There are few bigger stars in the world of musicals than Idina Menzel. Having dominated Broadway, the West End, scooped almost every major theatre award you can imagine and been featured in a starring role in Glee, she is ready to add a performance at G-A-Y to her repertoire this weekend. Jeremy Joseph interviewed her…
Do you enjoy coming to the UK?
I love spending time in the UK, but it’s harder for me to really enjoy things when I’m away from my son!
Because you don’t come here that often, are you surprised at the reaction in the UK?
I’m surprised that people know who I am when I go to Idaho! But yeah, it’s such an honour to be able to go somewhere that you love and have people supporting you. And London is one of my favourite cities in the world.
Is it very annoying that people keep going back and talking about Wicked?
No, I am thankful for being able to live it and meeting all these people who have been touched by it through the years. You know it changed my life, it changed my opportunities, it changed the way I think about myself, the way I related to that character, and how I presented myself; that I was a strong woman and not being afraid to show that.
When you first did it, was there a feeling ‘Oh my god, this is going to be huge’?
I don’t think we realised it was going to be such a big hit. Maybe I was just being stupid, but we didn’t realise it was going to appeal to such a huge spectrum of demographics, you know children and families and adult fans as well, it was just like we were part of the zeitgeist for the young generation.
Obviously ‘Defying Gravity’ is the song, but do you have a favourite song from Wicked or is it that one?
Oh, it changes all the time, it depends on the day, how I’m feeling.
So, you’ve done Wicked, you’ve done Rent, is there a role out there that you really feel, ‘That’s what I wanna do next’?
The show that I’m about to take onto Broadway next year is a new musical written by the Pulitzer prize winning composer of ‘Next to Normal’ which I’ve always wanted: completely original and fresh and modern and heartbreaking.
And before that you’ve got a film coming out as well – you’re a witch again, aren’t you?
Sort of. She’s a special young girl who has unique powers and she’s feeling very misunderstood as well, and it’s a great film, I’m very excited about it. Christian Bell is in it and we play sisters, it’s actually a beautiful sisters story.
If you could take any of these powers home, what would it be?
I’m sure it’d be nice to have healing powers – I’d just like to have an impenetrable quality, to have an ability to keep both vulnerable and really to kick some ass.
I noticed you performed for President Obama recently. Are things like that more nerve-wracking or do you treat every performance the same?
He was literally within spitting distance, and that was terribly nerve-wracking because the direction was we sing to them, not above their heads and so I had to make eye contact and it was overwhelming. But you know, my Mum was there, I had a great experience, I remember I was breastfeeding at the time with my child and so I was off in the corner giving him milk…
“I’m surprised that people know who I am when I go to Idaho!”
Sorry, you were breastfeeding at the same time as performing?
Well, I don’t think I actually breastfed at the White House…
That would be a story to tell!
But I was running back to my hotel around the corner to do my thing and then running back to get back to rehearsal and perform.
You’ve won so many awards, like your Tony, when people come over to your place, is it in a place where they can see it?
Yeah, they can see it!
When you got it, did you have a speech prepared in your mind or was it genuinely ‘Oh my god I wasn’t expecting this’?
I did have a speech prepared but only because that morning my husband gave me a pep talk and said I needed to have a speech. And we actually went over something and he was very proud of me that I actually remembered what we went over that day!
I read that your Dad was a pyjama salesman, is that true and are you a pyjamas wearer or does your husband say ‘get them off!’
It is true, and my whole life I had a wardrobe full of terrific pyjamas, but I’m a T-shirt and underwear kind of girl!
My very last question, listening to your role in Wicked and the way you live your life, do you have a motto that you live by?
I think I really just try to take care of the moment as much I can, appreciate that and enjoy myself as much as possible. You don’t have to suffer to do great work all the time.
• Idina Menzel performs at G-A-Y (Heaven, Villiers Street, WC2N 6NG) on Saturday 27th April. Discount wrist bands are available from G-A-Y Bar.
