{"id":38112,"date":"2015-09-15T14:37:37","date_gmt":"2015-09-15T18:37:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/?p=38112"},"modified":"2022-09-29T12:31:25","modified_gmt":"2022-09-29T16:31:25","slug":"a-moment-in-the-spotlight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/2015\/09\/15\/a-moment-in-the-spotlight\/","title":{"rendered":"A moment in the spotlight"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Singers<\/a>

Local performers, including five with Wright State connections, sang backup vocals for Kristin Chenoweth during her concert at the Fraze Pavilion. Back row, from left: Mike Embree, Zack Steele \u201914, Sean Jones \u201915, Katie Pees Arber, Jasmine Easler, Patricia Linhart and Scot Woolley; front row: Marya Spring Cordes and Kristin Chenoweth.<\/p><\/div>\n

Fans of Kristin Chenoweth were treated to some Wright State star power during the singer and actress\u2019s recent appearance at Fraze Pavilion in Kettering.<\/p>\n

Eight local performers \u2014 including five with Wright State connections \u2014 had the opportunity to sing backup vocals for the Emmy and Tony Award-winning artist.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had a blast!\u201d said senior musical theatre major<\/a> Jasmine Easler, who readily admitted to screaming when she first received the invitation to perform. \u201cAs successful and amazing as Kristin is, she made us all feel we were on the same level as her. It was really comforting and made it really easy to let go of my nerves. I could focus on having fun and enjoying the moment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kevin Moore, president and artistic director of the Human Race Theatre Company, reached out to Easler and the other artists after being contacted by Mary-Mitchell Campbell, Chenoweth\u2019s music director. Campbell was looking for local talent to accompany Chenoweth on three songs during her debut performance at the Fraze.<\/p>\n

With just a few days to learn their respective parts, the singers received their music via an email from Campbell, who had already laid down the harmony tracks so they could hear how the music sounded. The performers then attended a rehearsal and soundcheck just a few hours before the 8 p.m. show on Aug. 29.<\/p>\n

That rehearsal turned into a reunion for Chenoweth and Wright State music director Scot Woolley. The two first met in New York City in 1993, when Woolley cast Chenoweth in the Nederlander Organization\u2019s production of “Little Me.” The musical, which would be performed at the Nederlander\u2019s theater in Michigan, was only Chenoweth\u2019s second professional show.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe cast her because she gave a wonderful audition and there was that wonderful, remarkable voice already,\u201d Woolley recalled. \u201cI remember when we were working that she really stood out, very quietly, but she stood out. There was something so special about her.\u201d<\/p>\n

Those unique qualities would propel Chenoweth to fame on both stage and screen. Probably best known for her role as Glinda in the original Broadway production of “Wicked,” Chenoweth has also received an Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actress in the ABC comedy series “Pushing Daisies” and a Tony Award for her performance in “You\u2019re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.” Chenoweth was most recently seen in the Disney Channel\u2019s live-action original movie “Descendants,” where she played the classic Sleeping Beauty villain Maleficent.<\/p>\n

While her star may have risen over the years, Chenoweth remains the same humble, down-to-earth person that Woolley met more than two decades ago.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe was gracious and available and so not about being a celebrity or famous or having won a Tony,\u201d said Woolley. \u201cShe was just about being a nice person, a good person.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sean Jones, who graduated from Wright State\u2019s musical theatre program last May, was also impressed with Chenoweth\u2019s giving nature.<\/p>\n

\u201cKristin was absolutely amazing. She was so much fun and incredibly genuine. When you go in to meet someone with that level of success, you don\u2019t really know what to expect, but she was incredibly sweet. She took the time to talk to all of us, and it was actually Kristin who wanted to take a picture with us,\u201d Jones said. \u201cThe biggest thing I took away from Kristin was how open and honest she was with everything she did. She owns who she is, and puts it into everything she does.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jones, Easler and 2014 graduate Zack Steele sang backup vocals for Chenoweth on the song \u201c9 to 5.\u201d They were joined by the other artists later in the show for renditions of \u201cUpon this Rock\u201d and \u201cI Was Here.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Steele, witnessing Chenoweth\u2019s love of performing was an inspiration.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing on stage with her was as easy as it is with some of my dearest friends,\u201d Steele said. \u201cShe\u2019s right there with you making eye contact with you, playing off of you. I think she just enjoys sharing the gift of music with everybody, which is so delightful to be around.\u201d<\/p>\n

While singing with Chenoweth was a thrill they will never forget, the evening also provided a rare opportunity for Wright State students, alumni and faculty to perform together.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s one of the special perks of doing what I do as a combination of a teacher, a director and then a performing artist on my own. It\u2019s such a beautiful way to come full circle to have a shared experience doing what you love,\u201d said Marya Spring Cordes, assistant professor of acting and musical theatre. \u201cThose are special moments in time. You don\u2019t get them all that often and you just have to love them and soak them up when they do occur.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Wright State students, faculty and alumni perform live on stage at the Fraze Pavilion in Kettering with Kristin Chenoweth. Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":38113,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[722,733,2037,2023,4859,725,747,715],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-38112","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academics","category-alumni","category-arts-scene","category-faculty","category-fine-and-performing-arts","category-home-news-sidebar","category-liberal-arts","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38112","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38112"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38112\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":130452,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38112\/revisions\/130452"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/38113"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38112"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=38112"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38112"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}