Kristin Chenoweth For Marriage Equality

A Star Is Born

Going viral this weekend with almost 300K views is a clip from Kristen Chenoweth's Friday night concert at the Hollywood Bowl.

When musicians call audience members up on stage to perform with them, the results are usually fun but a little cringe-worthy. During the show, she [Chenoweth] called Southern California resident Sarah Horn to the stage and invited her to sing "For Good," a duet from the musical "Wicked." (Chenoweth, of course, played the original "Glinda"). Once on stage, Horn revealed that she is a voice teacher and loves musical theater. Still, it seemed that Chenoweth didn't truly understand who she had called to the stage. In the video, Chenoweth playfully instructs Horn to wait her turn. But as soon as Horn belts out her part, Chenoweth throws her hands up in the air. "Oh sing it, sing it!" said Chenoweth, laughing. Toward the end of the duet, Chenoweth exclaims again: "Holy crap, harmony!"

The usual naysayers on YouTube are claiming that Horn was a plant, but her friends and Horn herself say she was merely one of the volunteers in the audience.  The clip getting all the attention is here, but the one below is a bit better.

(Tipped by JMG reader Ray)

UPDATE: Broadway World has published an account of the evening written by Horn.

Toward the end of the second half of the performance, Kristin wanders on to the pasarel. She held a mic up to a lady in front of me and asked if she knew the song "For Good." Nope. I took the chance, as I was directly behind Kristin, to stand up and wave and say, "I know the song!" This is not like me - to jump up and wave my arms like a crazy person and raise my voice at a celebrity. One of Kristin's backup singers held a mic up to my face so I could answer some questions: "What's you're name?" - "Sarah." "Who's your favorite Broadway star?" I sarcastically hummm as if it's a difficult question to answer. "Do you know the song 'For Good'?" - "Yes. It's one of my favorites." This seemed to peak her interest. After this, she moved down the line and asked a guy if he knew the song and bantered with him for a few seconds. Afterwards, she said something about going back to pick me because I was a girl. Then, she invited me up on stage.

Kristin Chenoweth Sings About Weiner

Fabulous: "You will be popular, the right kind of popular. I'll teach to zip your fly, you won't be that guy, with a camera down his pants."

Quote Of The Day - Kristin Chenoweth

"I think it is very anti-Christian [to hate gay people]. It is the antithesis of what I believe. It is the antithesis of what you should believe if you believe in Jesus. It’s not what he taught, it’s the opposite of what he taught. If Jesus was to walk the Earth today, or Buddha or anybody, they would be horrified. Those people saying they’re doing it in the name of God? No no no no no. I speak as a Christian person, and as a woman and as an artist. I would love nothing more for my friends who love each other to get married. I don’t think it’s a sin, I think we’re born how we’re born. Look at me, I’m 4’11’’, and so if it was a sin to be short, what would I do? Well I’d just be, you know, it’s how God made me." - Actress Kristin Chenoweth, in an interview with Gay Star News.

Cancelled

You know the Million Moms will take credit.

The 2010 Tony Awards

The 2010 Tony Awards kicked off last night with host Sean Hayes taking aim at that infamous Newsweek article by laying a long, presumably convincing, French kiss on his Promises, Promises co-star Kristin Chenoweth. Hayes followed that up by welcoming all the "closeted Republicans watching the show in secret."

Below are the major awards. The complete list is here.

Best Play: Red
Best Musical: Memphis
Best Revival (Play): Fences
Best Revival (Musical): La Cage Aux Folles
Best Actor (Play): Denzel Washington, Fences
Best Actress (Play): Viola Davis, Fences
Best Actor (Musical): Douglas Hodge, La Cage Aux Folles
Best Actress (Musical): Catherine Zeta-Jones, A Little Night Music

The show was troubled by sound issues here and there, especially during the opening number and later when Glee's Lea Michele pffft'ed her way through Don't Rain On My Parade from Funny Girl. And things got a little ridiculous when the 300 or so producers of Memphis crowded the stage to accept Best Musical. But that's all standard Tonys stuff, really.

Broadway Friday

-Don't cry for him, Puerto Rico. Ricky Martin will star in a revival of Evita slated to open in the 2012 season. Martin will play narrator Che (based on Che Guevara) opposite West End veteran Elena Roger in the title role. Evita last ran on Broadway from '79-'81. Martin made his Broadway debut in 1996 as Marius in Les Miserables.

-Knowing when to leave: Kristen Chenoweth will depart the smash Promises, Promises on September 26th. No word on who will replace her opposite Sean Hayes.

-Hair will close on July 27th. Attendance has been down ever since much of the original cast left for the new West End production.

-T.R. Knight will star opposite Patrick Stewart in the Broadway premiere of David Mamet's A Life In The Theater. Previews begin on August 23rd.

-Spoiler alert! Playbill has the list of songs, performers, and presenters slated for this Sunday's Tony Awards. Peek if you must.

-The eternal argument continues: Are the best theater experiences in NYC on Broadway or Off-Broadway? The more recent argument: Has Broadway gone too Vegas?

-Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS presents the 20th annual Broadway Bares spectacular on Sunday, June 20th at the Roseland Ballroom. Even if you can't attend, you can check out the 21 super hot Broadway dancers in the show and make donations to Broadway Cares in the name of the dancer that most tickles your....fancy.

Sean Hayes Addresses Newsweek Article Claiming He Can't Play Straight

Joy Behar Takes On Author Of "Gays Can't Play Straight" Newsweek Article

With Dan Savage, Amanda Bearse, and the author himself.

Friendly Voices - Kristin Chenoweth

"As someone who’s been proudly advocating for equal rights and supporting GLBT causes for as long as I can remember, I know how much it means to young people struggling with their sexuality to see out & proud actors like Sean Hayes, Jonathan Groff, Neil Patrick Harris and Cynthia Nixon succeeding in their work without having to keep their sexuality a secret.

"No one needs to see a bigoted, factually inaccurate article that tells people who deviate from heterosexual norms that they can’t be open about who they are and still achieve their dreams. I am told on good authority that Mr. Setoodeh is a gay man himself and I would hope, as the author of this article, he would at least understand that. I encourage Newsweek to embrace stories which promote acceptance, love, unity and singing and dancing for all!" - Tony winner Kristin Chenoweth, responding to Ramin Setoodah's Newsweek article titled Straight Jacket, in which he claims that gay actors cannot convincingly play straight roles.

Chenoweth is currently starring in Broadway's Promises, Promises opposite Sean Hayes, whom Setoodah describes as "the pink elephant in the room."

Broadway Friday

-Brandon Victor Dixon, currently earning rave reviews in The Scottsboro Boys, will take the title role in the upcoming Unchain My Heart: The Ray Charles Musical. The show begins previews on October 8th.

-The 2010 Tony Awards nominations will be revealed on Tuesday at 8:30am. Watch live on the official site.

-Try to remember: Tomorrow The Fantasticks celebrates its 50th anniversary with a special event that includes over 50 alumnae of the show appearing for the curtain call and a group song.

-Cheyenne Jackson, Jesse Martin, and Rosie Perez are among the presenters at this year's Drama Desk Awards at Lincoln Center on May 22nd. Patti LuPone will host. "No fucking cameras!"

-Testa-fy! Tony nominee Mary Testa will star in the Off Broadway run of I'll Be Damned beginning July 1st at the Vineyard. She was fantastic in Xanadu.

-All that scam: Composer John Kander and the estate of Bob Fosse are suing Disney over royalties from the Oscar-winning film version of Chicago. The parties claim Disney has cheated them out of $12M.

-We don't need no jukebox-ucation. Pink Floyd's The Wall: The Musical. SRSLY.

-She's the top: Tony winner Sutton Foster will star in a revival of Cole Porter's Anything Goes, set to open next season. Patti LuPone starred in the most recent Broadway production in the 80s.

VIDEO: Here's a new montage clip from Promises, Promises staring Kristen Chenoweth and self-proclaimed gay rights hero Sean Hayes. The show opened yesterday with two Burt Bacharach classics added to the original score: I Say A Little Prayer and A House Is Not A Home.

"It's Time To Stop Doing Tina!"

Leave it to Broadway and Pushing Daisies star Kristin Chenoweth to make crystal meth addiction hilarious. Funniest thing I've seen in weeks. So many great lines and totally totally totally NSFW.