Adele Dazeem the 21st Century Broadway Star

How does one not acknowledge what’s happening with If/Then? Here’s a show that isn’t an adaptation of a cartoon or romcom chick flick. It’s got mixed word of mouth and a fuzzy premise.

Yet it’s selling better out of the gate than just about any original musical in memory. And the reason is that Idina Menzel is a Broadway star.

They aren’t supposed to exist anymore. A month ago maybe even she didn’t know if she was a real Broadway star. We live in a generation when musicals, plays and revivals run with Tony award winning “Broadway Stars” and close at a loss.

There are easily eight or nine stage actors that we all equate with stardom who can’t in all reality sell tickets.

So Idina Menzel is important. She’s important for audiences. But she’s more important for producers. They need to realize that a Broadway star can still exist. And if they still exist, then a play or musical can be successfully written around a personality. It must be decades since a (not) movie star could open a show at near capacity in previews.

If the professionals who make commercial theater want to figure out a very retro way to make money, I think they’d be best served to figure out how to make more of these very exotic Broadway stars. There are a few on stages right now who would be selling more tickets if the business invested in them as assets.

In a strange way, Menzel became a star despite expectations. Wicked was supposed to be another stars show. Did PBS know that she would be their new Riverdance? Then Frozen became a sensation, and a song I don’t even know is on 1000’s of YouTube videos.

But best is Adele Dazeem. In front of the entire planet, a famous movie star made a fool of himself mispronouncing the name of a Broadway star. The fact that she was marginalized on the Oscars somehow empowered her, and people took notice.
And when they did, they knew the voice, just like the old days when a special sound would catch the attention of the general public.

I think that this is a great time to be Idina Menzel. I also think that it’s a great time for people producing and writing for the theater to realize that there is still a value in having those who speak the lines and sing the songs to be above the title.

Adele Dazeem may end this year known for her real name. That should be message enough that a marketable Broadway personality is not a thing of the past.

Updated On: 3/17/14 at 11:50 PM

I agree. If/Then's grosses are shocking for only 7 performances a week. I'm not always the biggest Idina fan, but it's thrilling to see a genuine Broadway star selling tickets in the 21st century.

All hail Queen Idina?

And I do believe everyone here is aware of If/Then's initial success being largely due to Idina's involvement. Whether or not it maintains this level for months is one test, and if it can survive without her is another.

^Oh dear God.
I just want to make it clear that larrystyles opinions on Ethel do not reflect most of Menzel's fans opinions/thoughts on Ethel lol

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I agree it's an encouraging sign. Does anyone know what their advance looks like, though? It will be interesting to see if the show sustains this, or if this strong start was due to the flurry of positive publicity she got after the "Adele Dazeem" Oscars fiasco.

I hope it does take off, not just because I enjoy Menzel, but because I admire that Kitt and Yorkey write shows that by conventional standards aren't considered "safe." It's refreshing to see wholly original musicals onstage these days, and I love that these two composers aren't afraid to tackle interesting, adult subject matter. I have no idea if this particular show succeeds or not, as I haven't seen it, but it's on the top of my list for my next visit to NYC.

She has her fans, no doubt; I still find her humorless and leaden, and the placement of her voice annoys me. But good for her for having a devoted following.

I remember an interview she did not long after winning the Tony for WICKED in which she mused on fantasy v. reality and said it brought her spirits down to think that after the mob scene outside the Gershwin, with everyone clamoring for her autograph, all she has to do is walk a few blocks away or enter the subway to realize that she was invisible; that she could quickly go from a known entity to a non-entity. I don't think she meant it in a "love me!" kind of way, just as a musing on how one perceives herself or is perceived by others. In any case, that was then and this is now. I'm glad she's having such a great "now."

We'll all agree to disagree. Idina is far from a mainstream star, so you could never really compare her to Merman. That being said, I strongly feel it is because of FROZEN - and FROZEN alone - that their grosses are so high. The fanatical obsession with that movie and with Idina's song is on a completely different level, and she is now known to the millions...maybe even billions...as "the voice of Elsa" or "that woman who sang Let It Go." I am not sure how long that recognition can last, but I guess we'll see.

adamgreer- Riedel said $5 million +. http://nypost.com/2014/03/07/michael-riedel-revivals-rule-this-bway-season-as-raisin-and-les-miz-box-offices-roar-2/

I think Kristin Chenoweth is capable of selling tickets as well. PROMISES, PROMISES sold quite well, though I believe being paired with Sean Hayes contributed.

Updated On: 3/18/14 at 09:37 AM

"But if you take away one piece of the Idina pie- the Broadway credits, the film work- she suddenly seems less important. If you took away Merman's film or television work, her Broadway career speaks for itself as making her a legend, because you COULD do that back then."

Yes, Ms. Merman appeared in 10 Broadway shows in 14 years at the start of her career. Ms. Menzel will probably be lucky to appear in 10 Broadway shows her entire career and I tend to doubt it.

"I strongly feel it is because of FROZEN - and FROZEN alone - that their grosses are so high. The fanatical obsession with that movie and with Idina's song is on a completely different level, and she is now known to the millions...maybe even billions...as "the voice of Elsa" or "that woman who sang Let It Go." I am not sure how long that recognition can last"

I'm not sure I agree with your premise, but if Disney has taught us anything, it is that their audience is one of perpetual turnover. There are kids who are yet to be conceived who will grow up with Frozen on their shelves, not to mention the plans for Frozen 2, the thoughts of Frozen on Broadway, etc.

If you attend The Lion King, most of those kids weren't born when the movie was originally released.

Now, a lot of people will just watch it and never think twice about who voiced the character, what else do they sing, or if they perform on Broadway... but there are enough who do follow through like that.

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Oh please, Audra and Chenowith are much bigger stars than Idina, just due to their presence in Hollywood. Kristen is a regular on all the talk shows, pals around with Cher and Kathy Griffen, starred on TV shows and won an Emmy. Audra, though probably a little less famous than the Chen, was a TV star who's also featured a lot on talk shows (David Letterman very recently) and was all the rage very recently as her performance in the hugely viewed Sound of Music was the twitter talk of the nation (mainly cause the leads were so bad, it was a comparative-thing). Idina had a fair Elphaba fan base, (America has already forgotten the OBC of Rent) and got a big boost from Frozen, the Let It Go phenomenon, and the Travolta mess. She is much more famous now than she was six months ago, and at the moment might seem more famous than either of the other women. But. That kind of fame will fade fast. She can sing, but she isn't the actress either Chenowith or Audra are, she'll never make that transition to Hollywood, where, with the price of tickets, our true Broadway stars' worths are measured.

Updated On: 3/18/14 at 11:50 AM