In a remarkable revelation that seems almost too perfect to be true, Tony Award-winning actress Kristin Chenoweth has uncovered a surprising family connection to the beloved world of The Wizard of Oz. The 57-year-old star, who famously originated the role of Glinda in the hit musical Wicked back in 2003, learned of this extraordinary link during a recent episode of the PBS series Finding Your Roots with Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
A Stunning Discovery on National Television
During the emotional segment, Dr. Gates presented Chenoweth with an old newspaper clipping that revealed her late relative, Billy Eugene Ethridge, had performed in a small-town production of The Wizard of Oz. The clipping detailed a "junior players guild production of The Wizard of Oz, opening at 8pm Friday at the Great Hall of St. Matthew's Cathedral" and listed the cast, which included "Oz, Billy Eugene Ethridge."
Chenoweth's reaction was one of pure astonishment. "Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me? Is that not freaky? That's nuts," she exclaimed, nearly becoming emotional. "Wow. Well, we were a lot alike!"
More Layers to the Coincidence
The discovery didn't end there. Dr. Gates further revealed that Ethridge was deeply involved in musical theatre beyond just this one production. He had performed in multiple shows including The King and I, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, participated in school choir, and appeared in dance reviews.
Chenoweth reflected on this new information about her relative, saying, "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 – but he was!"
Questioning Fate and Destiny
When Dr. Gates asked if this newly discovered connection made the veteran entertainer "believe in fate," Chenoweth responded emphatically, "It does, right? Right there!" She then expressed her wish that Ethridge was still alive so she could share this discovery with him directly, exclaiming, "Oh, I wish he was alive so I could just be like, 'Look at this!'"
Chenoweth's Recent Broadway Return
This revelation comes as Chenoweth recently returned to Broadway after a decade-long absence from musical theatre. Her latest stage appearance was in Queen of Versailles, a stage-adapted version of the 2012 documentary about billionaire Jackie Siegel's ambitious project to build a massive 90,000 square-foot Florida estate.
The production officially opened on Broadway on November 9, 2025, and concluded its run on December 21, several weeks earlier than its originally scheduled January 2026 closing date. Chenoweth not only starred in the production but also served as a producer for the Michael Arden-directed show, which featured music by Stephen Schwartz.
A Decade Between Broadway Musicals
For the Oklahoma-born actress, this marked her first Broadway musical role in ten years, following her previous performance in On the Twentieth Century. In a heartfelt video recorded in her dressing room in November and shared online, Chenoweth expressed her pride in the production, stating, "I just want to say that I'm so proud of this new art that we've created."
She went on to acknowledge the challenges of contemporary Broadway, saying, "It's getting harder and harder to do, so I think about all the shows in the past couple of seasons that have come and gone that, you know, not everybody got to see. I just love Broadway so much, and I love audiences and a live art form."
Chenoweth also expressed gratitude to the patrons who had attended Queen of Versailles since it began previews on October 8 at the St. James Theatre in Midtown Manhattan.
The Full Circle Connection
The discovery of her family's connection to The Wizard of Oz universe adds a magical layer to Chenoweth's own career trajectory. Having originated the role of Glinda in Wicked – the musical that tells the backstory of the witches from L. Frank Baum's original Oz novels – this revelation creates a beautiful symmetry between her professional achievements and her family history.
Oscar winner F. Murray Abraham portrayed Jackie's late billionaire husband, 'Timeshare King' David Siegel in what was described as a Trumpian satire that had been in development since 2020. The production represented not just a return to Broadway for Chenoweth, but also a continuation of her legacy in musical theatre that now appears to have deeper roots than she ever imagined.
