Kristin Chenoweth Plans Broadway Return in ‘On the Twentieth Century’

Tony winner Kristin Chenoweth will be heading back to the Great White Way in the highly anticipated revival of ‘On the Twentieth Century’. She announced the news on a guest appearance on the September 13 episode of ABC’s ‘The View’.

‘On the Twentieth Century’ premiered on Broadway in 1978 starring Tony nominated actress Madeline Kahn, Tony winning actor John Cullum and Kevin Kline, whose Tony winning performance in the musical also marked the actor’s Broadway debut. The musical featured the Tony winning compositions of Cy Coleman, Betty Comden and Adolph Green. Comden and Green also earned Tony honors for penning the musical’s story. It chronicles the midnight express-like and explosive professional and personal relationship between director Oscar Jaffe and his muse of a diva, Lily Garland, to be portrayed by Chenoweth.

The revival gained initial buzz after Chenoweth and fellow Tony winner Hugh Jackman headlined the show’s reading earlier this year. Jackman, who earned a Tony Award for his unforgettable performance as Peter Allen in ‘The Boy from Oz’, is no longer attached to the show’s Broadway relaunch, but is focused on returning to the Great White Way via his sold-out solo concert. He is also reported to work on the film adaptation of ‘Les Miserables’, portraying the role of Jean Valjean, alongside fellow Aussie star Russell Crowe, who’ll be playing Javert.

While preview and performance dates are still being drawn up for ‘On the Twentieth Century’, fans are definitely excited to see Chenoweth back onstage after her highly raved turn in ‘Promises, Promises’, and most especially, after winning Broadway.com’s 2010 Star of the Year fan award. Chenoweth rose to Broadway fame after earning a Tony nod for her performance as Glinda in ‘Wicked’ and eventually bagging one for her work in ‘You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown’. She also became a household name after earning an Emmy for her work in the now defunct ‘Pushing Daisies’, and her guest appearances in ‘Glee’ and ‘The West Wing’.

By Julie Harmon On September 13, 2011

All photos made available via creative commons licensing courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

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