Kristin Chenoweth on Ariana Grande in 'Wicked,' 'Queen of Versailles' before Sarasota show

Kristin Chenoweth: 8:30 p.m. Friday; Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota; $75-$145 (performance only; gala dinner and afterparty separate); 941-263-6799; vanwezel.org

This year, Kristin Chenoweth will see Boca Raton-born pop star Ariana Grande step into the role she originated in the Broadway hit musical "Wicked" in a two-part film adaptation, while Chenoweth will reunite with "Wicked" lyricist/composer Stephen Schwartz on another musical, "The Queen of Versailles," about a wealthy Orlando couple.

First, though, the Tony and Emmy-winning singer and actress will visit Florida herself, with a show at Sarasota's Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall on Friday. The performance will also serve as the entertainment for an annual gala that's featured other stars such as Barry Manilow, Harry Connick Jr. and Seal in past years.

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Chenoweth first rose to fame as Sally Brown in the 1999 Broadway revival of "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown," winning a Tony for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. She then earned a Tony nomination for originating the role of Glinda the Good Witch in "Wicked," a revisionist "Wizard of Oz" retelling that premiered in 2003 and went on to become one of the longest-running and highest-grossing Broadway shows of all time. That led the way to more roles for Chenoweth, including on TV shows such as ABC's "Pushing Daisies" (which earned her an Emmy) and Apple TV+'s "Schmigadoon!," and in films such as "The Pink Panther" and "Four Christmases."

The first "Wicked" film is set for release Nov. 27, starring Grande as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba (a role originated on stage by Idina Menzel), with "Crazy Rich Asians" and "In the Heights" filmmaker Jon M. Chu directing. "The Queen of Versailles," based on the 2012 documentary of the same name, will premiere this summer in Boston prior to Broadway. Chenoweth will play Jackie Siegel, the wife of Westgate Resorts founder David Siegel (played by Oscar-winning "Amadeus" actor F. Murray Abraham), who were in the midst of building a mansion inspired by the Palace of Versailles when the 2008 recession struck. (The couple were later struck by personal tragedy when their 18-year-old daughter Victoria died of a drug overdose in 2015.)

In a March 8 phone interview with the Herald-Tribune, Chenoweth discussed "The Queen of Versailles" musical, the "Wicked" film adaptation with Ariana Grande stepping into her role, and more. Here are excerpts.

Your show here will be part of the Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation Gala. From performing at galas and benefit concerts, to your Broadway Bootcamp, can you talk about the importance of giving back, particularly as it pertains to future performers in the arts?

The people that mentored me and gave back to my community, to my church and school, and just learning early on watching other artists that I admired do the same — you realize just how important how it is. The next generation of artists need to be inspired; they need to hear from us who’ve been out there doing it. I want to leave this world in a better place than I found it. That’s kind of the main reason for all of this.

You’ll soon appear in a musical based on “The Queen of Versailles,” portraying Jackie Siegel. What will the musical adaptation be like and, besides working with Stephen Schwartz again, what drew you to the material?

When Stephen called me and said, "I have this idea," I had watched the documentary, and I was fascinated then when I saw it, totally fascinated. I didn’t quite know how that would work. When the director Michael Arden and Stephen presented their thoughts and ideas to me, and we began to work on it, I said, "I’ll work on it, and we’ll see." Over the past three years, what we’ve developed and what I really love is this story of a family. It could be any number of families — this family has experienced wealth, entitlement; they’ve experienced extreme loss financially, personally in their family. I have gotten to know Jackie and I have absolutely been inspired by how she’s handled all of these different things that have happened to her in her life. Our show, we touch on the documentary, but our show kind of picks up where they left off as well.

So, I think and hope that when people come, they will be attracted to what I was attracted to when we started developing this. Which was not a cautionary tale but a fable, if you will, about a family who’s been through it and just because you have seemingly all the money in the world, it doesn’t bring necessarily happiness — it can cause even strife and hardship. What does that look like when you go through it: Are you bonded closer together, or are you driven apart? In their case, it’s very obvious what has happened; they’ve definitely been drawn together and now they’re giving back in a big way with their Victoria’s Voice Foundation that has to do with their daughter. So it’s kind of a full-circle story, and I was just attracted to that, and I’m excited to present it. We present it in Boston this summer, and then we'll open next spring on Broadway.

The first look for the “Wicked” film, where Ariana Grande is playing Glinda, came out recently. What are your thoughts on what we’ve seen so far of the film, and of Grande playing the role you originated?

Oh, well, I’ve known her since she was 10, so I wanted this to happen. I just think the world needs to get ready, because I think she’s going to be a very big surprise in the role. Obviously, not vocally, but acting-wise, I think we’re going to see a different side to her that people didn’t know existed. I know that it existed because I know how she started, which was theater and on Broadway. But let’s just say I’ve seen a little bit of it; the film is going to blow everyone away. I’m very excited for what Jon Chu has done with the story and how he wants to present it, and the look of it is incredible. So it’s going to be very special, and I’m very proud of her and Cynthia as well. Because these parts, Idina and I put a pretty big stamp on those roles, but these girls are going to put their own stamp, and that’s what any artist should be allowed to do. I don’t like it when I go see a Broadway show and I see imitations of me or anybody else. I like for people to be allowed to find their own way, and Jon, that’s what he allowed and encouraged. And so therefore I think we’re going to have a new “Wicked” for the people, and I just can’t wait to see it.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Broadway revival of “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” you co-starred in. Reflecting on it 25 years later, what was the effect of that show on your life?

Well, it changed my life completely, artistically. It put me on the map, so to speak. That show, I had no idea it would lead me into film and TV and other beautiful opportunities. It afforded me so many things that I would’ve otherwise not had, but mostly the experience itself was so special because I was given the opportunity by Michael Mayer, the director, to create a new role for the show. That’s what every artist dreams about. There're no rules, you’re putting your own stamp on something for the first time, and it will never happen again like that in my life.

It happened in such a big way, and I’ve had a lot of great, wonderful things happen over the years, but it will never be like that again — a Broadway show, a new role, turning my life on its ear and providing me with amazing opportunities down the road. I remember reading the reviews the next morning and thinking, “Wow, I think things are going to be different maybe for me.” Or maybe not, I didn’t even really know — I didn’t know what I didn’t know, as you know, when you’re young. And with our cast especially, I’m very close with them. Ilana Levine and I are like sisters, and she’s kind of like our mother, she keeps everybody together and in touch. They’re like my family, and I just look back with such fondness.

You recently co-starred in the Apple TV+ musical comedy “Schmigadoon!” What was the experience working on that show like, and what are your feelings on it not returning for a third season?

I think it’s always sad when a show doesn’t get its due, but at the same time, I was happy that Apple put it on to begin with, because it is musical theater-based and has a limited audience. But what we found was that people who didn’t even like musical theater — like my brother, in fact — loved it because of Keegan Michael-Key’s character. I’m sad, because I think it had another season in it, but I know that [co-creator] Cinco Paul never thought it would go past season two, so I think he did what he wanted to do. We were like a clown troupe; we all like to be together, all of us know each other. Again, that’s another experience that I’ll never forget: getting to make fun of the milieu that I love more than anything, but make fun of with love, not with disdain. Very proud to get to do two very different parts from season one to season two — it was like being in “The Carol Burnett Show,” you get different roles. We all got to do it, and we were wacko, and it was so fun. I can tell you this: our cast is really going to miss each other, doing that show.

What was the experience like appearing in “Four Christmases,” and seeing that become one of the kind of contemporary Christmas movie staples?

Oh, I love it. I think I’ve done like seven Christmas movies, but for sure, that and “Deck the Halls” are the ones that people are forced to watch every holiday season because it’s always on. I became close with Reese, and I had a blast working with all the cast. When you do these things, all the things that you’re mentioning here, are things that have made a mark in the world. And like I said, that makes me happy as an artist, that all these years later that I got to be in that movie that still touches people. I remember when I got the script, I thought, “I don’t think there’s been a movie about Christmases with divorced families and how that works out,” in a comedy way, anyway. We have the best comedians in the world with Vince Vaughn and Reese. Again, you make these families along the way and then you get to keep them along the way, so you never really say goodbye, you just say “I’ll see you later.” I don’t believe in goodbyes, I say “I’ll see you later,” “I’ll see you on the next one,” “I’ll see you down the block, kid,” “I’ll see you at the mall,” “I’ll see you at dinner.” That’s the wonderful thing about show business.

Is there anything else you're working on we haven't discussed that you wanted to mention?

I’m always working on something — nothing that I can talk about, but lots of exciting things down the pike. I guess I just want to say, especially to any young artist: You just really can’t put yourself in a box or a category. Always be open to what opportunities, whatever they look like, come to you. I never thought I would be getting to do all the different kinds of work that I do, and I love it and I feel very blessed, and it’s not lost on me how that's worked out for me. I have worked so hard, and sacrificed so much, to be where I am. It didn’t just happen — I didn’t have Instagram to make myself a star, I just work my ass off, and I love to see when other young artists do the same.

Email entertainment reporter Jimmy Geurts at jimmy.geurts@heraldtribune.com. Support local journalism by subscribing.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Kristin Chenoweth on Ariana Grande in 'Wicked,' before Sarasota show