Kristin Chenoweth: My Love Letter to Broadway

Kristin Chenoweth: My Love Letter to Broadway is a 2016 musical revue-style concert, written for and starring American singer and actress Kristin Chenoweth. The show was directed by Richard Jay-Alexander, with musical direction by Mary Mitchell Campbell, and produced by James L. Nederlander. The show was a limited engagement of 12 performances at Broadway's Lunt-Fontanne Theatre from November 2 through 13, 2016.[1][2]

Kristin Chenoweth: My Love Letter to Broadway
Productions	2016 Broadway

Production

Chenoweth describes the concert as, "an intimate evening of romance, glamour and laughter."[3] The production is a limited engagement from November 2 to November 13, 2016.[1] It features a selection of songs performed by Chenoweth during her career, songs from her latest Great American Songbook-themed album The Art of Elegance, favorite Broadway standards, and others. "Chenoweth claims that no two shows in this 12-performance engagement will be alike", with the show featuring guest appearances by different youth choirs and other special guests.[4] The show is directed by Richard Jay-Alexander, who has directed some of Chenoweth's concerts and tours since 2012. Chenoweth's friend Mary Mitchell Campbell serves as musical director, and costumes are designed by Christian Siriano.[3][5]

Guest performers and choirs

Chenoweth invites a different surprise guest and/or local choir mainly from the New York City area to perform some songs with her each performance.[4]

• November 2 – Youth Pride Chorus[6]
• November 3 – Renée Fleming and the Alumni of The Performing Arts Project choir[7]
• November 4 – Alan Cumming and the Pace University Choir[8]
• November 5 – The New Paradigm Theatre College Program[9] and Norm Lewis (evening performance only)[10][11]
• November 6 – Lea DeLaria[12] and Mayo Performing Arts Center youth chorus, Morristown, New Jersey[13]
• November 9 – Jason Robert Brown[14]
• November 10 – Sierra Boggess[10][15] and singers from the Manhattan School of Music
• November 11 – Andrew Lippa[16] and the Hunter College Opera Theatre Ensemble[17]
• November 12 – Kelli O'Hara (evening performance only)[18] and the Furman University Singers[19]
• November 13 – Andy Karl[20] and the Oklahoma City University choir[21]

Songs

The following is a sample of the songs that were performed; Chenoweth stated that "no two shows will be alike." Sources:The New York Times;[7] Hollywood Reporter;[4] TheatreMania[8]

• "You Made Me Love You"
• "Let Me Entertain You" from Gypsy
• "I Could Have Danced All Night" from My Fair Lady
• "Easy Street" from Annie (duet with Alan Cumming)
• "Over the Rainbow" (duet with Renee Fleming)
• "Oklahoma" from Oklahoma (duet with Kelli O'Hara)
• "Part of Your World" from The Little Mermaid (duet with Sierra Boggess)
• "Popular" from Wicked
• "Always on My Mind"
• "Losing My Mind" from Follies
• "Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart"
• "A House Is Not a Home" interpolated into the 2010 revival of Promises, Promises
• "Fifty Years", by Jason Robert Brown
• "Upon This Rock" (with Performing Arts Project choir)
• "Bring Him Home" from Les Misérables
• "One" from A Chorus Line[22]
• "Dance: Ten; Looks: Three" from A Chorus Line
• "I'm Not a Diva"
• "Moon River"[22]
• "Little Sparrow" from Dolly Parton's album of the same name[22]
• "A Quiet Thing" (Kander and Ebb)
• "All the Things You Are" by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein
• "I Get Along Without You Very Well"
• "I'm Tired" from Blazing Saddles
• "I Was Here" (with Performing Arts Project choir)
• "I Couldn't Be Happier"[23]
• "Smile"[23]

Reception

Charles Isherwood of The New York Times reviewed the show, writing:

Chenoweth's appeal is in her perky wholesomeness and golly-gee enthusiasm ... which never feel manufactured. She has lost none of the girlish glow she possessed when she first rose to Broadway stardom. ... Nor does her singing ever feel mannered, although her bright lyric soprano is a superbly trained instrument. ... [H]er voice bloomed and soared almost effortlessly, in a wide range of repertoire, much but not all drawn from Broadway shows. ... [I]n a duet with a surprise guest, the opera star Renée Fleming, on "Over the Rainbow"... Fleming cast an amused eye at Ms. Chenoweth's ... magenta sequined leotard ... and admired her courage for wearing "hot pants."... Chenoweth also brought a reflective quality to [several songs]. ... The band, though numbering just five, sounded plenty plush. ... Chenoweth's lively, natural humor was on ample display. ... Whether singing or delivering her often self-deprecating patter, Ms. Chenoweth always radiates a pleasure in performing that carries across the proverbial footlights ... she's like a singing ray of sunshine.[7]

References

1. Official website, accessed November 3, 2016
2. Vine, Hannah. "Exclusive Photos: Go Backstage for Kristin Chenoweth’s Broadway Closing Night", Playbill, November 14, 2016
3. BWW News Desk. "Breaking News: Kristin Chenoweth Will Return to Broadway This Fall with My Love Letter to Broadway, BroadwayWorld, September 6, 2016
4. Rooney, David. "Kristin Chenoweth: My Love Letter to Broadway: Theater Review", Hollywood Reporter, November 4, 2016
5. Haun, Harry. "What Kristin Chenoweth Will Do for Love", Playbill, October 24, 2016
6. "Youth Pride Chorus Performs on Broadway with Kristin Chenoweth", New York City Gay Men's Chorus, November 3, 2016
7. Isherwood, Charles. "Review: Kristin Chenoweth, That Perky Performer With the Powerhouse Pipes", The New York Times, November 4, 2016
8. Stewart, Zachary. Kristin Chenoweth: My Love Letter to Broadway, TheaterMania.com, November 7, 2016
9. "NPT Interns to Sing With Kristin Chenoweth!", nptheatre.org, November 2016, accessed November 5, 2016
10. Quinn, Dave. "Kristin Chenoweth's Irresistible 'Love Letter to Broadway'", nbcnewyork.com, November 10, 2016, accessed November 11, 2016
11. Chenoweth, Kristin. "My Love Letter To Broadway: Special Guest Norm Lewis", Twitter.com, November 5, 2016 accessed November 11, 2016
12. "Lea DeLaria Will Appear on Broadway with Kristin Chenoweth This Weekend", Broadway World, November 4, 2016
13. Couglin, Kevin. "Broadway bound: Morristown’s MPAC youth chorus to back Kristin Chenoweth, Nov. 6", morristowngreen.com, November 5, 2016; and Westhoven, William. "MPAC students dazzle 2 Broadway audiences", Daily Record, November 13, 2016
14. Gioia, Michael. "Must Listen: Jason Robert Brown Records Song in Response to Presidential Election", Playbill, November 9, 2016
15. Chenoweth, Kristin "Sierra Boggess ... [is] joining me tonight!", Facebook, November 10, 2016; and "Breaking News: The special guest for Tony and Emmy winner Kristin Chenoweth's My Love", NewYorkBroadwayTours.com, November 10, 2016
16. Chenoweth, Kristin. "@lippaofficial is here tonight!", Twitter.com, November 11, 2016
17. Raab, Jennifer J. "Hunter College Opera Theater Ensemble students performed last night with @KChenoweth", Twitter.com, November 12, 2016
18. Chenoweth, Kristin. " Kelli O'Hara!", Facebook.com, November 12, 2016; and O'Hara, Kelli. "thank you for tonight and for having me on stage with you", Facebook.com, November 13, 2016
19. Ward, Carol Anne. "One night on Broadway", Furman News, November 14, 2016; and Chenoweth, Kristin. "The @FurmanSingers are making their Broadway debut Nov. 12", Twitter.com, November 11, 2016
20. Hetrick, Adam. "Broadway Box-Office Analysis: November 7–13", Playbill, November 14, 2016; and Collins, Stephen. "Review – Kristin Chenoweth: My Love Letter to Broadway", LiveTheatreUK.co.uk, November 13, 2016
21. Greco, Jonathan. "OCU students to Join Kristin Chenoweth on Broadway", KOCO5 News, November 11, 2016
22. Collins, Stephen. "Review – Kristin Chenoweth: My Love Letter to Broadway", LiveTheatreUK.co.uk, November 13, 2016
23. Feldman, Adam. "Broadway review: Kristin Chenoweth brings blazing star power to a full-length concert", TimeOut, November 8, 2016

External links

• Internet Broadway Database