NEED TO KNOW
Kristin Chenoweth addressed the rumors that she and Idina Menzel did not get along while starring in Wicked on Broadway in a new interview
Chenoweth also reflected on the negative reviews that Wicked got during its original run
The interview is tied to Chenoweth’s return to broadway in The Queen of Versailles
Kristin Chenoweth is addressing the rumors that she and Idina Menzel did not always see eye to eye during the original run of Wicked.
In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter ahead of her return to Broadway in The Queen of Versailles, the Tony Award winner, 57, addressed the longstanding “rumors” that she and Menzel — who originated the role of Elphaba opposite Chenoweth’s Glinda in 2003 — did not get along behind the curtains of the Broadway musical.
Asked if the rumors are true in the interview, published Nov. 3, Chenoweth first acknowledged the source of the hearsay that has long-swirled about her and Menzel, 54, telling THR, “We are so different in the way we do our process that of course rumors are going to fly, right?”
“She and I, only we know what we went through to get to where we were,” the star told the outlet of her former costar, who she said she shares a sibling-like bond with.
Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic
Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth
“We would die for each other,” Chenoweth continued. “So it’s like sisters. Are sisters always perfect? So it’s family. That’s the best way I can describe it.’
The actress also reflected on the initially negative reviews that Wicked got, and recalled when she knew that regardless of the critics, the musical was sticking around for good.
“I knew it when we opened in San Francisco,” the Tony winner told THR. “I knew it. I remember talking to Idina after opening night in New York. It was a sad day. She goes, ‘We should have gotten good reviews.’ I go, ‘No. It doesn’t matter. You are the green girl who flies at the end of Act 1. I come down in a bubble. We sing ‘For Good.’ And the people have spoken.’ ”
“I wanted the good reviews for our show,” she added, “but I knew it wasn’t going to matter because I heard the audience.”
Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic
Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel as Glinda and Elphaba in ‘Wicked’ in 2003
Chenoweth and Menzel’s portrayals of Glinda and Elphaba earned them both Tony Award nominations for best performance by a leading actress in a musical, which Menzel won at the 2004 ceremony, and Wicked hasn’t left the Gershwin Theatre since its premiere in October 2003. It is the fourth-longest-running musical in Broadway history.
In 2024’s Wicked movie adaptation and the forthcoming second part, For Good, Ariana Grande stars as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo portrays Elphaba — and Chenoweth and Menzel made a surprise cameo in the first film written specifically for them. As for whether she’ll appear in the forthcoming finale, Chenoweth kept her lips relatively sealed while chatting with THR.
“I don’t know if I’m allowed to talk about that,” she told the outlet. “I don’t think it hurts to say no, I’m not. I think we kind of did our thing and passed the broom and wand, so to speak. But I can’t wait to see it. I kind of know a lot about it from my girl [Grande], so I just can’t wait.”
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Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic
Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel at a ‘Wicked’ 20th anniversary celebration in 2023
It was particularly fitting for Chenoweth to reflect on her Wicked days in the interview not only because For Good is hitting theaters soon, but also because The Queen of Versailles sees her reunite with Stephen Schwartz, who composed the long-running Broadway musical.
But she and Schwartz are the extent of the similarities between the two shows, according to Chenoweth.
“Now, Queen of Versailles couldn’t be more different from Wicked,” the actress told THR. “It’s not like at the end there’s a pretty, big bow and these are characters that you’ve known your whole life. If I’m a critic now, I don’t know. I dare say I just think it’s a very topical piece. People will have things to say about it, whether they’re good or bad.”
Added Chenoweth: “How important are reviews? You tell me.”
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