Photo: TikTok
Glinda is back — and she's into politics!
By Allison Mcglone — Written on Jan 28, 2021
Kristin Chenoweth appeared on TikTok today and yesterday to perform an alternate, remixed version of the iconic “Popular” song from Broadway's Wicked to celebrate the first female vice president Kamala Harris.
Chenoweth is widely known for her performance as Glinda — sorry, Ga-linda! — on the debut run of Broadway show Wicked in 2003, and reprised her role in the social media post, much to the delight of fans everywhere.
The 52-year-old actress and singer, who's also appeared in films such as Bewitched and RV, gave the new Vice President a shining endorsement in her new song.
Chenoweth donned sparkling eyeshadow and a shiny white blazer, and grinned widely as she belted the lyrics:
“Her name is Kamala,” the song began, before asserting that Harris “deserves that spot” as vice president.
Chenoweth’s song also informed viewers on the correct pronunciation of the politician’s name: “And also I learned it’s NO not kaMAla, so think of it like Camelot.”
“She’s good for America,” Chenoweth commended Harris.
She referenced the original song title with the lines “as popular as she was, well now Kamala’s popularity will grow.”
“’Cause we know how much she’s gonna be helping Joe,” the singer continued, including a gif of the new president.
Chenoweth’s song praised Harris’s performance as a prosecutor, calling her “tough but fair,” and asserted that “(Harris) fought for rights and justice when it came to serving in the Senate.”
The performance was accompanied by the exaggerated joyful expressions and small dance moves characteristic of musical theatre.
The cast of Wicked, including Chenoweth and original co-star Idina Menzel, put on another political performance last year in which they encouraged viewers to vote in the 2020 election. Now, Chenoweth’s new content celebrates its outcome.
Part one of the song finished with a reference to Wicked: “Where I come from, she’d make a very good witch!”
“Like for Pt. 2!” Chenoweth captioned the video.
After nearly 400 thousand likes she gave the public what they wanted, posting a second video this morning.
“That’s Kamala! No wonder she’s popular. She’ll help to bring better days in so many ways, it’s time to shout hurrah,” sang Chenoweth in the follow-up post.
“We love Michelle Obama and now we’ve got Kamala,” she belted alongside a silly graphic of Harris dancing.
"Here’s to her ascent to vice president,” Chenoweth celebrated.
The song’s finale referenced Harris’s husband Doug Emhoff, and included Chenoweth’s personal seal of approval: “YES! Very first woman as VP! And so very popular with Doug and America and ME!”
The singer has previously spoken about her political views, and described herself as a "non-judgmental, liberal Christian." She has also publicly supported LGBTQ+ rights, which she assures the public does not conflict with her religion.
The song was written by Chenoweth alongside the original composer of Wicked, Stephen Schwartz.
Chenoweth replied to several comments on both TikTok videos, exciting her fans.
Many users praised the video. One commented that the song was “everything I have ever needed without even knowing!”
“One queen singing about another queen,” another applauded.
Allie McGlone is a writer who covers a variety of topics for YourTango, including pop culture and entertainment.