Kristin Chenoweth on Co-Hosting the American Country Awards: "I'm a Creature of Live Audience"

Kristin Chenoweth said it plainly: "Nothing makes me happier than to be doing what I love to do and that's singing. I would love to be on stage, in front of…" — and Premier Guide Miami was in the room when it happened.

On December 3, 2012, FOX hosted a press conference call with American Country Awards co-host Kristin Chenoweth ahead of the show's live broadcast on Monday, December 10th from 8–10 p.m. Eastern on FOX. Chenoweth was returning for her second year co-hosting alongside Trace Adkins. Premier Guide Miami's Daedrian McNaughton asked two questions during the call. Below are the highlights.

On Oklahoma roots and the connection to country music:

With this last album I did I really wanted to pay homage to how I grew up singing. That was a huge influence on me, obviously, because as you know in Oklahoma there are 4,500 country music stations and maybe one pop rock. So think about who my influences were — they were Dolly and Reba and Tricia and Shania and Patsy. Those were the people that I listened to. Of course I loved the Broadway cast albums because we didn't have tons of Broadway coming through Broken Arrow, but that was largely my musical influence. It's so funny when people say who were your favorite performers — it's Julie Andrews, Madeline Kahn, and Dolly Parton and Sandy Patty, which I know is very eclectic, but that was how it was for me in Oklahoma. I want to do another country album actually.

On GCB's Carline and the show's cancellation:

People really loved Carline. They love to hate her sort of. She was that kind of character. I loved that we had so many people that related to it. The people that watched the show the most, the highest numbers, were in Nashville, Tennessee. I sort of loved that because I thought, 'They get it,' because they know this is a real world. It disheartened me to think that there were a few that thought it was making fun of God, which I would never do. I thought it was just having fun with a world that I knew very well. I love that people come up to me now and say, 'Where's GCB? What happened? We want to see it.' But when you lose a lot of your major advertisers I understand why ABC did what they did, but it still makes me sad. I miss Carline — but whenever I do I just put on my wig and I feel better.

On the chemistry with Trace Adkins and what brought her back:

Last year what was so great was twofold — it was to meet the people that I've been listening to on the radio that I admire. And the second part is obviously working with Trace. He is a really good person. He has a very good sense of humor and for some reason we have kind of a fun chemistry. It's not two people that you would necessarily put together, but it works. I just flat out adore him. Honestly, that's what brought me back this year. It's him.

Premier Guide Miami's Questions — The Baby Bjorn Moment and the Dress:

When you hosted last time, were there any close calls that you had to think quickly on your feet that the public didn't know about?

The only tricky moment was Trace and I. We did a little bit where I was in the Baby Bjorn — I was attached in a Baby Bjorn on his chest — and we had just a few minutes, not very many minutes, to get me in there. So that was a little tricky to get strapped down, so to speak. I think this year we might top ourselves. I can't give too much away, but it's going to be fun.

What are you going to wear this year that tops that sexy dress you wore last year?

We were just talking about that dress last night. I had a fitting before I had to sing. I have a great elegant — a very elegant dress that I'm going to wear on the red carpet this year because my mom was like, 'Did you have to show the girls? I mean really?' But there's a dress that I'm going to wear during the show that rivals that green one. I'm going to get it in there, don't you worry.

On what's on her iPod — country artists she's loving:

I really do love The Band Perry. I'm still listening to their hit from last year — it's on repeat. And I really am happy for Little Big Town. When I met them they made me feel so welcome and loved and accepted. For them to be as talented as they are nice, I'm going to root for them. I also like Thompson Square. I'm always going to be partial to Carrie. But I still like my old timers like Dwight Yoakam. And there are just some singers I'm never going to not listen to — Shelly Wright being one of them. But I just love Little Big Town. I'm really happy for them.

On what's next — concerts, Broadway, and a second country album:

Right off the bat I have some concerts coming up — one New Year's Eve in Park City, Utah, and a Lincoln Center American Songbook Series that will be filmed for PBS on February 15th. Then I do a mini European tour in March — London, Scotland, Australia and surrounding areas. After that, On the Twentieth Century and Soapdish on Broadway are the two things I'm looking to do sooner rather than later. I'm also trying to put together my next record and do a pilot. As for the country album — yes, I just didn't feel like I got done with that first one. I thought it was a really good start. There's going to be a part two there for sure.

On being a creature of live performance:

Nothing makes me happier than to be doing what I love to do and that's singing. I would love to be on stage, in front of an audience, singing my show, enjoying the give and take that a performer and an audience have. I've always said that's the way I want to die too, which sounds a little morbid, but I would — because it makes me happy.

The American Country Awards aired live Monday, December 10, 2012 from 8–10 p.m. Eastern on FOX.

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