Actors are gypsies who rarely get to choose their own career paths. But Idina Menzel, hero to theater geeks and “Gleeks” worldwide, thinks it’s no accident that her journey has led her from pop-culture landmarks “Rent” to “Wicked” to TV’s “Glee.” “They all focus on the underdog, the […]
Idina Menzel has decided to ditch her killer Christian Louboutin and Jimmy Choo heels for her concerts. The singer-actress will perform barefoot at the Royal Albert Hall in October, accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Marvin Hamlisch. ‘It really grounds you,’ she says. ‘I feel more […]
Today, we have perhaps the biggest Broadway star of the modern era, having appeared in the three most iconic theatre-related enterprises in entertainment in each of the last three decades, having lead roles in the original casts of Jonathan Larson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning 1996 rock musical RENT, a Best […]
You are judging the best performance of The Sound of Music’s “My Favorite Things.” What are some of your favorite things? My son Walker is my favorite person in the entire world. Of course, my husband is also very special. I love sushi and going to see movies. […]
There was quite an electric, palpable excitement crackling in the huge 3,000-plus-seat Segerstrom Hall on this particular Sunday afternoon. The largest venue within the Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa, this stage is used to Broadway-caliber talent wowing its audience, since it usually plays host to […]
Here’s a good question for local Gleeks: what Broadway diva could fill up 3,000-seat Segerstrom Hall for a simple cabaret show? Hints: – She’s hard to recognize when she’s not painted green. – Hordes of young female fans could be overheard talking about “Glee” outside the Orange County […]
Most Broadway stars are lucky enough to be associated with one iconic role early in their careers. Idina Menzel owns two: Maureen, the feisty performance artist in “Rent,” and Elphaba, the very green, very misunderstood teen whose adventures in Oz are the subject of “Wicked.” The actress originated […]
It’s been several years since Idina Menzel donned the green body paint and pointy black hat of her Tony-winning role as Elphaba in ‘Wicked,’ but it seems like she’s never too far away from the misunderstood heroine. Menzel plans to perform a few of her best-known songs from […]
Tony Award-winning actress Idina Menzel opens the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra season with three performances September 24th through September 26th. Ms. Menzel will perform a diverse repertoire of classic pop, musical theater favorites (including hits from Wicked and Rent) as well as songs from her album, I Stand. Ms. Menzel […]
In 1998, Idina Menzel made her Cincinnati debut performing with the Lilith Fair tour and promoting her first solo album, “Still I Can’t Be Still.” This past weekend, she returned to Cincinnati for another debut. This time, she opened the new season of the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra. And […]
Idina Menzel has the actor’s disease: Though she enjoyed huge success in the original Broadway casts of Rent and Wicked – and now on the hotter-than-hot Fox series Glee – she’s haunted by the possibility of never working again. That notion was particularly intense after the 2009 birth […]
On Big Breaks… “First big break—hard to say. Could be Mabel in ‘The Pirates of Penzance,’ 4th grade, Baylis Elementary School, where I discovered the warmth and exhilaration of the spotlight. Or perhaps getting hired as a professional wedding/bar mitzvah singer at the age of 15 for Tony […]
Idina Menzel is stepping into the style game. The Broadway icon, 50, has launched her very own clothing line, a collection of fashionable yet easy-to-wear pieces called Encore. Speaking with PEOPLE, Menzel says that she “never really saw myself as a very fashion kind of girl,” but the […]
Idina Menzel is about to break out in a new role. Best known for playing roles like Elphaba in “Wicked,” and Maureen in “Rent,” as well as voicing Elsa, the ice queen, in the “Frozen” movies, the actress and singer has designed a sportswear collection called Encore by […]
Broadway veteran Idina Menzel has a gorgeous, soaring voice, starring roles in two wildly successful shows – as Elphaba in “Wicked” and as Maureen in “Rent” – under her belt, a budding film career and a celebrity hubby (actor Taye Diggs). The Tony award-winning performer also possesses one […]