Chatting ‘Wicked,’ ‘Frozen 3,’ ‘Rent’ and more ahead of her ‘Take Me Or Leave Me Tour’
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Idina Menzel has had many patrons under a spell since she played Maureen Johnson in the musical Rent in 1996. Her powerful voice, demanding stage presence and proud identity as a feminist have captivated audiences for decades.
Though Rent was Menzel’s first professional job, audiences may know the Tony-winning actor from her spellbinding role as Elphaba in Wicked, Elsa in the soon-to-be trilogy Frozen and many others.
“I believe that every character that comes into our lives as performers is there to teach us something about ourselves and something we need to learn in our own lives,” shares Menzel.
Menzel’s next role that transcended the deep theatre world was Elphaba in Wicked, which she debuted in 2003. Wicked has remained on Broadway since its opening and is currently making headlines as the two-part movie version is set to be released later this year and in 2025.
It’s hard not to see the parallels between the green-skinned witch and blonde-plaited princess Elsa, in Frozen. However, Menzel no longer needed to fear water, unless frozen. Menzel played Elsa, a Disney princess with powers that needed to be harnessed. This was when Menzel went way beyond the stage and into the living rooms of parents everywhere.
Menzel has had many great successes beyond her most defining roles, but below we cover some of those big hits while getting to know a bit more about the Broadway belter.
Q&A with Idina Menzel
Rent
Q: What resonates most from your Rent days?
A: That’s a very rich, full time in my life. That’s not a simple answer. It was my first professional job so it was a magical time. It was daunting. It was bittersweet and it was exciting. It was a dream come true. I had been a little girl growing up in Long Island wanting to be on Broadway and having that come to fruition.
What resonates the most is just the cast, the family that we made. On stage and backstage with one another, our commitment to doing the best job we possibly could to honour Jonathan Larson.
Q: What’s one thing about Jonathan Larson that doesn’t get enough attention?
Wicked
Q: What is your biggest takeaway from debuting and playing Elphaba in Wicked?
A: I believe that every character that comes into our lives as performers is there in order to teach us something about ourselves and something we need to learn in our own lives as well as the characters’ lives. Elphaba had to learn how to harness her power and love and appreciate that about herself. I had to do the same as a performer, as a woman, to recognize that I had all this fire and ferocity and power and that I didn’t need to be afraid of it. But if I just embraced it, people would really see me for who I am and in the best light.
Q: With the Wicked movie coming this fall, what do you think differentiates stage-to-screen successes vs. flops?
A: You’re talking to someone who has her original musical coming to Broadway [I mentioned I think too many musicals these days are remakes from popular movies], which I’m very proud of. That’s all in the directors’ vision. There are some iconic movie musicals that have done it all right and then some that haven’t worked. It’s really hard to put your finger on it. It’s hard sometimes to transfer people singing their feelings in a scene onto a camera close-up in their faces.
Frozen
Q: What do you hope is next for Elsa in Frozen 3?
A: I just want her to be happy. I’d like her to have more joy in her life, more adventure, more bonding time with her sister.
Screen
Q: How did you start collaborating with Adam Sandler? What’s it like to work on films with him?
Solo career
Q: In one of your interviews, you mentioned something about being influenced by Alanis Morissette — do you mind speaking to this?
A: She’s been a huge inspiration to me. I love her honesty in her lyrics, melodies and songwriting.
How I write music is different in every collaboration. Some things come from me and some from the musician collaborator and working with chord progression. It all changes when writing for theatre, which is a different kind of beast. When I’m writing my own music, I can write from my own stories, but writing from a specific character is a different skill.
Q: What’s the most exciting and toughest aspect of getting ready and heading on tour?
A: The pressure that I put on myself to want the show to be incredible, to want to challenge myself and my musicians who’ve been with me for many years. Getting better to try new things without changing certain songs that people want to hear a certain way. How to keep myself challenged and fresh while also giving people what they want to hear. How to put together a set and a show that feels authentic and intimate, no matter the size of the venue.
Fast-fire questions
Q: Go-to snacks on tour?
A: Bagel and a Diet Coke.
Q: What do you think is the most underrated song from your solo music?
A: It’s not underrated, it’s just, has anyone ever even heard it? I’m going to do a couple of things from my old album.
rmann@postmedia.com