It can be a daunting task for an established Broadway musical actor or actress to cross over to a career as a mainstream pop singer. That’s especially true when the artist creates or defines a memorable stage role, and audiences begin to view the performer and the role as one and the same.
In a relatively brief twelve-year Broadway career, Idina Menzel has already created two landmark characters – the bi-sexual performance artist Maureen in Rent, and her Tony Award-winning role as Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West in Wicked. She’s also branched out to non-musical roles in television and film (most notably as Patrick Dempsey’s fiancé in Enchanted).
The 37-year-old Long Island native has been touring in support of her latest album (and Warner Brothers Records debut) I Stand.
Her character? Singer-songwriter Idina Menzel.
In her performances Menzel will certainly acknowledge her stage career, perhaps with renditions of Wicked’s “Defying Gravity,” or Rent’s “Take Me or Leave Me,” but concert-goers should expect the bulk of Menzel’s repertoire to be drawn from her own material.
Make no mistake – this is NOT a case of a Broadway singer simply “turning pop.” Menzel’s professional resume as singer-songwriter dates back to 1998, when she released her underrated debut album, Still I Can’t Be Still. The lively, wide-ranging mix of pop, rock, and soul showcased Menzel’s wonderful voice and knack for crafting memorable, somewhat quirky (in a good way) tunes, but failed to find a large audience.
Menzel was eventually dropped from her record label. She spent the next ten years establishing her stage career, but never abandoned her music. During that time she contributed to a few soundtracks and other albums, and in 2004 released a six-song EP entitled Here on the independent Zel Records label.
Menzel was signed to Warner Brothers Records, which released I Stand last year.
Menzel worked with Glen Ballard (Alanis Morissette, Shakira, Annie Lennox) who produced and co-wrote all but one of the songs on I Stand with Menzel. Featuring the singles “Brave,” “Gorgeous,” and the title track, the album is a strong mix of engaging, soulful pop and heartfelt ballads. Menzel’s powerful voice is in top form throughout, but the bigger surprise is the maturity of her songwriting.
Here's the "I Stand" lyric video:
In a press release, Ballard commented, “It's very rare when you have somebody with Idina's vocal skills who also writes so eloquently about what's important to her. I knew I was working with a first-rate writer. She has stories to tell and they're really worth hearing."
Menzel says she’s thrilled when fans dig deep into her lyrics and interpret her songs.
"Sometimes when people hear my new songs they take a completely different meaning from them than what I originally intended,” she says. “I just love that. As a songwriter, it means I've accomplished something bigger than myself."
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GOOD WORKS: Menzel has recorded a brand-new song called "Hope" in support of Major League Baseball and its ongoing programs to raise awareness, as well as funds for research through the new Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) initiative. Idina's recording of "Hope" was selected as the signature title song for important, inspiring efforts throughout the baseball industry. The song release marks the launch of a series of forthcoming initiatives to be announced at a later date.
"Hope" — which was written by award-winning composer Paul Hampton and produced by Steve Lipson (Annie Lennox, Whitney Houston, Paul McCartney) — is available for purchase through iTunes® and other online retailers.
Proceeds from the sale of the track will go to benefit Stand Up To Cancer. Fans will also be able to get the info on downloading the new song by visiting http://www.idinamenzel.com/, as well as www.MLB.com/Hope.
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Upcoming tour dates for Idina Menzel:
Mar 25, 2009 Glenside/Philadelphia, PA - Keswick Theatre - Buy Tickets
Mar 27, 2009 Wilmington, DE - Grand Opera House - Buy Tickets
Mar 28, 2009 Greenvale, NY – Tilles Center Concert Hall - Buy Tickets
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