Singer and Tony Award-winning actress Idina Menzel has announced that she will return to the road in April for a series of 2010 shows with major symphony orchestras across the country. Menzel will be performing a diverse repertoire of classic pop, musical theater favorites (including hits from Wicked and Rent), and songs from I Stand, her debut album for Warner Bros. Records. “I’m really looking forward to getting back on stage in this new arena. There’s something so magical about singing in front of an orchestra. I can’t wait to mix up my repertoire and experiment with my album material in this new context.”

Tour stops include three shows at Boston’s Symphony Hall with the Boston Pops, which includes a special cameo appearance on the opening night of the season, as well as an appearance at Wolftrap in Washington DC with the National Symphony Orchestra conducted by legendary composer Marvin Hamlisch. All confirmed dates are below with more to be announced.

Menzel and her rich, soaring voice first came to public attention thanks to her knock-out turns in the blockbuster musicals Rent and Wicked, for which she won a Tony Award for Lead Actress in a Musical. In 2008, Menzel released I Stand, a mix of powerhouse pop tunes and touching balladry she had written, including “Brave,” which was hailed by Billboard as “ascending to the stratosphere, amid gratifying skyscraping production.”

As an actress, Menzel appeared opposite Patrick Dempsey in the Disney hit Enchanted, as well as in a recurring role on ABC’s Private Practice. This spring she joins the cast of the Fox juggernaut Glee playing the coach of rival glee club Vocal Adrenaline.

-BroadwayWorld.com

NOTE: A new show has been announced! Idina will play the Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa, California on November 7! Watch our Twitter or IdinaMenzel.com for presales and on-sale ticketing information!

Friday was a busy day on the Idina front, so let’s dive right in, shall we?

Firstly, the first [unofficial] photo of Idina on the set of FOX’s Glee has been revealed! Click on it to view larger in the gallery. Idina’s first episode airs when Glee returns April 13.

Secondly, Idina & Taye have filmed a segment for children’s television classic, Sesame Street. While we do not yet know the air date, E! News was on set and briefly talked to the happy parents. You can watch the video below.

And finally, Taye appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show to talk about being a father and brought with him an adorable new photo of 6-month-old Walker Diggs.

You can watch the video (internationally, too!) by clicking here. p.s. All this news was first shared on our Twitter page, so make sure you’re following to get the best news first!

Several more concert dates have been added to Idina’s spring (and now summer & fall) performance schedule! Ticket onsale dates, potential presales, meet & greets, etc. will be announced at a later date. Idina’s schedule now looks like this:

04/24/10 – Jacksonville, FL – Metropolitan Park – ON SALE NOW!
05/04/10 – Boston, MA – Boston Pops – ON SALE NOW!
05/05/10 – Boston, MA – Boston Pops – ON SALE NOW!
05/06/10 – Boston, MA – Boston Pops – ON SALE NOW!
06/24/10 – Philadelphia, PA – Mann Center
07/02/10 – Lenox, MA – Tanglewood Music Center – ON SALE NOW!
07/09/10 – San Francisco, CA – Davies Symphony Hall – ON SALE NOW!
07/17/10 – Washington, DC – Wolf Trap – ON SALE NOW!
07/31/10 – Bethel, NY – Bethel Woods Center for the Arts on sale March 22
08/01/10 – Hyannis, MA – Hyannis Village Green – ON SALE NOW!
11/05/10 – Denver, CO – Boettcher Concert Hall
11/19/10 – Minneapolis, MN – Orchestra Hall – on sale July 9

Additional dates and information will be shared when it becomes available, or visit IdinaMenzel.com for more info. All performances will be backed by local symphonies/orchestras. Pretty cool!