Tony winner, Emmy nominee and recording artist Kristin Chenoweth can now add “American Idol” guest judge to her resume, People magazine reports.

The “Pushing Daisies” star will join the judges table in Orlando later this week. The most recent star to take over Paula Abdul’s spot was Neil Patrick Harris, who sat in on the Tuesday auditions in Dallas.

For more “American Idol” news, check out our sister TV blog Showtracker

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the holiday season is starting early for Kristin Chenoweth: The Broadway veteran has landed the lead in Twelve Men of Christmas, an original movie that will premiere on Lifetime as part of the channel’s annual “Fa La La La Lifetime” programming in December. The romantic comedy is based on Phillipa Ashley’s novel (originally titled Decent Exposure) about a PR exec (Chenoweth) who brings her media skills to a Montana town. Chenoweth was most recently seen on ABC’s defunct Pushing Daisies, for which she earned a Supporting Actress Emmy nomination last year.

source:  entertainmentweekly.com

Teachers are like children. Kids at heart. Adolescent, whiny, immature, constantly quarrelling, always dreaming up ways to cut class. And the funny thing is, when they’re in class, they never shut up.

At least that’s the disarming premise behind the new animated sitcom Sit Down, Shut Up, from the creator of Arrested Development and featuring several of Arrested Development’s actors — including Toronto native Will Arnett — in its voice cast.

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Kristin is on The Tonight Show WIth Jay Leno tonight so set your DVRs!  I’ll try and have video and screencaptures up tomorrow.

Kristin’s going to be on the view on April 16th so don’t forget to tune in!

E! Online posted an article about midseason TV shows and what you should watch.  Here’s what they had to say about Cheno’s newest animated project, Sit Down Shut Up:

SIT DOWN, SHUT UP (Fox)

Sunday, April 19, 8:30 p.m.

Cast: Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, Kristin Chenoweth, Cheri Oteri, Tom Kenny

From the creator of Arrested Development, Mitch Hurwitz, Sit Down, Shut Up is an animated-against-a-live-action background look at high school, told through the eyes of the demented teachers and administrators. The cast means it’s a sure thing, and we’re not the only ones who feel that way. As Kristin Chenoweth told us, “My manager got a call about the show and asked would I read the script, and I said, ‘Who’s in it?’ And they said Will Arnett and I said, ‘I don’t need to read it, don’t even send it to my house. I’ll just show up.’ ”

Verdict: Bateman, Arnett and Cheno? We are so there.

“Glee,” the new FOX musical TV series about a high school glee club, starring Matthew Morrison as an eager teacher, and featuring Kristin Chenoweth, Victor Garber, Deb Monk, Lea Michele and more, has landed a prime showcase spot after the May 19 episode of “Americal Idol.”

The new series from Ryan Murphy, creator of “Nip/Tuck,” will get one sneak preview episode 9 PM May 19, prior to beginning its regular 13-episode run in the fall.

“‘Glee’ works on so many levels that we want to utilize ‘American Idol’ to jump-start positive buzz, which will spread over the summer and into the show’s launch in the fall,” said Kevin Reilly, president, entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company.

“An ambitious and unique show such as ‘Glee’ deserves an ambitious and unique kickoff,” stated Fox chairman Peter Liguori. “We also wanted to take advantage of the huge ‘American Idol’ promotional platform to launch the marketing campaign in May.”

Chenoweth, Garber and Monk are all Tony Award winners; The Light in the Piazza’s Morrison was nominated. He also starred in South Pacific and Hairspray. Michele, who plays a high school student in the series, starred as Wendla in Spring Awakening on Broadway.

Entertainment Weekly reported that Chenoweth, Garber and Monk will have recurring roles on the new series Garber and Monk will play Morrison’s parents; Chenoweth’s role has yet to be announced.

According to FOX notes, “‘Glee’ is an uplifting series with biting humor that features a soundtrack of hit music from past to present. The show follows an optimistic high school teacher, Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison), as he tries to refuel his own passion while reinventing the high school’s glee club and challenging a group of outcasts to realize their star potential. It’s not an easy task when the pitch-imperfect club includes Mercedes (Amber Riley), a forceful diva-in-training; Arty (Kevin McHale), a geeky guitarist; Kurt (Chris Colfer), a dramatic soprano; Tina (Jenna Ushkowitz), a punk rocker; and self-proclaimed ’star’ Rachel (Lea Michele), a perfectionist firecracker.

“McKinley’s cruel high school caste system prevents the glee club from flourishing, so Will recruits Finn (Cory Monteith), the quarterback with movie star looks, to join the group even though he wants to protect his reputation with his holier-than-thou girlfriend, Quinn (Dianna Agron), and his arrogant teammate, Puck (Mark Salling). With harsh criticism from everyone, including Will’s tough-as-nails wife Terri (Jessalyn Gilsig) and McKinley’s egotistical cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch), he is determined to prove them all wrong and lead the glee club to the greatest competition of them all: Nationals.”

As previously announced, Tony Award winner John Lloyd Young (Jersey Boys) will also make a guest appearance on the new series.

source: playbill.com

Three Tony Award winners — Kristin Chenoweth, Victor Garber and Debra Monk — will be featured on the upcoming TV series “Glee.”

Entertainment Weekly reports that Chenoweth, Garber and Monk will have recurring roles on the new series, which stars South Pacific’s Matthew Morrison. Garber and Monk will play Morrison’s parents; Chenoweth’s role has yet to be announced.

An air date for the new series from Ryan Murphy, creator of “Nip/Tuck,” has yet to be announced, although “EW” says a May premiere is likely.

“GLEE,” according to press notes, is an “inspiring one-hour musical comedy that follows an optimistic high school teacher as he tries to transform the school’s Glee Club and inspire a group of ragtag performers to make it to the biggest competition of them all: Nationals.”

The cast features Matthew Morrison, Jayma Mays, Chris Colfer, Amber Riley, Kevin McHale, Jenna Ushkowitz, Lea Michele, Cory Monteith, Dianna Agron, Mark Salling, Jessalyn Gilsig and Jane Lynch.

As previously announced, Tony Award winner John Lloyd Young (Jersey Boys) will also make a guest appearance on the new series.

source: playbill.com

Tony Award winner Kristin Chenoweth will star in a new legal drama created by David E. Kelley.

Variety reports that the star of the recently canceled “Pushing Daisies” will play Skippy Pylon in the new NBC series “Legally Mad.”

Pylon, according to the industry paper, is “a cheerful and brilliant attorney who nonetheless exhibits flashes of psychosis — and enjoys being mistaken for a teenager.”

Creator Kelley told Variety, “I’ve wanted to work with her for a long time and can’t wait to reveal her as someone who’s completely mad.”

Warner Bros. TV is producing the show, which is set in a law practice in Chicago. No air date has been announced.

Kristin Chenoweth, who received a Tony nomination for her work as Glinda in Stephen Schwartz’s Wicked, has been seen on the New York stage in The Fantasticks, Scapin, Steel Pier, A New Brain, Epic Proportions, Strike Up the Band, n a Clear Day You Can See Forever, The Apple Tree, Stairway to Paradise and Candide. The actress won her Tony Award for her performance as Sally Brown in the Broadway bow of You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown. Her screen credits include “Four Christmases,” “Into Temptation,” “Pushing Daisies,” “Kristin,” “The West Wing,” “The Music Man,” “The Pink Panther,” “Stranger Than Fiction,” “Deck the Halls” and “Running with Scissors.” Her solo recordings include “Let Yourself Go,” “As I Am” and the newly released “A Lovely Way to Spend Christmas.”

source