Idina Menzel took over WeHo Pride in West Hollywood, CA with a free performance to kick off their OutLoud Festival Friday night! Idina debuted several new songs from her upcoming album, Drama Queen, and also performed a few of her iconic songs. Drama Queen songs included “MOVE”, “Beast”, “Paradise” and “Dramatic”. Some videos are on Youtube, so I put together a Youtube playlist!
Idina Menzel, mega-wattage star of Broadway and Disney movie fame, appeared on stage and delivered the most energetic performance of the evening with her new hit “Move,” and simply owning OutLoud.
Catching her breath and refreshing with a bottle of water, the star bantered eloquently: “Thank you for showing up for everyone who couldn’t be here, everyone that’s out there that may be scared, that may not have a voice right now, thank you for showing up.”
“Let’s let them hear our anger and our madness and our frustration,” referring indirectly to the more than 500 antigay bills that are winding their way through state legislatures around the nation.
“We’re going to party in a minute but I just want to say, we’re stuck in this friggin’ outrageous world right now with all this hypocrisy, this cruelty. And I just want to say that I love all of you,” her voice breaking.
“I hope you’ll welcome me into your community; I am an ally for you. I would do anything for you,” she said.
With that Menzel launched into a new song she dedicated to her husband, “all my queer friends, all my trans friends, all my fabulous brothers and sisters.”
Menzel, who has sold dozens of millions of records with chart topping hits like the Oscar winning anthem “Let It Go,” and Wicked’s “Defying Gravity” is serious about her allyship.
The Tony and Obie winning artist recently hosted the GLAAD Media Awards in New York and has a full dance card of Pride event appearances around the world, including Capital Pride in Washington, D.C. on June 11 and London Pride on July 11, 2023. Rumors of a surprise appearance at Pride Island in Manhattan are also circulating.
Her magic held sway over the color splashed, packed audience as she bantered back and forth, the audience taking the lead singing the soaring anthems of her most famous reprises.
“I’ve been in a lot of shows and played a lot of characters,” Menzel said, her voice breaking. “I don’t think you understand how much being here means to me.”
“I don’t think I would even know how to play those roles if it hadn’t been for you. You’ve taught me so much about how to live courageously and live an authentic life,” she declared. “That’s what those characters were all about and that’s what you do all the time for all of us. And you do it in such a beautiful way.”
Continuing, she said, “There’s just so much going on, there’s so much. And you fight through it with so much joy and love and triumph. I want to thank you for all that you do. I wouldn’t have a career,” she said with increasing joy before launching into “Defying Gravity,” letting the audience take over several times while moving the artist to tears.
Aptly, it was that electric moment when it felt as if WeHo Pride soared above the City- it was WeHo Pride’s lift off moment.
The star, who is said to have donated her time to the event, stayed longer than expected, her bond with the audience so obviously intense.
At one point organizers, apparently determined to move the show along, came on stage and reminded her of her time slot. But neither she nor the audience was having it. They demanded she continue and she did, delivering a final and unexpectedly emotional performance of “No Day But Today,” her hit from the musical “Rent.”
She closed with an upbeat new offering and the show moved on to the West Hollywood City Council.
