Chenoweth comes to Sarasota for an ‘Intimate Evening’

Kristin Chenoweth was a guest on NPR’s “Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me” not long ago. The show snarkily presented her as the polar opposite of Brigitte Nielsen. Chenoweth is under 5-feet tall and possesses massive talent. Nielsen, who’s a towering 6-foot-1, does not. At least according to the “Wait Wait” people.

Anyway, Chenoweth will be in Sarasota on Sunday to show off just a bit of that talent. She brings her latest solo show, “An Intimate Evening With Kristin Chenoweth,” to the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall.

Chenoweth has done it all, from Broadway (she originated the role of Galinda in “Wicked”), to TV drama (“The West Wing”) and comedy (“Glee”) to movies (“RV,” “The Pink Panther”) to hit recordings of pop songs, show tunes and hymns. Her most recent album is “The Art of Elegance.” She’s even written a best-selling memoir, “A Little Bit Wicked.” She won a Tony Award for the 1999 revival of “You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown” and an Emmy Award for “Pushing Daisies.”

She’s also known for solo concerts such as this one, which have drawn enthusiastic audiences and reviews. Her “Intimate Evening” will focus on music, especially classic popular American songs and numbers from musicals and stories about her life and career. There’s a lot of emotional interaction between her and the audience, she said, and so every show is a bit different from the one before.

“I get so much from every audience,” she said. “I absolutely feel like they’re part of the show, too.”

Details: 7 p.m. March 12, Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. $86-$96. 941-953-3368, vanwezel.org.

This story was originally published March 8, 2017 at 4:25 PM with the headline "Chenoweth comes to Sarasota for an ‘Intimate Evening’."