Kristin Chenoweth has always been popular. But during Broadway's reopening of Wicked on Sept. 14, she gained a new fan: Savannah Guthrie's 7-year-old daughter, Vale.
After being closed for a year and a half due to the coronavirus pandemic, the show finally reopened to some very excited theatergoers. Tony winner Kristin, who played Glinda in the original production, sang a few bars from the musical's number "For Good" for the little lady in front of New York's Gershwin Theatre. Savannah and Hoda Kotb, who were covering the event for Today, also appeared to be moved by the performance.
They weren't the only ones Kristin enchanted on this magical night. The actress also surprised fans by making an onstage appearance and reminding them, "There's no place like home."
"OG Glinda bringing down the house at #Wicked opening night—and stopping to serenade my little girl," Savannah, who is also mom to 4-year-old son Charley, wrote on Instagram alongside footage from the evening. "@kchenoweth—we have been changed for good!!!"
In addition to meeting Kristin, Vale met Ginna Claire Mason and Lindsay Pearce, who play Glinda and fellow main character Elphaba in the current Broadway production.
Savannah, Hoda and Vale weren't the only Today family members to enjoy a night at the theater. To celebrate more Broadway shows' reopening nights, Carson Daly, Jenna Bush Hager, and her daughters Mila, 8, and Poppy, 6, saw The Lion King, and Craig Melvin and Al Roker took in Hamilton, where creator and original cast star Lin-Manuel Miranda stopped by to show his support.
Kristin talked about what this long-awaited reopening of Broadway meant to her.
"The audience—we are so happy to have them. But if they could only feel what's going on with the people on stage. If they could only feel—our hearts are beating so fast. This is the way to help our hearts," she told Today, getting teary-eyed. "Arts has the power to change lives….I'm so happy."
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