To say I was excited to have the opportunity to speak to Kristin Chenoweth would be an understatement. Whether you caught her in Hairspray Live as Velma Von Tessel, remember her hilarious turn as April Rhodes on Glee, or will always remember her as Glinda in Wicked, the diminutive beauty has left an impression during her lengthy career on stage and screen.

It almost seemed like we would not connect, leading me to feel like Chenoweth felt when James Corden abruptly dropped her to the ground during a duet on his show so he could duet with Beth Behrs. If one of us was lucky enough to sing with her, that would never happen.

"That’s the right answer my darling. You should definitely tell him that. Thank god it was Beth Behrs, she’s one of my best friends. The universe was trying to keep us apart (from our interview), but it’s not happening," Chenoweth said, her laugh as musical as the songs on her new album of standards The Art of Elegance.

"It was hell because there are so many (standards) I wanted to do! I started out with a list of 480 songs. As I listened and whittled it down to about 25 and we knew I had to make some cuts. I was working with my producer Dave Koz and he just said Kristin you can do part 2 if you want to. Let’s pick these songs for content and theme and where you are at in your life. That is exactly what we did. There are a lot of heartbreakers on this as you know. Having had some great men in my life and some turkeys it seemed easy to sing this music. They call them classics for a reason, they still stand the test of time."

Chenoweth sings her way through songs like Bewitched, Bothered & Bewildered, Smile and Let’s Fall In Love. Still there were songs that didn’t make the album that she wishes would have.

"If I Had You is a really fun song, I loved the orchestration it was very swing and simple in nature. It felt like something I could put in a show and dance too. Hopefully its one I will come back too."

Chenoweth has been incredibly busy, including a run of concerts in NYC called My Love Letter To Broadway.

"I am pushing myself in such a way. Whenever I play a theatre I want it to be special, it’s an event. I am never going to be the kind that phones it in. One of the hardest aspects of the show but most fun is I am doing a different show every night. There are songs that are in each show but there are slots that I move different songs in and do that I have never performed before or it’s been 30 years for me that I haven’t sung in a long time. I have some cool guest stars coming in on nights. I took this opportunity and make it my personal best."

Casual mention that it would be amazing to have her tour Canada brought about excitement for Chenoweth, who has spent time in Calgary before.

"I spent 3 months in Calgary shooting the movie 12 Men of Christmas. I have spent months in Toronto and Vancouver.  Would really like to do that. This show I am doing I would love to do in Canada for my fans. I almost feel like an honorary Canadian. I was just there shooting American Gods. I love me my Holt Renfrew, I love my Tim Hortons. The Stampede so fun! It’s a good idea to tour I would love it."

She is such a diverse talent between TV and Film, being on Broadway, and performing concerts. What motivates her to do so much?

"I call it show business ADD. I can’t tell you how much enjoy a good character and a beautiful theatre and music. I really do love delving into different parts. I am one of the lucky ones that makes money in theatre. Concertizing is a great way for me to make a living as is being on Broadway. For me it is about where am I having the most fun? Whenever there is people in the room I am having fun. I love an audience. I don’t know if that means I should be in therapy more times a week or what but I love an audience so that is when I am happiest. The problem I am having now is I am really tired. I am working so hard going from one thing to another. I just launched this album and will be supporting it for the next year. I was on tour for a year, before that I was on Broadway, before that I was on TV. I am doing Hairspray live and then December 8^{th I am having a vacation with a whole lot of nothing. I am going to refuel, recharge and revamp. I haven’t done that in a long time. Part of being an artist is recharging yourself and letting your brain release. I love what I do but I am going to have about a month off."}

Chenoweth and co-star Idina Menzel both have varied careers; however they will always be tied to the original Broadway cast of Wicked. As a young Glinda, Chenoweth created a character that regardless of who plays her in the future will always be remembered as the original.

"I really wanted to be in a show that people had heard of. I won a Tony in a show that closed the next day (You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown.) My Broadway debut was in a show called Steel Pier. My favourite role I’ve ever done was The Apple Tree. These aren’t shows that are Les Mis. I got that show, and if it ended tomorrow I have a show that globally people know. I am proud of that. I am proud of us for setting a tone and creating these characters and had the opportunity to do it. I am happy. Some people are like oh curse me! I don’t want to sing a song anymore. I will be singing Popular until I am dead and that’s fine."

With plans underway for a film version, Chenoweth would not be interested in reprising Glinda, but would love a different role.

"There is a youth and specificity in the show of the evolution and changing and growing from girls to women and I would want that to be part of it. Idina and I are in our 40’s.  I don’t know that I would be the right age to be Glinda. I would love to play a different part like Madame Morrible. I did Glinda and I was young."

When Chenoweth looks out from the stage, she sees a variety of people of ages, genders and sexualities. She takes pride in how diverse her audience and career have been.

"I love it because I never know what they know me from. Everyone assumes it’s Wicked but I’ve had people tell me they saw me in Pushing Daisies or The West Wing. I’ve done so much work before and after Wicked. I love that the work that I have done is not just Wicked which is a huge part of my DNA of course but I’ve done a lot of television. I love it."

Part of that diverse audience is the LGBT community. In 2010 she wrote a rebuttal to a Newsweek article stating that gay actors like Sean Hayes Jonathan Groff were unable to play straight characters. She’s worked with many gay actors and has been an outspoken advocate for the community. The emotion is clear in her voice when asked what her gay fans mean to you.

"First of all thank you for saying that and remembering. Obviously I love my fans, but I feel very strongly about humanity and where we are at. Gosh even 6 years ago I had no idea where we would be in our country right now which is a very scary time. I think that my gay fans though, they have said to me that I have brought them joy and pleasure and happiness. It is the same for me they have brought me joy and happiness and love and encouragement. I feel lucky that I have spoken to a specific community that I feel very akin too. I love them and they love me and they can’t take that away from us baby!"

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