Interview: Kristin Chenoweth Chats Holiday Traditions, New Year's Eve Concert at Dr. Phillips Center

Pull out your party hats and noisemakers Orlando, the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts is hosting one heck of a New Year's Eve party this year. To celebrate the end of 2015, the Dr. Phillips Center is welcoming Tony and Emmy winner Kristin Chenoweth and Special Guest, stage and screen star, Cheyenne Jackson.

The all-inclusive party includes champagne, a midnight balloon drop, and an unforgettable concert from two of Broadway's brightest stars. Recently, I had the chance to chat with Chenoweth via email, while she is shooting a new film.

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BWW: This concert in Orlando is a big New Year's Eve celebration with champagne and party favors. In terms of your show, what can people expect?

Chenoweth: People can always expect pretty wide variety coming from me. The whole point of New Year's Eve is to celebrate. Celebrate the past year and celebrate what's to come. All I want to do that night is to entertain folks... make them happy.

Will it differ much from a normal Kristin Chenoweth concert in terms of songs, format, etc.?

Each show I do is made special for the crowd and/or event. I can't give away my songs. But there's always a new song or two from it.

Your special guest for the night is fellow star of stage and screen, Cheyenne Jackson. What makes him the perfect New Year's date for your trip to Orlando?

Cheyenne is my perfect New Year's date. Not only is he easy on the eyes, but he can really sing. We both plan on having a good time and making sure others have a good time as well.

It has become something of a tradition in your concerts for you to sing the song "For Good" with either a celebrity or an audience member. How did that start, and why is it something that has been important for you to continue over the years? Is that on the schedule for Orlando?

To me, the song "For Good" is the perfect moment in music theatre history. I love to invite audience members that I don't know to sing and watch them have a very cool experience. Frankly, I don't think there's a better lyric that Stephen Schwartz has ever written. It keeps it fresh and new for me.

I've also asked several people I admire or have known a long time to join me in that song. Like Sandi Patty and Alanis Morissette. I think I'll know when the time comes to not do that anymore, but for now it stays.

(Check out the performance that turned this from a heart-warming tradition into a world-wide phenomenon. Kristin and audience member Sarah Horn duet at The Hollywood Bowl:)

(If that's not enough, here is my favorite version as two of my biggest celebrity crushes, Kristin and Anna Kendrick duet (CLICK HERE). And, last month, Kristin sang with high school student Rachel Levy at TLC's BROADWAY AT THE WHITE HOUSE (CLICK HERE).)

Since you will be spending New Year's Eve with a theater full of people in Orlando, do you have any holiday traditions that you have to celebrate every year, whether you are at home or on the road?

Traditions in my family in Christmas include reading the story out of the Bible of Jesus's birth and having a good meal. But my favorite tradition that we have is lighting a candle and saying the thing we're most grateful for. It always brings tears to people's eyes. I'm sure this year I'm going to make Cheyenne do it with me.

Switching gears a little bit, you've been a part of a lot of family-friendly projects over the years, did you know that DESCENDANTS would catch on with audiences as quickly as it did?

The minute I read DESCENDANTS, and I knew Dove was doing it, I wanted in. Never before have I gotten to play the villain who actually looks like the villain. I'm thrilled to see that kids and adults both are enjoying that story. The song "Evil Like Me" was written by my friend Andrew Lippa. It brought us back together and made me really appreciate and understand how lucky I've been to have composers write for me.

If people want get in the spirit for both the holiday and your concert, is there a specific Christmas carol that you've recorded, perhaps from "A Lovely Way to Spend Christmas," that you are particularly proud of?

I'm particularly proud of my Christmas album. It's my favorite holiday and my favorite kind of music. I won't say my favorite song on the album, but I will say I love the variety. Every time I hear "Christmas Island" it makes me want to go Hawaii.

Check out the "Christmas Island" video:

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To purchase tickets to the New Year's Eve concert, visit the Dr. Phillips Center website or call 844-513-2014.

Will you be joining Kristin and Cheyenne for New Year's Eve? Let me know in the comments below, or by "Liking" and following BWW Orlando on Facebook and Twitter by using the buttons below. You can also chat with me about the show on Twitter @BWWMatt. If you want to follow along with my "366 in 366" articles, you can check out #BWW366in366 on Twitter.

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