Wicked is known for "tweens" making up a large percentage of the audience. However, I Stand feels like a more "mature" album. Was that intentional?
I didn't set out to do anything but try to be true to myself and be "in the moment" and work with Glen...and to just kind of sing and write about my experiences and my life.
I find that the young theater fans that I've attracted from Rent and Wicked are very sophisticated, very intelligent people and so I just did my own thing, and all I wanted to be sure that I did was use my range and my music and use all the emotion and expression that I have in my voice. I think that's sort of the common denominator in singing and in the theater...and that way, I thought I would maintain my theater audience without alienating them and also make some new friends.
Those new friends will be joining a legion of existing ones both online and off...
It's a huge variety of an audience. It's young, it's young kids, it's kids out of college, it's a gay audience, and it's their parents and the regular theater crowd. I kind of recognize how unique it is and how fortunate I am, and I feel a tremendous responsibility to my fans and that made the job even harder, through the week, because you never want to miss a show...you never want somebody from Nebraska coming to see you and you're not there.
I remember one day actually having had a stomach virus and I was throwing up 1/2 hour before the show, but then you get out there and you may not give your best show or reach your highest notes...but I just found it to be so important to be there. I got to know some of these younger people and how much they connected with me and the music and the story and Kristin (Chenoweth) and you don't get an opportunity like that very often...and I feel fortunate enough to have had 2 of those types of shows in my career so far and so it's really important that I don't alienate my theatrical audience. I just hope that they'll sort of take this little ride with me and let me make this little departure.
Do you ever see yourself donning the green makeup again?
Well, I went back already, I went back to the West End and did it in London. I went a year and a half after I left New York, I went back, I went to London and did it and that was one of the best experiences of my life. I completely fell in love with the city and the people. I made friends for life there. I loved re-discovering the role, having had a little bit more experience and a little bit more confidence gave me the freedom to try new things with the role. So as an actress, it was completely liberating and then what it did was it gave me a lot of inspiration to come home and write some more songs.
As to going back to the show again, you never know. But, for now, I've done it twice and as an artist you've got to keep yourself moving and challenged in order to get better and better at what you do. And .. but it will always be in my blood and I will always come out to support that show. It's changed my life.
Speaking of other new projects, what was the Enchanted experience like for you?
That was great. It was the first time I was offered a role. I know it might sound funny to some people but most of us have to audition for everything that we get and to actually be offered something…(laughs) it's such a relief! That was really exciting to me. And then to be quite honest, everyone expected me to sing, but I read the script and the character didn't sing and I was kind of honored that someone was hiring me for my acting chops without me being a singer!
So, it was kind of nice, and it was great to work with Patrick Dempsey and James Marsden and learn how to waltz with them and be around Susan Sarandon, who I idolize -- it was an incredible experience.
It must have been a treat to see yourself animated as well!
Yeah, it's a milestone to be in a Disney film, and then actually be animated as well...that I can show my kids one day and it's like the first Jewish American Princess Disney movie!
What's coming up next for you?
I'm rehearsing my band and we're doing "in-stores" and a lot of promotion (for the record) and then we'll hopefully be heading toward a tour...not sure exactly when. The time's got to be right and the need for it be out there. But I'm so excited to have this time to focus on this one thing and sort of pour my whole heart into it. I'm not great at multi-tasking, so when I do one thing...I like to do it 100%. I have a lot of support from my "peeps" on my side saying, do this, go for it, don't worry about anything else right now. And so I'm really enjoying it.
With these accomplishments in music and film...Are you still considering yourself a New Yorker or are you now basing yourself out of LA?
We have a home here in New York and we're renting some place out in L.A., because Taye's got a T.V. show, so we've been out there a lot. But right now I'm in New York because of the promotion and it's kind of nice to go back and forth. I saw a little snow yesterday which is great because I was getting tired of the same sunny weather every single day in Los Angeles.
That's funny, most New Yorkers would probably tell you they'd rather be in Los Angeles! It was announced a few weeks back that Rent would be closing this summer. What was your reaction about hearing the news?
I felt great sadness. I certainly didn't see it coming, but I wasn't thinking about it either and then when I heard about it...it really made my heart kind of sink and I realized just how much that show meant to me. I met my husband in that show and I made all of those friends...and I knew Jonathan Larsen who gave us a foundation to work from. I feel, for the rest of my life.
The idea that life is so precious and you have to embrace the moment and I feel like ever since that time when we would get up on stage and sing his lyrics every night to new audiences, while he was not there to share it was a gift and something that I try to remember when things are getting crazy and lots of great stuff is happening. I try to enjoy it while it's going on and not lose sight of it and keep grounded.
Thinking forward to more theatre, are there roles from the "classic canon" that you'd love to take on someday?
I've been lucky enough to originate roles which I think is such an honor. And I'm very lucky to have that, so I'm constantly looking for new things. You know, I would love to play Funny Girl or Evita, but I idolize the women who have played those parts. I don't know if there needs to be another version of those shows (laughs).
I'm always searching for something brand new and I love being a part of the developmental process of a new musical. I love being involved with it 3 years earlier and standing at the piano with the composer and then adapting and sculpting ideas to your voice and your keys and your personality. There's something so special about that and if I'm lucky enough to kind of have another experience like that, then that's what I would choose to do.
You will be playing the part of Florence in Chess in Concert, (in London with Josh Groban, Adam Pascal and Kerry Ellis), is that right?
Yes. I'm very excited about that. First of all to get back to London and see my friends. And to be on stage with Josh is very exciting for me and he's a really terrific guy. I'm excited that the music is beautiful and it's going to be a challenge because you only have a couple of days to rehearse and then you're up there running. But I think it'll be a lot of fun.
How familiar with the show are you (or were you before being offered the part) ?
I had heard a lot of it in the past, I remember when I used to take classes at NYU, a lot of people used to sing from Chess, but that's really all I have, experience wise...I never got to see it. So I was doing a lot of research and seeing what I find on YouTube. I kind of get my feet wet with it and do some homework. But it's really hard because this week is so busy. But give myself a couple weeks, get the album out and then I'll sit home and do my homework.
Thanks so much for doing this interview. If there's one thing that you'd like people to come away with after listening to the album, what would that be?
I'm constantly trying to work on the person that I am and work on my shortcomings and I guess I want people to know that it's ok to be a work in progress, as long as you keep trying to figure it out. But that search and that discovery is what makes life kind of rich and it's what makes life rich...period.
I also want to thank my audience for coming on this journey and understanding that this is an expression of who I am at this point in time. I am so grateful to the fans for their support and that I hope they'll sort of give me this chance to kind of explore this different direction and know that I'm coming back to the stage as soon as I get a chance!
For more information on Idina Menzel, click here to visit her official web site. To purchase I Stand, click here.
