‘Gravity’ does not weigh on Menzel
Thanks to her soaring, made-for-Broadway voice, fans love to hear Idina Menzel tackle bigger-than-life songs, such as “Don’t Rain on My Parade” and “Defying Gravity” from “Wicked,” the show that earned her a Tony Award.
At home, however, it’s a different story. Her main audience is her 3-year-old son, Walker, and he has a taste for more esoteric fare.
“We used to make up a lot of our own songs about whatever was going on,” Menzel says. “Maybe it would be about riding the swings or taking a poop on the potty. We’d just come up with silly songs.”
We’re guessing those tunes won’t be featured during the Broadway star’s concert with the Phoenix Symphony. Instead, expect a set list that features favorites from the Great White Way, some contemporary tunes and, of course, “Defying Gravity.”
The latter song — a big “I’m flying high” number — has become Menzel’s signature tune and something she’ll carry with her for the rest of her career. She doesn’t see it as a burden.
“That’s something you dream about,” she says. “Having a song that relates to so many people that I relate to personally — it’s very special to me. It’s the kind of song people think I must be tired of singing, but the truth is I love to sing it every night.”
Plus, when she sings the song in concert, she is no longer Elphaba, the misfit witch from “Wicked.”
“Sometimes, I sing it for
different reasons,” she says. “Sometimes I might find something new musically in it. Some nights, maybe there’s a little 12-year-old girl in the front row who’s excited to hear it. So many people have sung it since, which probably means it’s everybody’s song in a way.”
Menzel first captured the public’s attention playing Maureen in “Rent,” her first professional job. That netted her a Tony nomination and sparked a career that included reprising the role in the 2005 film version. Personally, the show holds a special place in her heart because she met her husband, actor Taye Diggs, during the production.
Along the way, there have been other film roles, TV work (she plays Lea Michele’s mother on “Glee”), a handful of solo recordings and several sympho- ny concerts, both stateside and abroad.
“This experience touring with symphonies has really informed a lot of what I’m doing,” she says. “I feel like I’ve clicked onto something that allows me to be the eclectic singer that I am while keeping the theatricality and drama that I find my audiences want.”
The 41-year-old native of Queens, N.Y., displays that mix on last year’s “Live: Barefoot at the Symphony.” The disc is a perfect example of her ability to blend the expected with an element of surprise. It’s not every Broadway belter who could come up with a mashup of Cole Porter’s “Love for Sale” and the Police’s “Roxanne.”
The title of the disc refers to her tendency to go shoeless on stage. Rather than being a Sandie Shaw-style gimmick, it is a trademark that evolved naturally.
“I used to do rock shows and I’d take my shoes off all the time,” Menzel says. “I’m horrible at dancing and singing at the same time. With symphonies, I had to dress up for the occasion. One day my back was killing me, and I got on stage without the shoes. I feel so much more comfortable as myself without the shoes. I’ll wear the gown for the symphonies, but I don’t know about the shoes.”
That little anti-diva stance is reflected in her attitude. Menzel seems remarkably unfussy and grounded about her career, particularly since becoming a mother.
“I’m a mom just try- ing to keep my head above water,” she says. “I’m really proud of the things I’ve done, and there’s so much more I’d love to do, but I am so at peace with myself and with where I am. The ambition is just not as great as it was. Being a mother sort of puts the whole thing in perspective. There’s more to my personality than just hitting high notes.”