Arts & Entertainment

Flying Solo

Wicked's Idina Menzel lands at Detroit's Gem Theatre for concert in support of her new CD.

Suzanne Chessler
Special to the Jewish News

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roadway star Idina Menzel
has a new recording to intro
duce, and she's doing that
through a concert tour that brings her
Jewish roots into the show.
Menzel, traveling by bus with musi-
cians and background singers, stops
Thursday evening, Aug. 7, at the Gem
Theatre in Detroit, where she will sing
and tell about I Stand (Warner Bros.
Records), recall her stage hits and do
a piece that relates the biblical story o f
Deborah.
"The show is very personal, eclec-
tic, fun and often spontaneous," says
Menzel, 37, a Tony Award winner for
her role as Elphaba, the green-skinned
future Wicked Witch of the West in the
Broadway musical Wicked.
"I co-wrote the nine songs on the
new album, and they are very close to
me. I'm most proud of the song 'My
Own Worst Enemy' because it relates
to things that I struggle with in my
own life.
"It's not that I've had horrible things
happen to me; ifs that my mind can
get in the way of living life in the
moment. I tend to be really hard on
myself"
Menzel worked on the album with
Grammy-winning producer Glen
Ballard, who collaborated on pop
tunes and ballads telling stories of
challenges and love. While the title
song is about trying to understand
oneself, "Gorgeous" sends a hopeful
and uplifting message about relation-
Idina Menzel: "I love doing TV and film, but if I had to choose only one setting, it would
ships not readily accepted by others.
have to be stage."
"I've rethought the songs from the
shows I've been in and put them into
the context of the rest of the music;' says
also was a poet, judge, general and singer.
While working on her bachelor's degree
Menzel, who also appeared in the original
"As I was working on the prayer, I
in drama at New York University, she per-
cast of Rent. "The piece about Deborah has found myself thinking more about my
formed with rock bands and continued
to do with my sister, a teacher and single
sister because she's been through a lot;'
her party singing.
mom who is extremely smart, articulate
explains Menzel, who describes herself
Menzel's role as Maureen, the outspoken
and compassionate. We're very close, and
as having a tremendous cultural connec-
bi-sexual performance artist in Rent, came
she's as supportive of me as I am of het"
tion to Judaism. "I made a parallel, and it's in 1995 and brought her first Tony nomi-
Menzel decided to include a prayer
become a piece that's very special to me'
nation and an introduction to her hus-
and perhaps atone for disappointing her
Menzel, who grew up on Long Island,
band, cast mate Taye Diggs, who starred
family by quitting Hebrew school. While
N.Y., always enjoyed singing. As a teen,
as Rent landlord Benny. Married since
looking for a prayer that she could make
she entertained at weddings and bar mitz- 2003, Menzel and Diggs, who is African-
contemporary with music, she was sent in vahs and developed a huge repertoire that
American, have a Yorkie named Sammy
the direction of Deborah, a prophet who
included rock, jazz and Motown numbers. Davis Jr.

Menzel joined the cast of Wicked in
2003 and sang the show-stopping num-
ber "Defying Gravity" Film credits include
Enchanted, Rent and Ask the Dust.
"On the road doing my own concerts
requires a lot of endurance, but being in
front of a live audience fuels me says
Menzel, who is onstage nearly two hours
with two backup singers and musicians
on bass, drums, guitar and keyboard. "I
love doing TV and film, but if I had to
choose only one setting, it would have to
be stage.
"Through the CD, I think I accom-
plished a way of being myself while mak-
ing a departure from one genre to anoth-
er. I managed to keep using my vocal
interpretations as the priority although
still combining the different parts of me
that make up the artist that I am. I didn't
want to suppress any of them or shove the
theater girl or the rock 'n' roll girl in the
corner."
Menzel believes that anyone can relate
to the impact of struggles as she presents
them through her music. In her case, she
was affected by the divorce of her parents
after 20 years of marriage and the ups
and downs of an artistic career.
"Rent was an amazing experience that
I thought would lead to others;' explains
the actress, whose free time means a
chance to catch up on sleep, play tennis
or read.
"I got a record deal and then got
dropped and couldn't get a job for a
couple of years. Then, I went back to the
theater. After a bunch of small parts,
Wicked came along and gave me a second
chance!"
After the American tour of some 20
cities is completed, Menzel is heading to
London to release the album and will sing
at the 60th birthday celebration for com-
poser Andrew Lloyd Webber.
"He's going to play piano while I sing,
and that's very exciting for me' she says.
"As I travel, I'll be working on new, origi-
nal music, and I want to think about hav-
ing a family" ❑

Idina Menzel appears 8 p.m.
Thursday, Aug. 7, at the Gem
Theatre, 333 Madison, in Detroit.
$49.50. (313) 963-9800.

July 31 • 2008

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