Category: Videos

Listen: Idina Menzel Sings “Great Escape” from Redwood

Listen: Idina Menzel Sings “Great Escape” from Redwood

 
Billboard exclusively premiered a live version of “Great Escape” from Idina Menzel’s new musical, REDWOOD! Idina also spoke with them about the show, which has its sights set on Broadway(!!).

“Ever since Rent, I have made it a priority to originate roles and shine a light on new work. It takes lots of patience and fortitude, but there is truly nothing as rewarding as seeing your kernel of an idea fully realized with a group of people you love and admire so deeply.”- Idina Menzel

You can read the full interview on Billboard.com. They also shared some exclusive backstage photos on Instagram:


I got to see the show this past weekend and LOVED it. I posted some non-spoiler thoughts and photos on Instagram. Great Escape was one of my favorite songs and the staging is spectacular. It’s definitely a WOW moment. I was really blown away by the show and how she got to use all the facets of her voice and show not just musical range but also acting range. It’s amazing that the show now exists when it was just an idea in her head years ago. What an accomplishment! All the kudos to her, Tina Landau and Kate Diaz.

REDWOOD is currently running at La Jolla Playhouse until March 31 and though the run is sold out, they do release tickets from time to time, so keep checking back. Check back in a couple of weeks because in April I’ll post a detailed summary of the show for those who weren’t able to see it.

Wicked Celebrates 20th Anniversary!

Idina Menzel attended Wicked’s 20th Anniversary Celebration at the Gershwin Theatre in NYC last night! Idina and Kristin Chenoweth watched the show together in the audience and appeared on stage during the curtain call.

I’ve added lots of photos to the gallery and created a Youtube Playlist for the interviews that pop up.

Red Carpet / The Show

Portraits

Behind The Scenes:  Once Upon a Studio

Behind The Scenes: Once Upon a Studio

 
Disney shared a behind the scenes video of the “Once Upon a Studio” voice actors in the studio! In the short, an all-star ensemble of beloved characters from Walt Disney Animation Studios assemble for a spectacular group photo to mark Disney’s 100th anniversary. The behind the scenes clip above shows Idina Menzel and her Frozen castmates, Kristen Bell and Jonathan Groff recording their lines. Make sure you stick around to the end for another quick sighting of Idina!

If you missed the short’s TV premiere recently, it’s streaming on Disney+ and will also be shown in theaters ahead of the animated film “Wish” in November.

More Proud Mouse / Drama Queen Promo!

Idina Menzel and Cara Mentzel went on what must’ve been an exhausting promo tour to promote PROUD MOUSE last week. They appeared on The View, spoke with D23 and visited many many book stores and schools in New York, New Jersey, Georgia, Florida, Texas, Illinois and California! I added some photos to the gallery:

   

I put together a PROUD MOUSE promo playlist and will add interviews as they pop up.

On a related note, Idina and Cara both signed an open letter condemning book bans and calling for an end to this oppressive attack on artistic freedom:

“It’s on all of us to support all kids against book bans. We must come together and continue to advocate for children of all backgrounds, races, genders and sexual orientations so they know they are loved, valued and that we will stop at nothing to protect their rights.” – Idina Menzel and Cara Mentzel

You can support the cause and sign here!

Idina also had some great podcast conversations that I highly recommend listening to: Armchair Expert (really great one!), Childproof (with Cara!), and On Purpose with Jay Shetty

PROUD MOUSE is out now!!

Idina Menzel and Cara Mentzel’s new children’s book, PROUD MOUSE, is out now! The book is a companion piece to their first children’s book, LOUD MOUSE. The duo stopped by Good Morning America yesterday morning to chat about the book, which focuses on Cara’s character, Cara Lee.

Cara Lee is a proud mouse. She is proud of her big sister Dee. She is proud of her specially decorated journal. And now she’s proud to become what she’s always wanted to be: a student. But her first day of school is different than she imagined. Everyone keeps comparing her to Dee. But who is Cara Lee? When you have a big sister with such a LOUD talent, how can you find room to shine in your own way?

Complete with gorgeous illustrations and filled with humor and heart, Proud Mouse is a clever tale about celebrating the things that make you YOU and having the confidence to stand loud and proud.

Autographed copies are for sale on TalkShopLive or you can buy it wherever books are sold! Idina asked fans to please support them and pick up a copy this week. They’ve also got their book tour this week, so you can meet them, get an autographed book, and/or see them read/sing it! Each event is slightly different but you can get tickets (typically the cost of the book) at the link:

September 13 – Little Shop of Stories Decatur, GA

September 15 – Anderson’s Bookshop Naperville, IL

September 16 – Barnes & Noble Frisco, TX

September 17 – Barnes & Noble, The Grove Los Angeles, CA

They presented the book at Strand Book Store in NYC on Sunday and I was lucky enough to be there! I posted the video on my Youtube channel:

 

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