good evening from los angeles. tonight a conversation with kristen chenoweth who just released coming home. the 15 song album includes popular and for good and her tony nominated role in wicked. this is also the basis for her first solo television consult entitled kristen chenoweth coming home which could be seen on this noetwork later this yea. we have a conversation with kristen chenoweth coming up right now. ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ ♪ definitely was. we are pleased to say right here on pbs we have pay special called kristen chenoweth called coming home which featured her first live album ever. also titled coming home, we will

start by taking a look at kristen singing i could have danced all night. ♪ ♪ ♪ i could have danced all night, i never done this before ♪ ♪ i'll never know what made it so exciting ♪ ♪ my heart would fly ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> i was just telling kristen

i've knonever known where it co from. >> that's actually a compliment. >> what is that power. that range? >> i don't know. i think some people are amazing and you're amazing. by the way your s, she called i mercy kick off. >> i will take that. it's not that i have two left feet. it's a mercy kick off tell her i love her no. >> speaking of your momma, i got

the cover of this cd. you're actually facing taudienc. mile was known to not audience but why the cover with your back to us. first ever all the little bit and got back comes to mind. >> not the same as baby got back, little bit. >> there was some debate on the cover. we just took skill from the show because i am singing. my mom is in the front show. so proud she is. >> i know she is. >> in your hometown.

they have now named theater -- >> aren't they crazy? >> it's the kristen chenoweth theater. >> yeah. they have those little maps where people wipe their feet. i think it's weird, even though i'm in my 40s. i thought i i was little young to have a theer taeater named a me. >> so there's also a teacher. >> i have a mentor.

when i first auditioned or ocu, i knew that was the teacher that i wanted. it doesn't matter if she would have been at nyu, ucla, juliard. once a week we stand up and sing a song and she as well as our fellow students critique us. it's sort of about a woman who has to move on from a man who cheated on her basically. color me -- because i'm sad. she said, i have to stop you. you don't understand what you're singing about. some day you will.

i invite you to pull it out then and give it a way. th >> that will stop you in your tracks. >> i have lived. i pulled it out and said i was going to sing it. i reminded the audience of the story. in the end, i still didn't know what she was going to say but she just went, you get it. i'm sad to say and happy to say that you haven't said about. >> what's great is that she's young enough to see this moment. 90 years old. >> i have this. she happened to be white.

first person who ever said to me as the only black kid sitting in her classroom that you are not going to quit on me. you're as gifted as anybody in this classroom. she lived into her 90s and watched this every night. that's the kind of stuff i live for right there. i hone i have made her -- i hope i can made her crowd. i don't know why i'm getting so emotion emotional it's all special to have these people whoa ha have e expectations of you. don't be lazy. i'm very hard on myself. she knew when to be hard on me

and she knew when not to be because i was going to be hard on myself. >> how have you navigated being your own worst critic. i'm the same way. that can be good but we put more on ourselves than we can bare. >> you're so right. >> how have you learned to balance that self critique. >> i have to remind myself that i'm in competition with no one. i'm just going to be the best that i can be. it's not always going to be happy or perfect, but it's authentic. the longer i live, the more i understand what's important. although i want to be beautiful and hot and talented.

i have to make little reminders and breaks and zone out. not care. i have to remind myself of this. take care of your body, your spirit and mind. really in this industry, you've got to keep it in per inspective. >> how do you do it with people placing such high expectations on you. expectations, i mean when people that you bring joy and you uplift them. that's a high expectation. >> it is.

sometimes the material i chose, i could have chosen to dance all night. bring him home. there's some therapy about why i chose this song but i think one of the things is, again, that's why i like being in this time in my life. i look at women that i admire and i go oh, it's been later in my life. i look at this album and it's me. of course the expectation, but if people like it and accept it. this is who i am.

it's me. >> somebody just told me the other day, how can i put it, be yourself and you'll be fine. >> why is that so hard? >> i think it's hard because we live in a world where everybody wants to embody and share the experiences of someone else that we never are comfortable who we are or what we have or where we are because the yewe're worried comparison. at best it's comparison. it's worst it's competition. >> at 11, i did the miss oak

home pauj e oklahoma pageant. it's funny back then i didn't know what i didn't know. i was -- okay. that's the best way sometimes. to not know what you don't know. >> you talked about this being you. it is you. when one hear it as i have. how did you go about choosing the material for this one. a lot of stuff on here. i'm like who the heck does 18 tracks these days? you're lucky if you get seven or eight. >> especially with our attention span. >> yeah. >> it's kind of sad. i look on there and i've had lots of musical influences.

madon madonna, judy garland, donna summer, i have a disco. and phantom of the opera. there's a song that's done they really love. it's one of my favorites. it's about me and my dad. it's called fathers and daughters. if you don't think that was hard looking at my daughter, looking at my father -- my mother reached another. this is a live album, it's not autotuned. it is not perfect.

that's again, part of my journey releasing that. it's not perfect. there's a live album. it might be flat because it's live. >> we have video of that. take a listen. >> oh, boy. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ like frozen water ♪ you grow up and no one loves each other ♪ ♪ like fathers and daughters

♪ >> love you dad. >> how special is it to have your mommy and daddy? >> it's not just them. obviously they have big influences in my life. but to have friends that i was cheerleaders with and to see people that i went to church with -- to see me grow -- >> you have not grown up. you might have grown older but not up. >> yeah. i thought why not broken arrow. it could have been caregie hall but why not ba. >> we've been making jokes but all jokes aside, has that ever been an issue being so petite.

>> it's something that hi, didn't notice. people would call me midget or giggle. i could get heels and be 5 but i'm frustrated more when i'm on the phone and they are asking me if i'm mom is home or making a deposit at bank. that's where it's frustrating. or going into a party and no one knowing that you're there. >> that's always nice.

>> i want a chie tea latte -- i bet your voice gives you away, too. >> yeah. what's funny about that -- well, given your answer you understand what you sound like. i guess for whatever reason i still don't know what i sound like. i'm at a restaurant, i have been there for an hour and a half or two hours and somebody would be get up and say mr. smiley. it is an honor to meet you. i think, what have i been saying

for last hour and 45 minutes so now i'm when issering. i do that all the time. i'm like he's gay, what do you mean? i just got to be quiet. >> what do you hope that those who will see this on pbs, take way from this coming home? >> that's great question. i thought about this a lot. there's a misconception that i'm happy all the time. that thing might come easier for me or i have a great life. i do. i very blessed live. it has come because of sacrifice

and hard work. i love what i do. it is not easy. i want people to know when i watch the show, that's where music comes from. you sing it because you don't want to speak it anymore. i've been rejected. i still get rejected. i still with everyday normal issues that people have. i've had cancer in my family. i've had deaths. crazy things that you can't imagine. i think when you it tsee it. it's not everything that i am.

>> i am going to let you answer first. why do you think that perception of you does exist, does persist that you're the happiest person -- you could be the face of disney land the happiest place on earth. >> ♪ it's a small world of all ♪ >> i love that ride. ♪ ♪ i love that song. >> you know it! i've it many people sing it to me. >> i'm sure you have. why do you think that the p perception persists? >> i will tell you why, it's your fault. i lo that. i love that answer. i think it is my fault. being from the bible belt f the south, you look at steal

magnolias and everybody trying to make everything okay. the truth b is that realis peop to hear it. the truth is i'm human. i've been hurt. i've struggled. i've had success. i think that's way. i think it's a combination of my dna and the way i was raised gentleman i there's so few people in the world and certainly in this business, i think, who every time you see just say theat every time you se

them they bring a smile to your face. i get that with you. there's a force field of happiness around you. >> that's great. i think certain souls, you make a lot of people feel special. i accept -- thank you for that. >> you make me feel special. when people come to see you, they come to not just celebrate your artistic genius but also because music has the power to uplift you. >> well, thank you. you know, i just saw the documentary on james brown. >> did you like it? >> i love itted.

>> what i loved about him is that he believed in the music so much. like michael jackson, he wanted everybody in the group to be amazing chbl amazing. i wa i want to be best that i can be. that's what he was. he was authentically him. if you missed it, mr. dynamite. it's a documentary on jangs brown. i here i am giving a pitch for hbo. if you've not seen mr. dynamite, see that. but whatever you do, makes sure that here on pbs that you see christi kristen chenoweth. we could not be more pleased

here at pbs to see kristen going home and doing a repertoire of song that's are beautiful. congratulations on the record and special. everything else that you're working. i love you. >> i love you back. >> that's our show. as always. keep the faith. ♪ ♪ ♪ for more information on today's show, visit tavis smiley.org. >> join me next time for a conversation with a new cd, a salute to his friend george duke. that's next time, we'll see you then e. dl . . . .

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