Kristin Chenoweth In Concert

Undoubtedly Kristin Chenoweth is ‘popular’ and last night’s sold-out concert showed just how ‘popular’ she is. Playing Brisbane on the third date of her Australian tour, the original Glinda in Wicked brought her own brand of quirky to a show that mixed Broadway, pop, audience participation and video clips.

It was a love fest from start to finish, and when she sang her signature tune “Popular”in English and several foreign languages, the response was thunderous.

With salutes to Jerome Kern (“All the Things You Are”), Dolly Parton (“I Will Always Love You”) and Glee (“Maybe This Time”), she continually had the audience eating out of her hand.

A generous and warm performer, Chenoweth was not afraid to share the spotlight with her back-up singing and dancing trio, Will Taylor, Jennifer Diamond, and Constantine Germanacos. Both guys were in cowboy mode for the Kathleen Marshall staged “Goin’ to the Dance with You”, Germananacos did a stunning vocal assist on the Bacharach mash-up “One Less Bell to Answer” and “A House Is Not a Home”, as did Diamond in the Streisand/Donna Summer disco duet “Enough Is Enough”.

Chenoweth had fun with Avenue Q beating Wicked for the Best Musical Tony, growing up in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, dragging a member of the audience on-stage with her to duet on “For Good,” and donned a house coat and went for burlesque in “Tired of Love”. Kander and Ebb’s “My Coloring Book” was simple and tender, “Bring Him Home” heartfelt, and Phantom’s “Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again” has rarely been sung better.

Mary-Mitchell Campbell on piano was a skilled musical director of the 12-piece group and amusingly assisted on the scripted ad-libs. This is Chenoweth’s first visit to Australia and if last night’s reception is anything to go by she’ll be back for more of this local adulation.

Peter Pinne

Read our interview with Kristin Chenoweth

Our earlier coverage