you know, never get anything.
That's her.
She shows up, she does the damn thing. She does it genuinely. She's always going to be in tune with you. She's gonna look you in the eye when she talks to you. She is a good person.
She does not bullshit you. No, She's always kind. And on top of that, she is one of the most salented people on the planet.
She said, this is a woman too.
She is you know, there's something. And she was talking about working with Gwenn and she never worked with her, And you come in with these ideas. I think the reason why we feel so I think attached to Kristen Anne Gwyneth in similar ways is because they're both like that. Yeah, and they come to differently, but yes, especially like working together, at least on Glee. They were both so open and joyous and collaborative and like down to clown And they're
both like that in real life. Yes, so kind Like Gwyneth will always show up. Gwyneth always answers the text and is always open to ideas and talking about deep things, and so is Kristin. Kristin, like just now, can go from making hilarious jokes to them being so emotionally present and available. Yes, that it is. Those are qualities that you don't experience every day, and I think when you do interact with them, they're like magic and you just
want to be around those people. And Kristin is just the best.
Yes.
Yeah, Well, thank you christ for taking the time to chat with us, and we hope you guys enjoyed it.
I had to nerd out a little bit with Wicked. I have to ask you some questions I never got to ask her before.
She gave us some good Quicked stuff. Oh hell yeah I have some. I have some more nerdy questions for next time we talk to her. Yes, hopefully soon.
And that's right, really, miss.
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