Kristin Chenoweth Serenades Oprah with WICKED in Honor of Final Show; Stars Bid Farewell

By: May. 18, 2011
KRISTIN CHENOWETH
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The Associated Press has released a detail of the celebrity farewell to Oprah, which will air on ABC on May 23 and May 24, just before the last Oprah Winfrey Show airs on May 25.  On hand to pay tribute to the queen of daytime talk was the segment's host, Tom Hanks, Jerry Seinfeld who performed a routine, Madonna, Tom Cruise, Halle Berry, Beyonce, John Legend, Patti LaBelle and mroe. Aretha Franklin sang Amazing Grace and stage and small screen favorite Kristin Chenoweth led a performance of Wicked's For Good.  As she performed, nearly 300 Morehouse College scholarship students, endorced by Oprah in one of her many charity endeavors, walked the aisles of the United Center where the event was being filmed. Simon Cowell was also on hand and Rosie O'Donnell additionally performed a Broadway-inspired number.

To read a full rundown of the celebrity tribute to Oprah, click here.

The tribute attracted more than 13,000 of Oprah's loyal fans and followers.  Winfrey announced in 2009 that the last Orpah Winfrey show would air on May 25, 2011.  In January of 2011, she launched the OWN television network.  It is expected that she will remain on television in a new program to air on OWN. Just yesterday, OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network announced four new series will be joining the network's primetime lineup in June. The new original series "Unfaithful: Stories of Betrayal" will premiere Monday, June 6 (9-10 p.m. ET/PT) immediately followed by "The Dr. Laura Berman Show" (10-11 p.m. ET/PT). "Visionaries: Inside the Creative Mind" debuts Friday, June 17 (10-11 p.m. ET/PT) and "Carson Nation" starring Carson Kressley premieres Saturday, June 25 (10-11 p.m. ET/PT).

These programs join previously announced June series premieres "Finding Sarah" with The Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson (Sunday, June 12, 9-10 p.m. ET/PT) and "Ryan & Tatum: The O'Neals" (Sunday, June 19, 10-11 p.m. ET/PT).

The Oprah Winfrey Show has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history under Winfrey's leadership.

 


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