Broadway legend Kristen Chenoweth brutally slammed by viewers for 'worst National Anthem ever' at major basketball game
Tony-award nominee and Broadway star Kristen Chenoweth surprised fans with her rendition of the National Anthem ahead of an NBA game between Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers.
You might be familiar with Ariana Grande in the role of Glinda in the hit musical Wicked, but before the pop star took on the role for Hollywood, it was Chenoweth who originated the character on stage.
Chenoweth has since gone on to appear in a number of other shows as well as securing movie roles, but she took on a different kind of audience when she stepped out in front of the crowd before Game 7 at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma on June 22.
Faced with thousands of NBA fans, Chenoweth proceeded to sing the National Anthem and showed off her voice with some strong notes - but not everyone was impressed.
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The familiar tune started off fairly typically, but when the Broadway star hit the 'land of the free' line, she stretched her vocal chords and hit a lengthy high note that prompted applause from the arena.
The ability to hit such a note without shattering windows is definitely something to envy, but some viewers felt there was no need for it during the National Anthem.
After Chenoweth concluded her performance, one critic commented: "This is the worst National Anthem I ever heard."
A second viewer agreed, writing: "Game 7 of the NBA finals for probably the worst national anthem of all time. #pacersin7."
A third added: "Terrible national anthem for a game 7."
As we've probably all learned by now though, it's impossible to please everyone, and other viewers had much more positive responses to Chenoweth's performance.
"WOW SHE GOT PIPES," one impressed user wrote on Twitter, while another fan hit back at the critics by writing: "The best National Anthem ever!!!"
One fan wished to see more of Chenoweth, writing: "She is a fantastic singer. I wish they would ask her to do this often."
As well as being a Broadway legend, Chenoweth is a dedicated fan of the Oklahoma City Thunder team.
Ahead of her appearance at Game 7, she told the Times Colonist: “I never miss a game unless I’m on stage."
After her performance, Chenoweth stuck around to watch her team beat the Pacers with a score of 103-91, and took to her Instagram Story to celebrate the win with her followers, saying: "We did it! Yay!"
Emily Brown