Idina Menzel is Still a Blazing Supernova
From stage to screen, one of the most powerful voices of the 21st century continues to strike gold in live performances, over twenty years into her career. Coming freshly from La Jolla Playhouse’s sold-out run of the new, original musical, Redwood, Idina Menzel embarked on a month-long, sold-out solo tour. Titled “Take Me or Leave Me,” the Broadway superstar stunned audiences with an eclectic and increasingly revealing show, packed with vulnerability and personal power.
Idina Menzel’s Performance Art
Performance art is not a foreign concept for Idina Menzel. In 1996, Menzel originated the role of Maureen Johnson, a zany performance artist, in the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning musical RENT. 28 years later, she is embracing performance art again. The Take Me or Leave Me Tour embodies two things: the celebration of a truly spectacular career, and the full embrace of Menzel as an artist and a person. Career-wise, “Take Me or Leave Me” pays homage to RENT as the performance launched her into the spotlight. More personally, Menzel stated that she named the tour “Take Me or Leave Me” because she knew she would “reveal a lot,” both good and bad, and hoped her audience would accept her for who she was, regardless.
Throughout the night, the setlist became more revealing and the stories became more personal. As such, Menzel removed different pieces of clothing, beginning in a large haute couture gown and ending in a nude bodysuit and robe. The more layers she peeled physically, the more she let the audience in metaphorically. This was a brilliant execution of her artistic point of view, and a great visualization of her increasing vulnerability.
Elements of Surprise
Long time Idina Menzel fans know that her set lists are eclectic. With influences ranging from Barbra Streisand to Alanis Morissette, how could they not be? This tour, however, really showcased Menzel’s versatility.
Technically trained as a rock singer, Menzel is uniquely equipped to handle a wide repertoire of contemporary music. A moment I found incredibly striking came from her cover of Joni Mitchell’s “Twisted.” Before she began the song, she told a story wherein she received her honorary doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania. Menzel received this honor among some of the “smartest people in the world.” When the president of the university invited the honorees to dinner, Menzel said she found herself having a panic attack. She said she finds herself overwhelmed and anxious quite often, especially in a room of people who are smarter than her. This moment of the show was raw, especially in light of how highly the audience views her.
This was clearly intentional. She launched into “Twisted” with this story fresh in mind, and the song itself presented Menzel’s own brilliance as a vocalist and a performer on a silver platter. In the song, Mitchell writes about how she’d been “a wizard at three/[she] knew this was meant to be,” and that sentiment reverberated through the audience as Menzel sang it. She has a unique ability to make every performance feel intimate, no matter the size of the venue, and draws her audience in with intensity and reverence. To see Menzel on stage is to see raw star power in its truest form. It is so gripping that it is almost hard for me to describe, but simply, Menzel’s stage presence illustrates that she had no choice but to become a star,
Reimagining Hits
Menzel is a true entertainer. She is funny and quick witted. As many expect, Menzel sang the RIAA Diamond Certified, Grammy and Oscar Award winning song, “Let it Go.” To add some variety, she added a sung-through monologue. She recalled the moment at the Oscars where John Travolta infamously introduced her as “Adele Dazeem.” Within it, she illustrates the fight she had on stage with herself, between trying to stay grounded and calm and having her ego a little bit bruised. It gave hilarious insight into a moment that ultimately propelled her into the mainstream spotlight after decades of hard work.
My favorite moment of the night came from her rendition of “No One Mourns the Wicked” from the musical, Wicked. This song, originally sung by Kristin Chenoweth, took on a new life. Menzel, who originated the role of Elphaba, replaced the musical theatre sound with a post-grunge crunchy guitar. Menzel also sang the original lyrics to the song, from the pre-Broadway run of the show. This is the penultimate number of the set, with Menzel in a simple nude slip dress. Throughout the song, she rips her hair extensions out and removes her makeup. This reinterpretation of the song was unsettling in the best of ways, where she illustrates a path of destructive self-loathing and mania. Here, she showcases more vocal versatility, adding a bit of rock and roll grit and her signature twang. It was truly exhilarating to watch.
Endings
If “No One Mourns the Wicked” represented self-destructive loathing and mania, the end of the show represented healing and self-acceptance. The end of the set featured two of her original songs: “Heart on My Sleeve,” and “Brave.”
“Heart on My Sleeve” functioned as an interlude, wherein Menzel shakily acknowledges that while people may see her as “crazy and weak,” the most powerful thing she can do is show up authentically. This leads into “Brave” where Menzel not only “stands on her own two feet” but also reclaims her narrative and steps forward, even if she is afraid and alone. This brilliantly ties the zany performance together – Menzel has laid it all out there. She wants the audience to see her for who she is, not who they want her to be, or what the media projects onto her. The audience could take it or leave it. From what I could tell from the several minute standing ovation, pre-encore, it seems the audience will stay forever.