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Chenoweth will speak to grads
UNCSA commencements are next week
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Published: May 23, 2009
Actress Kristin Chenoweth has gone from Pushing Daisies to congratulating graduates.
She will speak at the UNC School of the Arts commencement for college graduates at 1 p.m. next Saturday at the Stevens Center.
J.T. Rogers, an award-winning playwright and alumnus of UNCSA, will speak to high-school graduates earlier in the day, at 9 a.m.
The ceremonies are not open to the general public.
Chenoweth was recently one of the stars of ABC's series Pushing Daisies, and she was nominated for an Emmy Award last year for her role in the television series. More recently, she provided the voice for a character in the Fox animated sitcom Sit Down Shut Up.
She has also appeared on such shows as The West Wing and her own sitcom, Kristin, and in TV-movie productions of Annie and The Music Man. Her films include Stranger Than Fiction, The Pink Panther, Bewitched, and Deck the
Halls. On stage, she won a Tony Award for her role in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown and was nominated for Wicked.
She has also recorded three albums, sung in concerts and written a book.
"We've worked together many times," said Chancellor John Mauceri, who has frequently collaborated with Chenoweth for productions at the Hollywood Bowl among other events. "I'm glad she's squeezing us in between the million things she's doing. "She's achieved incredible success in just about every medium we have."
Rogers graduated from UNCSA's School of Drama with a bachelor's degree in acting in 1990.
His play White People just ended an off-Broadway run. His other plays include The Overwhelming, Madagascar and Murmuring in a Dead Tongue.
He is currently writing new plays for the National and Lincoln Center theaters.
"He's one of our most successful and wonderful alumni," Mauceri said, "and he's committed to education as well as his creative work as a playwright.
Chenoweth and Rogers will be awarded an honorary doctorate degree.
"We're so happy to have our alumni inspire our kids, and show them there are endless possibilities," Mauceri said.
■ Tim Clodfelter can be reached at 727-7371 or at tclodfelter@wsjournal.com.
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