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Kristin Chenoweth Looks to Revive ‘On the Twentieth Century’

Tony Award winner Kristin Chenoweth is going to continue to please her many fans as she gets ready to release her new CD following her engagement on Broadway in “Promises Promises” with Sean Hayes.

Her CD is titled “Some Lessons Learned” and is set to drop from the Sony Masterworks label on September 13. The music is a blend between country and pop music and according to Chenoweth, “was actually an idea I had many years ago when I signed with my record label. I had it in my contract that we would do one. It’s an idea that I had when I was growing up – I just always wanted to do it, so I’m glad I finally got the opportunity. It’s more how I sang growing up… [and] I’m really excited by it.”

According to Chenoweth, who has won both an Emmy and a Tony and is a native of Oklahoma, her country idols are Trisha Yearwood, Dolly Parton, and Patsy Cline. This explains why one of her songs is called “What Would Dolly Do?” as a tribute to the Grammy-winning Dolly Parton. This song, in addition to “Mine to Love,” also written by Chenoweth will be on the new album.

Chenoweth stated, “I can’t wait for people to hear [the CD]. I sort of feel like people know of all kinds of styles I do, but this is going to be incredibly special for me to finally get to do the one that I said, ‘Look, if you sign me, please just agree to do this one thing.’ I just can’t wait for people to hear it, whatever happens.”

There is only one song on the album that is not an original song, including “Bitch About,” a song that is set to drop on June 6. Chenoweth continued, “There will be a video – a music video to the single – which will be coming out on CMT. First time I’ve ever gotten to do a music video, which is kind of cool.” In addition, the artist is happy to be able to record the popular “Boy”: “I think that I am most excited about that song because I know the fans have been asking for it for a long time, and I finally got to record it.”

Chenoweth, who is also known for her comedy, was just recently a guest on “Glee,” the popular Fox television show. She is also working on a television pilot called “Good Christian Bitches” and is anticipating a decision from ABC as to whether or not it will be picked up. Ryan Murphy, creator of “Glee,” and Chenoweth “had a timeline [for a pilot], and we didn’t meet it, so I did another pilot for ABC called ‘Good Christian Bitches,’ and I’ll find out May 17 if that is actually going to be put on the air. …[The show concerns] women of faith who have their demons. Let’s just say it like that. “ The pilot will also star Annie Potts, Jennifer Aspen, Marisol Nichols, Miriam Shor, and Leslie Bibb.

It is also possible that Chenoweth, who has appeared in You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, The Apple Tree, and Wicked, will come back to Broadway.

She said, “I’m involved in a reading of a show that I’m very interested in doing about Tammy Faye Baker. We’re going to revive On the Twentieth Century, and I’m going to know a lot more, in about two weeks, about when that will be! You know everybody knows how I feel about Broadway and how much I love it, and I’m lucky that I get to consider what kinds of things that I would like to do. Obviously, I love to do original stuff, but On the Twentieth Century [has] a part that I’ve been wanting to play, and it seems like a really good fit.”

Even though Chenoweth is very involved with numerous projects, she is still able to spend “a lot of time with friends…Any downtime I have, even if it’s two hours – I’m like, ‘Let’s meet for lunch,’ or ‘Let’s go to the mall,’ or ‘Let’s take a walk.’ I’ve been going at it for so long so hard. This year has been about, for me, reconnection and taking care of people who I really, actually want to spend time with. So I’m doing that a lot more – obviously that brings me great pleasure.”

Chenoweth is very popular on Broadway is looking forward to several shows. “I can’t wait to see Book of Mormon. I can’t wait to see Sister Act, and I can’t wait to see How to Succeed… and, of course, The Normal Heart, with Joe [Mantello] and Lee [Pace] – I have to see that. So when I get there in a couple weeks, I have a long line of theatre to go see, which fills me up like it does so many people.”