BWW Interviews: Idina Menzel Chats London Concerts and Returning to Broadway

Idina Menzel reached superstardom on Broadway with her Tony Award-winning performance as Elphaba, the misunderstood green girl, in the blockbuster Wicked and in her Tony-nominated role as Maureen in the revolutionary musical Rent. Her other credits include two Drama Desk nominations for her roles in The Wild Party and See What I Wanna See at The Public Theatre. Menzel has also appeared on Broadway in Funny Girl and Off-Broadway in The Vagina Monologues, the 2011 Encores! and the 2004 Actors' Fund Hair concerts. In 2006, she opened and reprised her starring role in Wicked on the West End.

Her film credits include starring roles in the Disney romantic fable, Enchanted, Rent and Robert Towne's Ask The Dust. She has also guest starred on FOX's hit television series Glee, as Shelby Corcoran, Rachel's biological mother. The multi-talented actress recently chatted with BWW about her upcoming London concert tour as well as a possible return to Broadway.  

Last year you performed at London's grand Royal Albert Hall while this year you'll return to play smaller, more intimate venues. Do you have a preference?

Well Royal Albert Hall is a very special place. To come to London, which is one of my most favorite cities in the whole world, and to play there was a real honor and milestone for me. It's very grand and very beautiful. This will be seven shows at smaller theaters, which can be just as much fun because it's more intimate and it's sort of like doing a week at the West End. It's really like apples and oranges and I am equally excited by both situations.

I understand you'll be performing some new material in the upcoming shows.

Yeah, I'm always changing it up because I'm perpetually touring so I want to keep things fresh. I changed a bunch of things and kept some of the staples, but I try to keep it moving and put in some new songs that I'm excited about. And some new arrangements.

Do you find there are differences between U.S. and British audiences?

You know I always think about that. When I lived in London when I did Wicked there, everyone told me the audiences might be much more reserved, but I found it was completely the opposite. They jumped to their feet sooner, even more enthusiastically than the New York audiences did and they were just as warm and as enthusiastic and supportive as New York. So it was really a pleasant surprise for me. Especially when you're away from home, to have people be so supportive of you is almost more impactful for me because you can't believe that you're across an ocean and people know about you and care about you.

Your recent 'Barefoot at the Symphony' tour featured the legendary composer and conductor Marvin Hamlisch. In an interview with BroadwayWorld last year you shared that you learned so much from working with him. What are the most important things he taught you?

The most significant thing about my professional relationship with Marvin was the license he gave me to really just be myself. Because I was constantly performing with these big symphonies and orchestras and I would occasionally second guess myself as to how broad and how formal I had to be to sort of fit in with the surroundings. And he always encouraged me to just be myself and just because there was a huge orchestra behind me didn't mean that I couldn't be as intimate or as crass or as personable with the audience. He always made me feel that what I was doing was okay.

Will there be a tribute to him in your shows?

Yes, there will be.

What are some of the things that inspire you as a songwriter?

I would say just daily life and trying to sort out what I'm experiencing at a given time. A lot of soul searching... it's hard to explain. I actually haven't been in songwriting mode lately, I'm wearing a different hat - I'm in performance mode. I feel like I'm out of touch with that a little bit. Perhaps exploring an emotion or an experience that I'm not really as comfortable talking about as I am writing about it.

Speaking of all the different hats you wear, are all the aspects of your career equally important to you?

Yes, they are all equally as important. Having so many different sides of the spectrum gives me balance. Performing live on stage is such a community, whether it's my musicians or a cast of a show that I'm in. And then when you're in the studio or on set, it's a much more solitary experience. Both can serve me at different times in my life. And when I go back and forth from one to the other it helps me appreciate all of them much better.

So when you're concentrating on one, you're not missing the others?

No. Usually I'm pretty myopic. It's hard for me to multi-task so to speak. If I'm in a show and I'm creating a character, I'm just completely into that. It's really hard for me to do anything else like write music. I have to sort of shut down different sides of my head and just focus. Some people could do it easily, I have a hard time. So when I'm in performance mode, I'm in performance mode and it's about keeping myself healthy and my endurance strong, getting to the stage every night and being able to do a great job. So it's about only focusing on one thing at a time. So no, I don't tend to miss things when I'm not doing them. I will say though that overall, the need to perform live in front of an audience is something I would miss first.

More than working in front of a camera.

It's like I don't miss it until I do it and then I'm like, 'why did I wait so long to get up here?'

Is there a dream role in a revival that would possibly lure you back to Broadway?

Not of a revival. I like to originate roles and be in the early development stages with shows. It's been successful with me before and it's a process that I respect and admire and love so much. To be welcomed into the secret space of these composers and writers while they're creating these shows. It makes my job easier but it's also just an honor to be there and I just love that whole process. I'm not saying I wouldn't do a revival but that's where I'm putting my energy in, finding the right new character.

Any plans to reprise your role on 'Glee'?

I don't know. You know I would love to. I love the show. They take the story lines in all different directions and you're never quite sure where they're going. I had a wonderful time and hopefully I'd love to get back there but we'll see.

And finally I was wondering, will your shoes stay on for these upcoming concerts?

No they will not! (laughing) It's much more comfortable without them. In fact, I wore high heels this morning in London on a morning show called 'This Morning' that I was filming. I was singing and I wore a pretty dress with high heels and I forgot to rehearse in the high heels and I hadn't been in high heels for, I can't remember how long, and I felt so unsturdy and so uncomfortable. The lights went out and I felt a little wobbly!

When did you first realize you preferred to perform barefoot?

About a year and half ago I was down in Florida with my son and we had been traveling on planes and dealing with strollers and car seats and the whole thing and I was in a lot of pain in my back and I didn't know how I was going to be able to get up there and sing those high notes. So I just said, 'forget it' and I wound up having this great show and had so much fun and I realized that I moved around the stage differently than I had before and I said, 'I'm going to stick with this!'

Well best of luck with the upcoming concerts and hopefully we will be seeing you back on Broadway soon.

You will - I just hope it's sooner rather than later!

Idina Menzel is in concert at the Apollo Theatre London from 8 – 14 October, Usher Hall Edinburgh on 16 October and the Palace Theatre Manchester on Weds 17 October. Her new album ‘Live: Barefoot at the Symphony’ is available now and the DVD is out 8th October www.idinauk.com.