Kristin Chenoweth Set To Guest Judge On AMERICAN IDOL This Season

PEOPLE is reporting that Stage and Screen favorite Kristin Chenoweth is set to guest judge on Fox's AMERICAN IDOL this season.

Chenoweth joins Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi at the judges table later this week for the Orlando auditions.

The ninth season of AMERICAN IDOL will premiere on Fox in January 2010.

Kristin Chenoweth effortlessly transitions between television, stage and film. She starred in the ABC series "Pushing Daisies," where she was nominated for an Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. Television fans know her as Annabeth Schott on "The West Wing," and she was seen in the season finale of ABC's hit comedy "Ugly Betty." She portrayed Marian, the librarian, in ABC's movie version of Meredith Willson's "The Music Man;" Lily St. Regis in the television adaptation of "Annie"; and Mrs. Noodle on "Sesame Street." Ms. Chenoweth also starred in her own series "Kristin" for NBC.

Many remember her Tony Award-winning Broadway performance in "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown" and her triumphant star turn when she originated the role of Glinda the Good Witch in "Wicked," which earned her a leading actress Tony Award nomination. She also performed in the Broadway comedy "Epic Proportions" and in the Kander and Ebb musical "Steel Pier," for which she won a Theatre World Award. Ms. Chenoweth also performed in an Off-Broadway production of Moliere's "Scapin" for the Roundabout Theatre Company. Ms. Chenoweth starred in "Stairway to Paradise," an original Encores! production celebrating the great Broadway revue, and in the highly lauded limited engagement of "The Apple Tree" at Roundabout Theatre Company's Studio 54.

Moviegoers have seen her in "Deck the Halls" with Danny DeVito and Matthew Broderick, "RV" with Robin Williams, "Bewitched" with Nicole Kidman, "Running with Scissors" with Annette Bening, and "The Pink Panther" with Steve Martin. Her film credits also include a cameo in "Stranger Than Fiction" with Emma Thompson. Ms. Chenoweth is currently developing a feature film based on The Life of Dusty Springfield.

A veteran of the concert scene, Ms. Chenoweth took the stage in solo sold-out concerts at Carnegie Hall and the Metropolitan Opera House, and continues to tour the country. She performed her solo concert at Sam Mendes's acclaimed Donmar Warehouse as part of the "Divas at Donmar" series. She has had numerous collaborations with various symphonies, including The New York Philharmonic, Boston Pops, National Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony and the San Francisco Symphony. One of her proudest accomplishments was having the privilege to perform Bernstein's "Candide" at Lincoln Center with The New York Philharmonic. Other performances include her sold-out Los Angeles solo debut at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, an evening at The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, and the Washington National Opera's 50th Anniversary Gala with Placido Domingo. In addition to her recent Christmas album, "A Lovely Way to Spend Christmas," she has released two previous albums entitled, "Let Yourself Go" and "As I Am."

Earlier this year, Chenoweth led the cast of Kern and Hammerstein's Music In the Air, the second Encores! production of New York City Center's 2008-09 season, which ran February 5-8th, 2009.

After its first week of sales, Chenoweth's new autobiography, "A Little Bit Wicked: Life, Love and Faith in Stages," debuted in the 12th spot on the famed New York Times' Bestseller List.

For more information, visit www.kristinchenoweth.com.