The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
DRAMA QUEEN
Considering Idina Menzel — of ‘Frozen’ and ‘Wicked’ fame — says ‘setlists are like a play to me,’ her Cleveland audience could be in for theatrical night
Idina Menzel may play a queen in Disney’s global box-office smash “Frozen,” but the Tony Award-winning vocalist is Broadway royalty. ¶ Over the last three decades, the multitalented performer earned her first Tony nomination in Pulitzer Prize winner “Rent,” won the award for her performance in “Wicked” and most recently received another nomination for “If/Then.”
Offstage, Menzel continually has picked unique roles to showcase her acting chops. Not only was she Rachel Berry’s mother on the hit television show “Glee,” but she starred opposite Susan Sarandon and Amy Adams in Disney’s “Enchanted,” as well as in Lifetime’s remake of classic ’80s film “Beaches,” which aired earlier this year.
Then there’s Menzel’s music career, which included last year’s release of her fifth original solo studio album, “idina.” Now the singer is now back on the road, touring the project with a tour stop July 12 at Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica.
The News-Herald talked to Menzel about her new album, current setlist and the key to longevity.
Q
Congratulations on “idina.” Going into the project, what were you hoping to create?
A
I don’t know if I thought about that as much as just trying to be honest and truthful about things I was experiencing in my life at the time, and letting the music be a reflection of that. There was a lot of tumult and a lot of celebration juxtaposed in the same period of my life. I was going through a divorce and also professionally having a real jump in my career. It was a lot of contrasting themes. I knew I wanted to do any album that was more mainstream, I guess you could say — an album that felt organic, melodic and also had some mainstream elements. But other than that, I tried not to force it into any kind of genre and just let it be what it was going to be.
Q
Looking back over the track listing, which songs epitomize the album?
A
Different songs for different reasons. “Small World” is one of my favorite songs on the album. The sonics of the production are really beautiful and sort of modern and yet give me this soaring foundation to sing big melodies and big vocals while keeping the integrity of the song and keeping it cool and honest. There’s a song called “Perfect Story,” more of an acoustic thing, that’s to my son. It’s sort of addressing the regrets and sadness I have about my relationship not working out — and his mom and dad not being together. I really like “Everybody Knows.” It has this really cool kind of techno beat underneath this really pretty haunting melody.
Q
Looking over your setlists, it appears you’re really having some fun. For example, out of new song “Cake,” you’re tagging Led Zeppelin’s “Black Dog” and also beginning “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?” with The Beatles’ “Dear Prudence.”
A
Setlists are like a play to me. It’s rare that the songs are just picked randomly and thrown in. There’s a story I’m telling. Sometimes a brand-new song or original song will inspire lyrically maybe a little classic song or the groove. For instance, “Cake” reminded me of a Zeppelin-type of beat and the sexiness of the song. I felt like it was a cool segue to surprise people. “Dear Prudence” was the mind of my music director, Clifford Carter. I told him I wanted to do an arrangement of “Snowman,” and he sort of just grabbed a piece of “Prudence” that he felt lyrically said the same thing. Then I said, we just have to do the whole song. So I don’t put limitations on what I want to do on stage.
Q
Based on “Wicked” and “Frozen,” your fan base includes many idolizing young girls. Growing up, who did you look up to in a similar fashion?
A
Oh gosh, so often young girls look to other young girls, and I’m a woman. I can relate to that because when I was a young girl I was looking up to Barbra Streisand, who wasn’t 16 at the time. So it was people like Bette Midler, Aretha Franklin, even Madonna, Carole King. Those are the people who spoke to me.
Q
Finally, what kind of responsibility comes with being adored by so many people?
A
I feel a huge responsibility, especially of the connection with the young audience. It’s a huge role-model responsibility that sometimes I don’t know if I’ve earned or if I can keep up all the time because I am a woman in her 40s and I’ve lived a life. Sometimes I’ll be on stage, and I speak from that perspective, and then I realize I have to tell the moms of the young kids to like do earmuffs so that I can say something truthful for me as an 46-year-old woman. Because if I just did everything for a Disney-age audience, you know, that wouldn’t be me. That’s a part of me, and a part of me I’m incredibly proud of, but it’s the navigating and the reconciling of the age and role-model stuff that is actually the most time consuming for me right now, because I want to make sure I do it right, I’m responsible and I can give myself to all of the different age groups in my audience. I have these young girls in an Elsa costume, I have a bunch of older guys who relate to me in a different way and then the moms and the theater audience. So it’s a challenge, but it’s something I know I’m really lucky to have because that’s what gives you the longevity is to have these different ages that appreciate you.