Book Review: A Little Bit Wicked

By Melissa Amster

I was recently looking for an interesting audio book, so I went back to searching for celebrity memoirs. Then I came upon Kristin Chenoweth's book, A Little Bit Wicked, and decided to give it a whirl. I'm SO glad I did!

There's something extra special about listening to a celebrity read their memoir. Since Kristin is so much fun to listen to, this definitely enhanced my enjoyment. She talks about everything she can fit into her 40 years of a life well-lived. (This book came out in 2009, so she was about the same age as I am now at that point in time. Her birthday is even close to mine!) Her stories go from growing up in Oklahoma as the adopted child of two loving parents to performing in beauty pageants to her first Broadway audition to on-and-off dating Aaron Sorkin (writer of The West Wing) and all things in-between. Of course, she talks about playing Galinda in Wicked from the days of workshops through the musical's Tony nomination. And she shares bits and pieces of her experiences on TV shows, such as The West Wing, Pushing Daisies, and the huge (HUGE!) hit sitcom, Kristin. She shares about her faith and how it has helped her overcome obstacles and triumph. She talks about her awkward and embarrassing moments and even points out that she doesn't get special treatment just because she's famous. She's just so kind and gracious about everything, even when she shouldn't have to be! And if you're hungry, she has recipes for "Hum Dum Diddy" and her "cursed" cookies. (You'll see....or hear!)

I really loved everything about this memoir and now I want to see all the shows Kristin has been in, even if I wasn't interested before. Like The Music Man. I am not a fan of that musical, but I'd be interested to see the TV movie starring Kristin and Matthew Broderick. And I really want to watch Pushing Daisies now. (She sings with Ellen "Audrey" Greene!) I may also consider binge-watching The West Wing, but maybe in a few years.

Kristin is truly a delight to listen to. The audio book is short and the print version is 256 pages. Easy read that you're guaranteed to breeze through because you also won't be able to get enough of her! I felt a real connection to her throughout and hope she will write another memoir detailing what she's been up to since she finished this one! I felt like I was sitting across from her at lunch listening to her share all her stories. The only thing I should "warn" readers about in advance is that there is not a linear or chronological progression. Kristin jumps back and forth in time throughout, which may feel a bit confusing. She also goes off on tangents a lot. Another "warning" is that Kristin will have you laughing throughout her book, so don't drink anything you're not prepared to choke on when she throws out one of her zingers.

I hope I can one day meet Kristin in person so I can tell her how much I enjoyed her book and how great I think she is (if I don't get tongue-tied).