February 20, 2025 • 26 mins
This is not a drill! April Rhodes is here!
Kristin Chenoweth, the talented Emmy and Tony Award-winning actress is spreading glee and sunshine on the pod today! She joins Jenna and Kevin to spill about her time on 'Glee,' including sharing what it was like to work with Gwyneth Paltrow, aka Holly Holliday, during the show's 100th episode, the memorable moment from that day she won't forget, and her fun idea for a Glee reboot!
Plus, Kristin reveals the flood of emotions that hit her while filming her cameo in the Wicked movie 22 years after first playing Glinda on Broadway, her review of 'Maybe Happy Ending' featuring Darren Criss, and a little scoop on her upcoming show, 'Queen of Versailles!'
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
And That's what You Really missed with Jenna.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
And Kevin An iHeartRadio podcast.
Speaker 3 (00:09):
Welcome to and That's what You Really miss podcast. Okay,
we've got no Glee member here today. Queens the Queen Versailles.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Oh that's right, Kristin Chenowith got a lover.
Speaker 4 (00:24):
She is just the best. I love her.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
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.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
Is the best.
Speaker 4 (00:39):
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.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Thank you. Here's Kristen.
Speaker 5 (00:51):
Oh, Kristen, if I miss you?
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Where is God? It's so good to see you.
Speaker 5 (01:00):
I feel like I just keep up with you guys
just online. I know house life, guys. How's life.
Speaker 1 (01:07):
We're surviving.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
We're good, yeah.
Speaker 5 (01:12):
Choice, but to survive.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
We're trying, you know, we have we all have each other's.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
Right trying to thrive, not just survive.
Speaker 5 (01:21):
Oh, I'm so happy to see these babies.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
Thank you for joining us.
Speaker 4 (01:26):
Time it works, it's the only time we get to
see each other anymore.
Speaker 5 (01:29):
I don't like it.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
It's true.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
We'll take it.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
Get you come on the podcast coming out.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
I saw you. I saw you from Afar. At the
Wicked premiere, I was like, oh, there you go.
Speaker 1 (01:43):
Kristen key over and give me the biggest hunt.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
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.
Speaker 4 (02:01):
Okay, well what has that been like? This movie?
Speaker 5 (02:07):
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
(02:28):
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
(02:51):
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?
Speaker 2 (03:09):
Right?
Speaker 5 (03:09):
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
(03:30):
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
(03:51):
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
(04:14):
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.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
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.
(04:52):
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
(05:12):
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.
Speaker 5 (05:33):
Good and John Hue, I just have to.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
Say, sweet man, isn't he the sweetest man?
Speaker 5 (05:38):
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,
(05:59):
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
(06:22):
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
(06:42):
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
(07:06):
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
(07:29):
and I mean it made me beautiful.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
See.
Speaker 5 (07:32):
Yes, we just look at each other and our careers.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
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
(07:57):
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.
Speaker 4 (08:05):
Yes, yeah, and you're both so funny, we're both on
gleek crazy God.
Speaker 5 (08:13):
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?
Speaker 1 (08:20):
Yes, totally, totally.
Speaker 5 (08:22):
You guys get it, don't totally.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
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
(08:45):
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.
Speaker 5 (08:56):
I know. Isn't it such a beautiful gift?
Speaker 2 (08:59):
Yes, it's a gift.
Speaker 5 (09:00):
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.
(09:22):
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.
Speaker 1 (09:34):
Back, right, I don't know.
Speaker 5 (09:36):
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.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
It's never going to be that.
Speaker 5 (09:48):
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.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
It feels like you're chasing something to me, because.
Speaker 5 (10:13):
It's a bottle that you don't know if you can
catch again.
Speaker 2 (10:16):
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.
Speaker 1 (10:36):
Yeah, going toward.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
Thinking of something new but still doing the old thing.
I don't know about.
Speaker 5 (10:43):
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.
Speaker 4 (10:57):
Cute or are you're older.
Speaker 5 (10:59):
And you're maybe you're teaching at school.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
Or right, Yeah, well.
Speaker 5 (11:04):
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.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
He's the same. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (11:24):
Going back to anything that has and you've worked on
so many of those projects that had such.
Speaker 2 (11:30):
Also Westering reboot has been talked about and all these
like God, now that I would love to see, but.
Speaker 6 (11:37):
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,
(12:00):
and so you and Gwynneth, yes, yes, yeah, I'm.
Speaker 5 (12:04):
Glad y'all are reminded me.
Speaker 2 (12:05):
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
(12:27):
remember what that experience was like to film and to
get to work together.
Speaker 5 (12:31):
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
(12:52):
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.
(13:12):
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.
(13:34):
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,
(13:57):
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.
Speaker 1 (14:12):
Yeah, totally totally.
Speaker 5 (14:15):
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.
Speaker 2 (14:23):
Isn't he the best?
Speaker 5 (14:24):
I mean he was I think wrote a lot of April.
Speaker 1 (14:27):
Yeah, No, he's a genius.
Speaker 4 (14:28):
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.
Speaker 1 (14:51):
It was so exciting.
Speaker 4 (14:52):
And then we also did define Gravity again. I don't
know if you remember, but we did it again.
Speaker 5 (14:59):
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.
Speaker 4 (15:04):
God it worked.
Speaker 5 (15:08):
Yeah, it worked, y'all.
Speaker 2 (15:10):
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.
Speaker 5 (15:31):
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.
Speaker 2 (15:43):
Yeah, it was it's good hands you have Leah and
Amber and Chrissy.
Speaker 1 (15:49):
Yeah, it's gonna be it's gonna be good. Yeah, it's
just hearing that song again.
Speaker 5 (15:55):
It's never away. Neither is popular. You can run, but
you can't hide.
Speaker 1 (15:59):
I know.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
And I've heard that.
Speaker 4 (16:01):
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.
Speaker 1 (16:11):
It's my favorite song too. There's so it's so.
Speaker 5 (16:15):
Thank you.
Speaker 4 (16:16):
It really is, it really is. It's so powerful and
it really encompasses a huge message.
Speaker 1 (16:23):
For Glinda in the show, I think.
Speaker 4 (16:25):
But also you can hear it this show, right, Yes,
oh god, it's my favorite so soprano.
Speaker 5 (16:31):
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,
(16:52):
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
(17:16):
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
(17:38):
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
(17:59):
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,
(18:22):
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
(18:44):
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.
Speaker 1 (19:02):
Though.
Speaker 4 (19:03):
My favorite Stevens.
Speaker 5 (19:05):
We're working together right now on a new show and
it's going really well.
Speaker 1 (19:11):
Yeah, so you're doing Queen Overside.
Speaker 5 (19:13):
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.
Speaker 4 (19:29):
Arden, and yes, love Michael, who worked with Darren on
Maybe Happy Ending recently.
Speaker 2 (19:35):
Yes, I mean I worked with my boyfriend on Spring Awakening.
Speaker 1 (19:40):
Arden is just uh yeah, he's filling it.
Speaker 5 (19:44):
He's special and he should he should have his glee.
Speaker 4 (19:48):
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.
Speaker 5 (20:00):
I'm gonna. I'm I want to do television. I'm like,
I just remember that.
Speaker 1 (20:04):
Yes, sell opinions.
Speaker 5 (20:06):
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.
Speaker 4 (20:19):
I've read it.
Speaker 1 (20:22):
And read it.
Speaker 5 (20:23):
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
(20:44):
Maybe Happy Ending and it's so sweet and tears. But
also I was so proud of Darren and his physicality work.
Speaker 1 (20:56):
Yes, you have to go.
Speaker 5 (20:57):
It's very very interesting piece. It was begging to be
done and it's one of my favorite things this season.
Speaker 1 (21:04):
Amazing.
Speaker 2 (21:04):
That's what anyone who's seen it, they come away saying
the exact same thing, where it's its own special thing.
Speaker 5 (21:09):
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.
Speaker 2 (21:32):
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.
Speaker 4 (21:42):
It's like anybody asked us who are our favorite guest stars, it's.
Speaker 2 (21:46):
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.
Speaker 4 (22:13):
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.
Speaker 5 (22:21):
Well, I'm not going to say it leaves me with
Glee because everybody's said that.
Speaker 2 (22:25):
No, it's we haven't gotten that maybe once.
Speaker 5 (22:30):
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
(22:50):
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
(23:12):
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?
Speaker 2 (23:28):
Oh you too? And we can't. We got to come
se queen over side when it's up.
Speaker 1 (23:32):
Yeah, good luck.
Speaker 2 (23:33):
Oh I need it.
Speaker 5 (23:35):
I need it. It's hard. Eight tymes of week I
burned eight eight thousand steps to show.
Speaker 2 (23:40):
Oh I want to watch. Oh, there's nothing I trust
you with anything. There's nothing you can't do.
Speaker 1 (23:48):
You take care of yourself.
Speaker 5 (23:50):
I'm doing hot yoga all the time now, so I'm
doing it.
Speaker 2 (23:53):
I love you and I love me so much.
Speaker 5 (23:55):
I love you so much.
Speaker 1 (23:57):
Take care of you.
Speaker 2 (23:58):
Have a good time too. Bye.
Speaker 4 (24:05):
God.
Speaker 2 (24:06):
I love her.
Speaker 4 (24:07):
She's a gem is.
Speaker 2 (24:08):
She just the best.
Speaker 4 (24:10):
She's just always her, you know, never get anything.
Speaker 1 (24:15):
That's her.
Speaker 4 (24:16):
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.
Speaker 2 (24:29):
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.
Speaker 1 (24:38):
She said, this is a woman too.
Speaker 2 (24:40):
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,
(25:03):
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
(25:26):
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
(25:47):
the best.
Speaker 1 (25:48):
Yes.
Speaker 4 (25:49):
Yeah, Well, thank you christ for taking the time to
chat with us, and we hope you guys enjoyed it.
Speaker 1 (25:55):
I had to nerd out a little bit with Wicked.
I have to ask you some questions I never got
to ask her before.
Speaker 2 (26:00):
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.
Speaker 1 (26:09):
And that's right, really, miss.
Speaker 2 (26:11):
Thanks for listening and follow us on Instagram at and
that's what you really miss pod. Make sure to write
us a review and leave us five Stars, see you
next time.
And That's what You Really missed with Jenna.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
And Kevin An iHeartRadio podcast.
Speaker 3 (00:09):
Welcome to and That's what You Really miss podcast. Okay,
we've got no Glee member here today. Queens the Queen Versailles.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Oh that's right, Kristin Chenowith got a lover.
Speaker 4 (00:24):
She is just the best. I love her.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
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.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
Is the best.
Speaker 4 (00:39):
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.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Thank you. Here's Kristen.
Speaker 5 (00:51):
Oh, Kristen, if I miss you?
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Where is God? It's so good to see you.
Speaker 5 (01:00):
I feel like I just keep up with you guys
just online. I know house life, guys. How's life.
Speaker 1 (01:07):
We're surviving.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
We're good, yeah.
Speaker 5 (01:12):
Choice, but to survive.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
We're trying, you know, we have we all have each other's.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
Right trying to thrive, not just survive.
Speaker 5 (01:21):
Oh, I'm so happy to see these babies.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
Thank you for joining us.
Speaker 4 (01:26):
Time it works, it's the only time we get to
see each other anymore.
Speaker 5 (01:29):
I don't like it.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
It's true.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
We'll take it.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
Get you come on the podcast coming out.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
I saw you. I saw you from Afar. At the
Wicked premiere, I was like, oh, there you go.
Speaker 1 (01:43):
Kristen key over and give me the biggest hunt.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
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.
Speaker 4 (02:01):
Okay, well what has that been like? This movie?
Speaker 5 (02:07):
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
(02:28):
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
(02:51):
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?
Speaker 2 (03:09):
Right?
Speaker 5 (03:09):
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
(03:30):
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
(03:51):
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
(04:14):
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.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
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.
(04:52):
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
(05:12):
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.
Speaker 5 (05:33):
Good and John Hue, I just have to.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
Say, sweet man, isn't he the sweetest man?
Speaker 5 (05:38):
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,
(05:59):
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
(06:22):
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
(06:42):
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
(07:06):
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
(07:29):
and I mean it made me beautiful.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
See.
Speaker 5 (07:32):
Yes, we just look at each other and our careers.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
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
(07:57):
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.
Speaker 4 (08:05):
Yes, yeah, and you're both so funny, we're both on
gleek crazy God.
Speaker 5 (08:13):
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?
Speaker 1 (08:20):
Yes, totally, totally.
Speaker 5 (08:22):
You guys get it, don't totally.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
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
(08:45):
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.
Speaker 5 (08:56):
I know. Isn't it such a beautiful gift?
Speaker 2 (08:59):
Yes, it's a gift.
Speaker 5 (09:00):
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.
(09:22):
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.
Speaker 1 (09:34):
Back, right, I don't know.
Speaker 5 (09:36):
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.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
It's never going to be that.
Speaker 5 (09:48):
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.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
It feels like you're chasing something to me, because.
Speaker 5 (10:13):
It's a bottle that you don't know if you can
catch again.
Speaker 2 (10:16):
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.
Speaker 1 (10:36):
Yeah, going toward.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
Thinking of something new but still doing the old thing.
I don't know about.
Speaker 5 (10:43):
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.
Speaker 4 (10:57):
Cute or are you're older.
Speaker 5 (10:59):
And you're maybe you're teaching at school.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
Or right, Yeah, well.
Speaker 5 (11:04):
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.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
He's the same. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (11:24):
Going back to anything that has and you've worked on
so many of those projects that had such.
Speaker 2 (11:30):
Also Westering reboot has been talked about and all these
like God, now that I would love to see, but.
Speaker 6 (11:37):
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,
(12:00):
and so you and Gwynneth, yes, yes, yeah, I'm.
Speaker 5 (12:04):
Glad y'all are reminded me.
Speaker 2 (12:05):
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
(12:27):
remember what that experience was like to film and to
get to work together.
Speaker 5 (12:31):
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
(12:52):
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.
(13:12):
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.
(13:34):
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,
(13:57):
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.
Speaker 1 (14:12):
Yeah, totally totally.
Speaker 5 (14:15):
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.
Speaker 2 (14:23):
Isn't he the best?
Speaker 5 (14:24):
I mean he was I think wrote a lot of April.
Speaker 1 (14:27):
Yeah, No, he's a genius.
Speaker 4 (14:28):
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.
Speaker 1 (14:51):
It was so exciting.
Speaker 4 (14:52):
And then we also did define Gravity again. I don't
know if you remember, but we did it again.
Speaker 5 (14:59):
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.
Speaker 4 (15:04):
God it worked.
Speaker 5 (15:08):
Yeah, it worked, y'all.
Speaker 2 (15:10):
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.
Speaker 5 (15:31):
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.
Speaker 2 (15:43):
Yeah, it was it's good hands you have Leah and
Amber and Chrissy.
Speaker 1 (15:49):
Yeah, it's gonna be it's gonna be good. Yeah, it's
just hearing that song again.
Speaker 5 (15:55):
It's never away. Neither is popular. You can run, but
you can't hide.
Speaker 1 (15:59):
I know.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
And I've heard that.
Speaker 4 (16:01):
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.
Speaker 1 (16:11):
It's my favorite song too. There's so it's so.
Speaker 5 (16:15):
Thank you.
Speaker 4 (16:16):
It really is, it really is. It's so powerful and
it really encompasses a huge message.
Speaker 1 (16:23):
For Glinda in the show, I think.
Speaker 4 (16:25):
But also you can hear it this show, right, Yes,
oh god, it's my favorite so soprano.
Speaker 5 (16:31):
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,
(16:52):
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
(17:16):
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
(17:38):
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
(17:59):
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,
(18:22):
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
(18:44):
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.
Speaker 1 (19:02):
Though.
Speaker 4 (19:03):
My favorite Stevens.
Speaker 5 (19:05):
We're working together right now on a new show and
it's going really well.
Speaker 1 (19:11):
Yeah, so you're doing Queen Overside.
Speaker 5 (19:13):
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.
Speaker 4 (19:29):
Arden, and yes, love Michael, who worked with Darren on
Maybe Happy Ending recently.
Speaker 2 (19:35):
Yes, I mean I worked with my boyfriend on Spring Awakening.
Speaker 1 (19:40):
Arden is just uh yeah, he's filling it.
Speaker 5 (19:44):
He's special and he should he should have his glee.
Speaker 4 (19:48):
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.
Speaker 5 (20:00):
I'm gonna. I'm I want to do television. I'm like,
I just remember that.
Speaker 1 (20:04):
Yes, sell opinions.
Speaker 5 (20:06):
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.
Speaker 4 (20:19):
I've read it.
Speaker 1 (20:22):
And read it.
Speaker 5 (20:23):
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
(20:44):
Maybe Happy Ending and it's so sweet and tears. But
also I was so proud of Darren and his physicality work.
Speaker 1 (20:56):
Yes, you have to go.
Speaker 5 (20:57):
It's very very interesting piece. It was begging to be
done and it's one of my favorite things this season.
Speaker 1 (21:04):
Amazing.
Speaker 2 (21:04):
That's what anyone who's seen it, they come away saying
the exact same thing, where it's its own special thing.
Speaker 5 (21:09):
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.
Speaker 2 (21:32):
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.
Speaker 4 (21:42):
It's like anybody asked us who are our favorite guest stars, it's.
Speaker 2 (21:46):
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.
Speaker 4 (22:13):
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.
Speaker 5 (22:21):
Well, I'm not going to say it leaves me with
Glee because everybody's said that.
Speaker 2 (22:25):
No, it's we haven't gotten that maybe once.
Speaker 5 (22:30):
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
(22:50):
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
(23:12):
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?
Speaker 2 (23:28):
Oh you too? And we can't. We got to come
se queen over side when it's up.
Speaker 1 (23:32):
Yeah, good luck.
Speaker 2 (23:33):
Oh I need it.
Speaker 5 (23:35):
I need it. It's hard. Eight tymes of week I
burned eight eight thousand steps to show.
Speaker 2 (23:40):
Oh I want to watch. Oh, there's nothing I trust
you with anything. There's nothing you can't do.
Speaker 1 (23:48):
You take care of yourself.
Speaker 5 (23:50):
I'm doing hot yoga all the time now, so I'm
doing it.
Speaker 2 (23:53):
I love you and I love me so much.
Speaker 5 (23:55):
I love you so much.
Speaker 1 (23:57):
Take care of you.
Speaker 2 (23:58):
Have a good time too. Bye.
Speaker 4 (24:05):
God.
Speaker 2 (24:06):
I love her.
Speaker 4 (24:07):
She's a gem is.
Speaker 2 (24:08):
She just the best.
Speaker 4 (24:10):
She's just always her, you know, never get anything.
Speaker 1 (24:15):
That's her.
Speaker 4 (24:16):
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.
Speaker 2 (24:29):
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.
Speaker 1 (24:38):
She said, this is a woman too.
Speaker 2 (24:40):
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,
(25:03):
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
(25:26):
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
(25:47):
the best.
Speaker 1 (25:48):
Yes.
Speaker 4 (25:49):
Yeah, Well, thank you christ for taking the time to
chat with us, and we hope you guys enjoyed it.
Speaker 1 (25:55):
I had to nerd out a little bit with Wicked.
I have to ask you some questions I never got
to ask her before.
Speaker 2 (26:00):
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.
Speaker 1 (26:09):
And that's right, really, miss.
Speaker 2 (26:11):
Thanks for listening and follow us on Instagram at and
that's what you really miss pod. Make sure to write
us a review and leave us five Stars, see you
next time.
Host
Jenna Ushkowitz
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