Idina Menzel Lands Own TV Musical Drama Series for ABC

Deadline.com has just revealed that Broadway darling Idina Menzel will be the star of a new musical drama by Samantha Who? scribe Bob Kushell for ABC.  According to Deadline: "Idina Menzel is headlining her own musical hourlong project, a mother-daughter relationship drama in the vein of Gilmore Girls. It will star the Broadway actress as the single mother of a teenager who, to make ends meet, waits tables and performs at weddings and bar mitzvahs, odd jobs that Menzel herself worked early on while pursuing a Broadway career."

Kushnell is executive producing the project alongside David Knoller (Big Love). Additional producers are Menzel and her manager, Heather Reynolds. The series will premiere next fall.

Idina Menzel won a Tony for Best Actress for her role as Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, in the original production of 'Wicked' on Broadway (she originated the role in 2003 in San Francisco before Wicked's Broadway run). Prior to her appearance in 'Wicked', she originated the role of Maureen in 'Rent' on Broadway, and was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. Following Wicked, Menzel appeared off-Broadway in The Public Theater's production of 'See What I Wanna See', for which she received Drama Desk Award and Drama League Award nominations. She also appeared Off-Broadway in 'The Wild Party'. Film credits include the role reprisal of Maureen in the film adaptation of 'Rent', the Oscar-nominated fable 'Enchanted', and Robert Towne's 'Ask The Dust'. She went on to reprise her role as Elphaba in the West End production of 'Wicked' at London's Apollo Victoria Theater in 2006. Menzel has released three solo albums, the latest of which is 'I Stand', produced by Glen Ballard. Currently, Menzel guest stars on the TV series GLEE.

Photo Credit: Monica Simoes