“Wicked ”Icon Kristin Chenoweth Discovers Unexpected Family Connection to “The Wizard of Oz”: 'That's Nuts!'
“Wicked ”Icon Kristin Chenoweth Discovers Unexpected Family Connection to “The Wizard of Oz”: 'That's Nuts!'
Dave QuinnWed, February 25, 2026 at 2:50 PM UTC
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Kristin Chenoweth has long been linked to The Wizard of Oz thanks to her star-making turn in Wicked. But a new discovery revealed that connection may run deeper than she ever imagined.
During the Tuesday, Feb. 24 episode of the PBS hit Finding Your Roots with Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr., the Tony Award winner uncovered a surprising family tie to the stage musical adaptation of L. Frank Baum's beloved novel while exploring her ancestry.
Chenoweth, who originated the role of Glinda in Broadway’s Wicked in 2003 and helped turn the musical into a global phenomenon, reacted with disbelief as Gates presented her with a small-town newspaper clipping connected to one of her relatives, Billy Eugene Ethridge.
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Kristin Chenoweth on 'Finding Your Roots'Credit: PBS/Henry Louis Gates, Jr./Youtube
Reading aloud from the notice announcing a local theater production, Chenoweth, 57, paused in shock.
“The junior players guild production of The Wizard of Oz, opening at 8 p.m. Friday at the Great Hall of St. Matthew's Cathedral,” she read. “The cast of the Wizard is as follows: Oz, Billy Eugene Ethridge.”
“Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me?” Chenoweth said, laughing. “Is that not freaky? That’s nuts. The Wizard of Oz? Wow. Well, we were a lot alike!”
Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel in 'Wicked' on BroadwayCredit: ITV/Shutterstock
Gates, 75, then revealed the coincidence went even further.
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Growing up, her relative Billy Eugene Ethridge had been deeply involved in performance, appearing in productions of The King and I and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, while also participating in dance reviews, music clubs and his school choir.
“You know, I think of Billy as a Rockabilly. He was an incredible guitarist and also pianist. But I don't think of him as this musical theater kid," Chenoweth said. “But he was!”
The discovery prompted Gates to ask whether the connection made her believe in fate.
“It does, right? Right there!” Chenoweth replied.
For Chenoweth, whose career has become synonymous with musical theater excellence, the moment felt especially meaningful. The actress has become one of theater’s most beloved performers following her breakout, Tony Award-winning turn in the 1999 revival of You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, with nearly a dozen credits to her name including Wicked and On the Twentieth Century, both of which earned her Tony nominations.
Most recently, she was on the boards as Jackie Siegel in the musical adaptation of The Queen of Versailles, the 2012 documentary about the Florida socialite's unfinished quest to build the largest home in America.
“Oh, I wish he was alive so I could just be like, ‘Look at this!’ ” Chenoweth said.
Finding Your Roots with Dr. Henry Louis Gates airs Tuesdays (at 8 p.m. ET) on PBS.
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Source: “AOL Entertainment”
