I read my Bible and I pray and all of that. I really do. But at the same time, I don't think being gay is a sin. Period.

You will have the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, just remember to always handle yourself with grace and dignity.

If you can learn to love yourself and all the flaws, you can love other people so much better. And that makes you so happy.

I'm very, very sad to say that the only Sondheim show I've done is "A Little Night Music" and it was when I was in college.

I've got to include things like "I've Got A Crush On You," and put my stamp on it with the (openly gay) saxophonist Dave Koz.

You've got to find ways to breathe while you're dancing so that when it comes time for you to stop and sing again, you have it.

The thing is, I would need the right producer [for dance-music album ], right? "Calling all dance music producers! I'm available.

New York. It's home to opera, Broadway, museums, the ballet and orchestra - everything that I love. The most real people in the world live there.

Some relationships aren't meant to be Great Love; they're meant to be like a hot fudge sundae--enjoyable but not something you can acually live on.

It's good to learn early that every show is a family - -complete with dysfunctional relationships, tough love, and plenty of occasion for forgiveness.

I love live theater; I like the relationship between the show and the audience. That's my comfort zone, but more than anything, it's what makes me happy.

You go in and record and sing them some and you go back in and rerecord and sing them some more. That's kind of how I did this album [The Art of Elegance].

They had me all happy, singing. It was very awkward. I think the writers are frantically planning something appropriate to honor him, but we don't know what.

The lasting legacy of the Cooter Smash is that I'm the first to know when it's going to rain. That's right. I both sing and predict the weather with my hoo hoo.

I'm sick of people who've never been to church telling me that church is full of hypocrites, and people who've never read the Bible telling me that it's baloney.

Make no mistake, I am a Christian and I believe in God and I don't believe he makes mistakes, so I believe that being gay is not a sin and in fact it's how you're made.

I started cutting my teeth on "Someone To Watch Over Me" [George Gershvin] in the college. I've sung that one for a while. There's something so simple and sweet about that lyric.

I used to want to be tall, and then I thought, 'If I were tall, then people would say I was pretty and not cute.' And then I realized that there are worse things than being called cute.

And I do - make no mistake, I am a Christian and I believe in God, and I don't believe he makes mistakes. So I don't believe that being gay is not a sin, and in fact it's how you're made.

I love London because of the history. The times I've been there have been some of the best memories in my life. Singing there, seeing great theater - and the people like a Southern accent.

I was on the cheerleading squad and drama and the choir, but I was friends with everybody. I was not a partier. I was too Type A and crazy about my grades, but I was still there at everything.

Not everyone is going to like what you do or what you have to offer; however, if you can't see yourself doing anything else, and you have the drive and ambition, get the training and go for it.

Not everyone is going to like what you do or what you have to offer. However, if you can’t see yourself doing anything else, and you have the drive and ambition, get the training and go for it.

All my life, I'd been on the receiving end of my mother's endless tenderness and vigilant care. Being allowed to care for her during her recovery was a gift – the most rewarding experience in my life.

"I Get Along Without You Very Well" is not as well-known. It's complicated. First of all, it's range-y. It's not necessarily an easy sing. It's also deep. A lot of times people just don't want to go there.

As far as what made it on there [The Art of Elegance record], it was tough. It's probably one or two songs too long, but I just couldn't (cut any more). That's what I ended up with. I'm really proud of it.

I'm an actress and a singer and I'm also a Christian. We're not all crazy right-wingers. I just want to be like Jesus, forgiving and loving and nonjudgmental, accepting of everyone even if they don't agree.

I'm trying to learn, as I'm in my 40s, to embrace what I've been able to achieve and be proud of it. And I know there's roles that I will want to play before I die, but I'm still just taking one day at a time.

I want people to understand that there is a group of Christians out there who want to be more open and understanding and tolerant and loving of all kinds of people, even the people that don't believe in God at all.

Lots of these songs I hadn't performed, but I've always wanted to. These are songs that I wanted to get in my wheelhouse. I sang them over and over and over and over again. Of course, I've fallen in love with them all.

I'm trying to learn, as I'm in my 40s, to embrace what I've been able to achieve and be proud of it. And I know there's roles that I will want to play before I die but, you know, I'm still just taking one day at a time.

Before I got Madeline, I used to see dog people who were so obsessed, and I'd think, Oh, that's so sad. But now, here I am, talking about her all the time. I even dress her up in little outfits; I'm madly in love with her.

After 9/11, I was like many people in New York City and got a little depressed. I began to check myself into The Waldorf Astoria for room service, movies and just to chill. I wanted to contribute to the great city of Manhattan.

There might be two or three songs I'm trying out. I've been singing these songs (on the new album) in the studio, but I haven't really done them live. It's intimate to sing them in a studio. Now, I've got to be on a stage and be in front of a lot of people.

You've got to find ways to breathe while you're dancing so that when it comes time for you to stop and sing again, you have it. To prepare, I do a lot of aerobic activity. Many times at the gym, people will look at me because I'll be on the treadmill humming.

Broadway is such a diverse community. Everybody knows how I believe, and everyone believes, and it's not a big deal. But in Hollywood, if you talk about politics - especially if you're a Republican - or spirituality, it's just not something people want to hear about.

I just want to say, that if Jesus were alive, what would he be doing? Well, he would probably be accepting and loving people how they're made. And I always say this and it's really the truth. If being 4'11 was a sin, what would I do? Well, I could wear heels and I could add a wig.

I auditioned for a solo in church and got it. I was about seven and I sang a song called, 'Jesus, I Heard You Had a Big House' and I remember people standing up at the end and me thinking, 'Oh, I think I'm going to like this.' That's how it all began. Sounds funny to say you got your start in church, but I did.

A lot of kids are bullied because of their sexuality, and that breaks my heart, because they're going to have to - high school's hard enough to overcome. Middle school is hard enough to overcome when we get out of it. They say life is what you spend your time getting over because of high school, you know what I mean?

I'm a very controversial figure in the Christian world. I don't believe if you're gay or you have a drink or you dance, you're going to hell. I don't think that's the kind of God we have. The Pat Robertsons and Jerry Falwells of the world are scary. I want to be a Christian like Christ - loving and accepting of other people.

I think... you know, collaboration, in general - no matter movies, television or Broadway - is offering of what you can bring to the table and also fighting what you think the important battles are. Not everything is going to make it in there. Not everything is going to work. You have to collaborate. And you have to be a good listener.

A professionally trained actress should be a better liar, wouldn't you think? But no. I am pathetically underachieved in that area. I can think of a great lie. I'm plenty imaginative. But before the words are even out of my mouth, there's a weird tickle of unease in my armpits, a horsefly of guilt lands on the back of my neck, and before I can stop myself, that gassy little bubble of truth belches out.

I am a Christian and I don't want there to be any confusion about what I believe or who I am. I don't believe gay people are going to hell. I believe that judgment is left to the one upstairs and I believe Jesus is all about love. If I can live my life even just a smidgen the way God made his son for us as an example, I'm happy. I do not judge other people for what they believe, but for me, this is what works.

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