Anyone who is a fan of Broadway musicals, and a fan of Wicked–one of the best musicals ever– has heard of Kristin Chenoweth. Like Judy Garland, there is a whole lotta talent and a whole lotta voice in her tiny 4’11” frame. So when Borders bookstores were closing down and selling everything at great discounts, I couldn’t resist picking up A Little Bit Wicked.
Like most entertainment memoirs, this is pretty light reading. But it is fun to read about her beginnings as an adopted child in the Midwest discovering her love of performing and the way she worked her way to becoming one of the Great White Way’s most recognizable stars. She is also one of the few who has made a smooth transition back and forth between the stage and TV, although her TV characters are usually “larger than life,” as a stage actor is expected to be. Flashback to her role on the short-lived Pushing Daisies and her many guest appearances on Glee. Those are some pretty wacky characters.
While I do admire the talent and tenacity it takes to start from the bottom and make your way to becoming a Tony award-winning Broadway star, I do have an issue with one thing. Kristin calls herself very religious, yet, at the same time, seems pretty promiscuous. Maybe it was not her intent to give that impression while writing the book, but give it she did. Perhaps that is her way of justifying the book’s title, but I just found her beliefs and her actions in life a bit conflicting. Perhaps it was just a little too soon for her to write a memoir. I felt, by reading the book, that this is a very talented small-town girl who still needs to decide who she wants to be.
Overall, it is a fun book that needs not be read more than once.
7/10 Stars
Readwithkristie.com 