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Kristin Chenoweth may have made her Broadway debut in 1997 with Steel Pier, but the star’s love affair with Broadway began decades before—when she was just a young girl, sitting in her living room in a small town in Oklahoma. Today, the Tony-winning star has come a long way from her Midwestern roots, and is looking back on her longest relationship in a special two-week concert engagement at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, titled My Love Letter to Broadway. The show, which runs November 2-13, features a handpicked selection of musical theatre favorites.

“I was watching the Tonys as a little girl, and I saw Annie perform a medley. I didn’t even know what Broadway was, but I knew I wanted to be on it, which makes no sense!�� says Chenoweth. “That’s all we had: the Tonys, the Oscars, and Miss America—that was it! I watched those, and that’s how I got fed, living in a tiny town. That’s where the love affair began.��

In a preview performance for the press, Chenoweth offered a sneak peek at what to expect from the solo concert. The selections included: “Popular�� from Wicked, the show in which Chenoweth originated the role of Glinda and was nominated for a Tony Award; “You Made Me Love You (I Didn’t Want To Do It),�� performed by Judy Garland in Broadway Melody of 1938; Burt Bacharach and Hal David’s “A House is Not a Home,�� a song she did in the revival of Promises, Promises; and “Losing My Mind�� from Stephen Sondheim’s Follies.

“I can’t say that Stephen Sondheim hasn’t been a big influence,�� says the singer. “I haven’t done a lot of Sondheim, but I feel like I’m coming into a time in my life where it feels right. ‘Losing My Mind�� has always been one I’ve wanted to do. I guess I get it now.�� The song, from the composer’s Tony-winning musical Follies, was originally performed by Dorothy Collins in the 1971 production at the Winter Garden Theatre. Chenoweth says she is excited to put her own “unique twist�� on such musical theatre classics in her solo show.

My Love Letter to Broadway is a chance for Chenoweth to honor some of her favorite Broadway composers, such as Stephen Schwartz (Wicked), and Andrew Lippa, who recently wrote the oratorio I Am Anne Hutchinson specifically for the singer. “I guess I could say I’ve been one of his muses,�� says Chenoweth of Lippa. “He seems to know what I want to say, and how I’m going to do it. He writes very well for me. More importantly, I think about what he’s given the world—there are shows that he did that people need to be more aware of, like The Wild Party.��

The star says that the concert is also a welcome opportunity to feature some lesser-known songs. “[It is] Broadway-centered, but I’ve also titled it that so that I can talk about some Broadway composers who have written songs that maybe nobody knows about—I’ve got a couple of those, which I’m very excited about,�� says Chenoweth. Though what they are, she won’t reveal. Like a true Broadway veteran, Chenoweth is keeping a handful of tricks up her sleeve.

My Love Letter to Broadway, produced by James L. Nederlander, is playing the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre through November 13 with direction by Richard Jay-Alexander, and music direction by Mary-Mitchell Campbell. Visit for more information.