CLEVELAND, Ohio \u2013 Weeks ahead of her first show with the Cleveland Orchestra in years, Idina Menzel had yet to determine a setlist.<\/p>\n
She wasn\u2019t worried, however. She may not have known at that point exactly which songs she was going to sing, but she knew how she wanted the evening overall to feel<\/i>, and how to bring about that feeling.<\/p>\n
She knew from long experience across Broadway, film, and the recording industry that to leave an impression on Blossom Music Center later this month, she\u2019ll have to put herself out there and sing as if she\u2019s addressing each member of the audience individually.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s no way to move people but to be willing to make yourself vulnerable,\u201d said Menzel, by phone from her home. \u201cThe challenge is feeling like you\u2019re reaching everyone, all the way to the back row. It\u2019s attainable, but it\u2019s got to be really, really good.\u201d<\/p>\n
Luckily for Menzel \u2013 and her listeners \u2013 she\u2019s really good at being really good. She possesses not only tremendous vocal power, more than enough to reach Blossom\u2019s back row and lawn, but also a rare, winning stage presence.<\/p>\n
No matter that her repertoire is as about diverse as can be, running the gamut from her own compositions to highlights from \u201cWicked\u201d and \u201cFrozen.\u201d She\u2019s able to weave both hits and deep tracks into a compelling overview of her life and career with genuinely moving ups and downs.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat I always try to do is tell my story,\u201d Menzel said. \u201cI like to be a storyteller through music. My currency isn\u2019t in any one genre. It\u2019s in me and who I am.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another reason Menzel wasn\u2019t worried about the setlist was the fact that she won\u2019t be going it alone, or even with her usual backup band. She\u2019ll have at her side one of the world\u2019s great orchestras, along with a fellow Broadway veteran: conductor Andy Einhorn, who plans to include on the program the Symphonic Dances from Bernstein\u2019s \u201cWest Side Story.\u201d<\/p>\n
In Menzel\u2019s mind, those two elements \u2013 the orchestra and Einhorn \u2013 make an enormous difference. They transform the evening from a solo act into a collaborative affair and from a purely vocal showcase into a richer, multi-dimensional performance.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s something really beautiful\u201d about working with a conductor, Menzel said. \u201cYou really have to listen to one another, and there\u2019s something about that that I love. It keeps me in the moment. You can\u2019t just phone it in. You really have to connect.\u201d<\/p>\n
Likewise, she added, \u201cThere\u2019s something so glorious about standing in front of an orchestra. It lends an elegance to what we\u2019re doing, and lets me perform the songs in a more classic way. It allows me to really enjoy and celebrate my love for singing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Of course, the main reason Menzel wasn\u2019t stressing over the program was that she already knows the music through and through. All of it. Most of what will make the final cut will be songs she\u2019s been singing from one platform or another for years.<\/p>\n
Rest assured, fans. She\u2019ll sing the hits. She expects to touch on all three of the shows that made (and still make) her famous: \u201cRent,\u201d in which she played Maureen; \u201cWicked,\u201d in which she played Elphaba; and \u201cFrozen,\u201d in which she portrayed Elsa. She\u2019s also likely to include \u201cGlee,\u201d the TV show, in which she played Shelby for three seasons.<\/p>\n
But that\u2019s far from everything. Beyond even her own large catalog, which includes a great deal of original material and cast recordings of less famous shows such as \u201cRedwood\u201d and \u201cIf\/Then,\u201d Menzel has access to virtually the entire world of popular music, including the great American songbook, and an ability to improvise.<\/p>\n
\u201cHopefully people will get to see another side of me,\u201d Menzel said. \u201cPeople used to tell me my versatility was going to be my curse. Now, though, I really embrace the fact that I\u2019m versatile. I just try to remain vulnerable and truthful and authentic.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cVersatile\u201d also applies quite well to Andy Einhorn, Menzel\u2019s partner on stage. He, too, has worked in several capacities across Broadway and classical music, and has worked with any number of major orchestras and star vocalists.<\/p>\n
He, in turn, inspires a certain level of trust in Menzel. Once he and she start a show, Menzel said, \u201cYou\u2019re on a train. There\u2019s a leap of faith that has taken place.\u201d<\/p>\n
Make that a jump or a skip. Anything less than a leap. Indeed, faith is not required.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel confident that I can make any venue anywhere feel like I\u2019m singing in my living room,\u201d she said boldly. \u201cThat\u2019s one thing I feel really<\/i> confident about.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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