BWW Blog: Erin Kong - The Chance of a Lifetime: Singing with Kristin Chenoweth

Imagine: your childhood hero, the woman who coined one of your 8-year-old self's favorite songs, holding your hand in front of hundreds of people, the renowned Phoenix Symphony gushing in gorgeous melodies behind you. You are surrounded by your friends and classmates, and bowing in front of an ocean of applauding strangers. No, this is not a dream. This was very much reality. Last weekend I had the opportunity of performing backup vocals with fifteen of my classmates at Arizona State University, for Broadway star Kristin Chenoweth.

Like most millenial musical theatre geeks, Chenoweth was a staple of my childhood. We musical theatre nerds grew up singing along to the Wicked soundtrack, watching her performances on YouTube, and praying before bed every night to the musical theatre gods we could be half the performer she is. She was our idol--a Tony award winner, author, philanthropist, feminist. Kristin was one of my favorite performers in particular, as we stood at the same colossal stature of 4'11". I wondered who would be taller in person.

We first were introduced to the performance opportunity by Robert Harper, director at Phoenix Theatre. ASU's Lyric Opera Theatre has a partnership program with Phoenix Theatre, and Robbie directs shows and teaches musical theatre classes at ASU. He announced the opportunity to sing with Kristin Chenoweth, and I immediately sent him a message practically begging to be an alto. The next morning, I was informed along with fifteen of my classmates, that eight of us would sing on Saturday night, and the other half would sing on Sunday night.

After that, we were emailed by Mary-Mitchell Campbell, esteemed Broadway director. We were emailed sheet music and recordings of our parts, and were told to have our music memorized for the big day. While practicing my music, I reminded myself not to idolize anyone. They were human, just like the rest of us. Just insanely talented humans.

I met up with several other ASU students to practice the pieces Mary-Mitchell sent us. I went into our informal rehearsal not knowing the music, and came out confident in my part. My classmates were gracious enough to assist me with the music. That is something I am particularly pleased with--my more musically-experienced classmates are always willing to lend a helping hand, and never make me feel ashamed for taking longer to learn something.

Then, it was showtime. I slipped into my new black dress and high heels, and drove to downtown Phoenix, paying a whopping $12 in parking before running through the stage door, as I was only ten minutes early (and therefore five minutes late). I sprinted down the stairs to the rehearsal space, then up the stairs to the performance area, where I skidded to a halt.

I took in the scene before me. Hundreds of seats lined the performance hall, stage lights bright and warm. It was my first time in the Phoenix Symphony Hall space, and I was overwhelmed with euphoria. My friends and I took seats in the front row, trying to contain our excitement, but trying to soak in every possible sight, touch, and feeling of this experience. While sitting in the front row, it suddenly dawned on me this would be the biggest performance of my musical career thus far.

We were called to the stage. Mary-Mitchell Campbell, the music director, led us on the piano. We went over specific sections of the two pieces, and she gave us notes. I looked around at my classmates. Analise Rosario's smiled stretched from ear-to-ear. Shawn Wong's brows were furrowed in deep concentration. I knew a singular question throbbed to the pulse of our collective heartbeats: when would we see Kristin?

Then, a quiet gasp (still unsure as to who released it--to be honest, it may have been me) caught my attention. Immediately, my eyes flew to her. She wore a cap on her head, bright sneakers on her feet, and carried an iced coffee in one hand and her cell phone in the other. The moment was something surreal--my childhood hero, whom I had only heard on CD tracks and seen on the computer screen, was walking towards me, casually sipping her caffeinated drink with a beaming smile on her face.

I am not sure I ever quite recovered from that moment.

Suddenly, the atmosphere changed. Our energy became nervous, and as I looked around at my classmates and friends, their facial expressions suddenly lit with pure elation. Sitting a few feet away from us, sipping her iced coffee, was Kristin Chenoweth. The woman who had introduced some of us to the beautiful world of musical theatre. Our dubbed "Queen of Broadway." Sitting only a breath away, calling our voices, "Beautiful."

I forced myself to take subtle, deep breaths, while Mary-Mitchell instructed us to all begin singing again. While the piano played, I gave myself very clear internal instructions. Inhale, exhale. She's just another person, Erin. Don't freak out, don't freak out. Inhale, exhale. Don't stare, don't stare! Okay, okay it's fine. It's fine. Everything is fine. Breathe. Inhale, exhale. Inhale, exhale. Inha--shoot, you missed your entrance! Are you singing the right note? Shoot, shoot. Just listen to Analise, yup, yup, okay you got it. God bless Analise for knowing her part. Kristin didn't notice you mess up. It's fine. Everything's fine. You know the music. Breatheeeeee.

We ran over the music with Kristin a few times, and I forced myself not to stare. Keep looking at Mary-Mitchell for cut-offs. Yes. Keep doing that. Remember you are at work. You are working. Don't be self-conscious. You know this. Inhale, exhale.

After rehearsal finished, my classmates tried oh-so-not-subtly to take Snapchat videos of Kristin warming up at the piano. They all lined up behind her, selfie faces on, recording her warm-up with the expressions of children on Christmas Day. I, myself, was frozen stiff. I still couldn't believe this was happening.

I, Erin Kong, a girl who had decided to pursue musical theatre only a little over a year ago, was singing with one of the most brilliant phenoms of our time in front of hundreds of people in approximately two hours. Throughout the afternoon, I studied each of my classmates and where this experience was in their timeline.

Kaivan Mayelzadeh was a recent graduate--he was ending his college career with this performance. Elise Stoffer had just started her master's degree at ASU--she was beginning her graduate studies with this performance. Shawn, Analise, Mariah Rosario, John Batchan, Chris Reah--this performance was in the middle of their college education, a halfway-point. A transition into a new year, an unknown future of endless potential and opportunity. We were all in such different places in where we were as performers, yet we were about to share the stage with someone we all strived to emulate. And with that, it was time for the performance to begin.

We seated ourselves backstage next to the stage manager, positioned just right so we could see Kristin perform. We arranged ourselves around a Halloween plastic jack-o-lantern bucket filled with Tootsie Roll candies. We eased our nerves by indulging in said treats.

Someone murmured, "Here she comes," (again, could have been me--this whole afternoon was a blur) and Kristin graced us with her presence, wearing sparkling stilettos and a draped white dress. She greeted us warmly again, and engaged in very kind conversation. We were reminded multiple times to have fun. Kristin was obviously feeling under the weather--she wore a scarf, and coughed several times in tissues she clutched tightly in her small fists.

"You guys have to be my energy," she told us. She had already performed the night before with eight other students from ASU (Julia Davis, Anasofia Gallegos, Ben Massouras, Sara Bruton, Brian Jeffers, Chelsea Janzen, Julian Mendoza, and Drake Sherman), and was no doubt exhausted.

Then, the orchestra swelled. Show time. Kristin took a sip from her water bottle, took off her scarf, and sauntered onto stage, waving and grinning like she hadn't been hacking up her lungs only seconds before. In that moment, I knew what a true professional looked like.

With her hilarious anecdotes and charming presence, Kristin absolutely stole the stage. We choked with laughter during "Taylor the Latte Boy" and teared up during "Moon River."

During intermission, Kristin emerged in a new dress, and engaged in conversation with Mariah about riffing. Someone joked about riffing at the end of the last number, to which Kristin said to Mariah, "Do it! Riff girl, riff!"

When Kristin says riff, you riff.

Kristin went back on stage and performed the rest of her songs, which included "Popular" and a "For Good" which featured audience member Lyndsey Dawson Miller (who is also an ASU music alum). At the sound of "Over the Rainbow", we knew it was our cue to get to places.

We heard Kristin call us to the stage. The rest was a blur. The lights blinding, the gorgeous melodies of the Phoenix Symphony gushing behind. A dream-like trance enveloped my body. Nothing seemed real. But it was. This was a dream manifested into ethereal euphoria. Jarring, yet numbing, all at once.

"You don't have to compete with anybody else," she told the audience, she told us. "You don't have to compete with anybody but yourself. You don't have to compete with other short people." She grabbed my hand, acknowledging our similar heights, and beamed. I grinned like an idiot. Never in my life had I been more proud of being just shy of five feet tall.

And with that, she cued the music. We started with a gospel piece, "Upon This Rock." She told us to dedicate this to whoever was our personal god. She said she sang this for Jesus. She said to pray for the atheists. She nailed the high C. We finished the set with "I Was Here," a song about making a positive difference in the world. All the while, Kristin interacted with us and the audience, smiling and winking, giving her all throughout the performance. Mariah riffed.

Looking out over the audience, we bowed. We exited the stage. We took a picture with Kristin and Mary-Mitchell. We went back to our rehearsal space, and collected our things. It was the shortest moment of my entire life. My classmates and I were at a loss for words.

"We did it," we said. Nothing else would come out. We did it, we did it, we did it. We performed with the Phoenix Symphony. We sang with Kristin Chenoweth.

However, the best part of the entire experience was not that we sang with some Broadway star. It was that the Broadway star was by far, the humblest, kindest human being I had ever had the pleasure of working with. She made everyone feel safe, important, and special.

My words alone are not enough to contest to Kristin's astounding character and beautiful heart. She gave every single performer an unforgettable experience, with her hard-working attitude and overall kindness.

My friend and fellow Studio 303 (under the direction and mentorship of Professor David Britton) member Analise, a junior music theatre major, described her experience working with Kristin, as "magical."

"Meeting Kristin Chenoweth was magical! She was hilarious and an absolute sweetheart. Hearing her sing live in the same room as us for the first time during rehearsal literally took my breath away," she said. "It felt like I was in a dream the entire time we were on stage with her."

Analise said Kristin was friendly, and made her feel at-ease.

"She [Chenoweth] treated us like we were her peers, even though she is a Broadway legend, and reminded us that she was once in our shoes," she said. "When I left the Phoenix Symphony Hall that day, I felt inspired, humbled, and grateful to have been given this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to perform on stage with such a strong woman who has left her mark on the history of musical theatre."

Analise said singing with Kristin will be something she will never forget.

"This experience of working with Kristin Chenoweth is something I will hold close to my heart for the rest of my life," she said.

Julia Davis, a sophomore music theatre major and fellow Studio 303 member, performed with Kristin for her Saturday night performance. She had a similar experience with Kristin as the rest of us.

"Not only was watching her sing amazing, but she made every single one of us feel like an individual with a purpose," she said. "It was a day I'll never forget."

Recent music theatre graduate Kaivan Mayelzadeh said he is grateful for the educational experience he received from Kristin.

"Singing with Kristin Chenoweth was one of the most educational opportunities I've had in my four years at ASU," he said. "Working with her and Mary-Mitchell Campbell gave us a chance to see just what artistry and professionalism it takes to be great at what we do."

Kaivan said the concert was a perfect ending to his college career.

"I couldn't have asked for a better project to mark my time with LOT [Lyric Opera Theatre]," he said.

Kristin is the nicest human being I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. There are some people in this world whose kindness is just embedded in their very being, their eyes brimming over with such warmth and humility--and KC is the very embodiment of these kinds of people. She deserves the world and nothing less. In addition, she taught us we deserve the world, and nothing less.