A Little Bit Wicked: Life, Love, and Faith in Stages [Hardcover]

Kristin Chenoweth (Author), Joni Rodgers (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 14, 2009

A lively, laugh-out-loud journey from Oklahoma beauty queen to show biz sensation.

"Life’s too short. I’m not."

You might know her as a Tony Award–winning Broadway star who originated the role of Galinda the Good Witch in the smash musical Wicked. Or you may recognize her from her starring roles on TV—The West Wing, Pushing Daisies, and Sesame Street. At four foot eleven, Kristin Chenoweth is an immense talent in a petite but powerful package. Through a combination of talent, hard work, and (she’s quick to add) the grace of God, Kristin took Broadway and Hollywood by storm. But of course, into every storm, the occasional drizzle of disaster must fall, and Kristin reflects on how faith and family have kept her grounded, even in tough times.

Filled with wit, wisdom, and backstage insight, A Little Bit Wicked is long on love and short on sleep. It’s essential reading for Kristin’s legions of fans and an uplifting story for anyone seeking motivation to follow his or her dreams—over the rainbow and beyond.

FEATURING CHENOLICIOUS RECIPES, KRISTIN’S ADVICE FOR YOUNG ACTORS, AND MUCH MORE!

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Currently seen as waitress Olive Snook in ABC's Pushing Daisies, the Tony Award–winning singer-actress Chenoweth looks back at her multifaceted career, which has encompassed recordings (As I Am), films (Four Christmases), television (The West Wing), Broadway (Wicked), solo concerts, animation (Tinker Bell), opera and Opryland. Beginning with the intriguing speculation that her unknown birth mother could be watching her career rise, she recalls her Oklahoma childhood and vocal training when she learned "[t]he music didn't come from notes and lyrics; it came from life and mileage." Personal revelations, such as her experiences with Ménière's disease, are balanced with bubbling backstage anecdotes. A chapter about her on-and-off relationship with writer-producer Aaron Sorkin includes a section written by Sorkin himself. With digressions, detours and words like "whack-a-noodle," the book is busy with show-biz flip quips and writing reminiscent of Julia Phillips's You'll Never Eat Lunch in This Town Again (minus the drugs and invective). Chenoweth has a frenzied, free-associative style; it's as if she's speaking breathlessly into a tape recorder between sitcom scenes. To use her phrase, this book is "a hoot and a holler"—a fast-paced frolic that her fans will appreciate. (Apr. 14)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Kristin Chenoweth is an award-winning musical theatre performer, opera singer, television and film actress, and an exclusively signed Sony Masterworks recording artists. Visit www.kristin-chenoweth.com for more information on Kristin and her recordings: A Lovely Way to Spend Christmas, Let Yourself Go and As I Am.

Joni Rodgers is the author of several books including Bald in the Land of Big Hair, a memoir of her own unlikely journey from cancer patient to celebrity memoir guru.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Touchstone (April 14, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416580557
• ISBN-13: 978-1416580553
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (113 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #668,223 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 46 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Memoir! April 1, 2009

By tvtv3 TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

I have to confess that I've just recently become a fan of Kristin Chenoweth. I knew she had won an Tony for Sally Brown in the revival of YOU'RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN and other than that, that was about it. Last summer some friends played a few songs of hers from her albums and I was blown away by her amazing voice and from that moment on became a fan. I bought her Christmas album and saw her amazing performance in St. Louis in January. We share a common faith and though I'm not from Oklahoma, I did live there and I'm involved in theatre myself (though in a completely different sphere than Chenoweth). When I heard she had a book coming out, I knew that it would be one I would be reading as soon as I could get it.

Even though it's being marketed as an autobiography, A LITTLE BIT WICKED isn't an autobiography. It is a memoir filled with autobiographical anecdotes. There are parts of her life that are completely skipped and though there is an overarching progression moving from her childhood to the present, the story skips around quite often and zig-zags all over the place. It's definitely told in Chenoweth's voice; the book was written in the same style, manner, and syntax as the way she talked when I saw her perform and in the interviews I've seen her in. However, a true autobiography has a person telling as much as their life story as they can possibly remember or are allowed to tell. A LITTLE BIT WICKED has a lot of great stories and fills in some background information people might not be familiar, but there's a lot that's been held back and isn't revealed. As Chenoweth points out in the afterwards to the book, she knows this and perhaps years in the future she'll write a true autobiography. Until then we have A LITTLE BIT WICKED and though it's not a full meal of a book, it's a tasty little divine snack that's quite satisfying.

The most covers many of the major events of Chenweth's public life: her Miss America attempts; the Tony win for YOU'RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN; WICKED; THE WEST WING; PUSHING DAISIES; the FHM pin-up shoot; her appearance on THE 700 CLUB. Interspersed between all of this is her story about growing up in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma and her training at Oklahoma City University. She talks a lot about her faith and a little time about starting out in New York City with the seemingly random audition for ANIMAL CRACKERS that brought her to New York. There's also her recipe for "No-Calorie-Left-Behind Pie", her simple advice for young actors, a timeline of her life, and a list of questions she wants to ask God when she meets him. She also briefly discusses the four grand loves of her life, including Aaron Sorkin. True to Chenoweth's spirit, Sorkin even writes a small part of this book explaining how he fell in love with and later met Chenoweth.

For me, the most interesting part of the book was the story Chenoweth tells until she first came to New York. I really enjoyed the learning about where she came from, who her parents and siblings are, what she thought of school, her early training, etc. In all honesty, this part of her life is the most informative and detailed in the book.

I really enjoyed reading A LITTLE BIT WICKED. It's a book that every fan of Kristin Chenoweth will enjoy. It's also written in such a way that casual readers who don't know much about Chenoweth will probably like it as well.

36 of 38 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Folksy and Fun March 11, 2009

By Jennifer Donovan

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

Celebrity biographies are not usually my first pick of books, but since the West Wing is probably my favorite TV drama ever, and since Wicked is absolutely the best Broadway show I've ever seen -- I was curious.

Kristin is a good Southern girl who's managed to stay out of the trouble that many starlets get into. She's been outspoken about her Christian faith, which has hit her from both sides -- from the Christians who say her views on homosexuality are too liberal and from homosexuals who say that she aligns herself with their enemies.

So, I wanted to see for myself.

At first I thought that the book was a little too chatty and folsky, but that grew on me, and in the end I did feel as if I knew Chenoweth better. I was also a bit bothered by the fact that there was no real time-line or even a theme to the chapters, but then I realized that's exactly the way we get to know a friend.

We don't hear their whole story from age fifteen to the present day. We pick up bits of a person's life and experiences here and there. It's sort of like mining for gold: In the "Sift, sift, sift, sift" of everyday conversation suddenly a gold nugget about a past love or a life-changing mistake is uncovered and you see that person in a totally new way.

So if you like celebrity bios, you'll probably like this one. If you don't particular like celebrity bios, but like Kristin Chenoweth or are curious about musical training or Broadway, then you might like this one too.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Beauty, Brains, and Talent in a 4'11" Bundle of Energy March 16, 2009

By George Webster, Ph.D., VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

The first thing that I want to say is that this is a very funny book. I seldom startle people around me by laughing till the tears flow, but this was an exception. An autobiography usually puts me to sleep, but not this one. Kristin Chenoweth throws it straight at you, and I loved it. She begins at the beginning (as she should), and we follow her early life in Oklahoma through school, as she develops her ability to sing and act. There are detours at trying to be Miss Oklahoma or Miss Something Else and, despite talent, always finishes as second runner-up. We see the break-through in her ability at Oklahoma City University, and her first break that follows in New York. It leads to Broadway, TV, and movies that continue on to the present time. But her story is not a dull recitation of accomplishment. Proceeding at the same warp speed as her speech, it relates tales of the flight attendant grouch, the strange effects of Chenolicious White Trash Cookies (complete with recipe), the weather-forecasting Hoo Hoo, and many more. There are serious moments, but the tone is happy, optimistic, and caring. This is a great antidote to gloomy news, and is well worth reading.