Synopses & Reviews
"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 and won a Tony for 1999's You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown. Or you may recognize her from her starring roles on TV -- The West Wing, Pushing Daisies, Sesame Street...oh, and her Huge Hit Sitcom Kristin on NBC. (Huge hit. L.A. breast-implant huge. Ask either of the people who watched it.) Or maybe you saw her sexy spread in FHM magazine? Or her appearance on Pat Robertson's The 700 Club? Kristin is a wonderful collection of contradictions -- but everyone who's ever met her remembers her as the little girl with the big voice. At four foot eleven, Kristin Chenoweth is an immense talent in a petite but powerful package.
In this lively, laugh-out-loud book, Kristin shares her journey from Oklahoma beauty queen to Broadway leading lady, reflecting on how faith and family have kept her grounded in the dysfunctional rodeo of show biz. The daughter of an engineer and a nurse, Kristin was singing in front of thousands at Baptist conventions by age twelve and winning beauty pageants by age twenty-two. (Well, actually she was second runner-up almost every freaking time. But, hey, she's not bitter.) On her way to a career as a professional opera singer, she stopped in New York to visit a friend and went on a whim to an audition. Through a combination of talent, hard work, and (she's quick to add) the grace of God, Kristin took Broadway by storm. But of course, into every storm, the occasional drizzle of disaster must fall.
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.
Synopsis
In this exuberant, candid memoir, entertainer Chenoweth provides an intimate look at her life as an actress, a Christian, and a small-town girl in the big city, reflecting on how faith and family have kept her grounded in the dysfunctional rodeo of show biz. color photos.
Synopsis
A powerful memoir of a life of unique choices, a wide-ranging career, and special relationships with family, friends, and colleagues. Swoosie Kurtz shares personal misadventures and showbiz lore, while candidly reflecting on the intimate journey of caring for an aging parent. Swoosieand#8217;s father, Frank, an Olympic diving medalist, later became one of the most decorated aviators in American history, flying a record number of missions in a cobbled-together B-17D Flying Fortress called and#147;The Swoose.and#8221; Her mother, Margo, chronicled their early years together in her 1945 memoir, My Rival, the Sky.
Today, 97-year-old Margo lives with Swoosie. As Swoosie struggles to stay ahead of her motherand#8217;s increasing needs while navigating the pitfalls and pratfalls of the entertainment industry, this precarious time is bittersweet and occasionally overwhelming. But every day is oxygenated with laughter and love. The careful weaving of Swoosieand#8217;s story with passages from My Rival, the Sky creates a vivid portrait of the invincible mother-daughter bond between the two women. Part Swan, Part Goose is that rare Hollywood memoir that takes us behind the curtain but doesnand#8217;t live there; its heart is solidly at home.
About the Author
A multiple Tony, Emmy, Obie and Drama Desk Award winner,
Swoosie Kurtz is a Broadway icon whose work also includes big screen blockbusters like
Liar, Liar and
Dangerous Liaisons, indie favorites like
Citizen Ruth, True Stories and
Cruel Intentions and beloved TV hits
Sisters and
Pushing Daisies. She is currently starring in the CBS hit series
Mike and Molly. Her distinctive name comes from The Swoose, the famed B-17 bomber flown by her father, Col. Frank Kurtz, the most decorated Air Force pilot of World War II.