Idina Menzel's Final Performance- Page 2

[Claire2141]

Posted: 12/31/06 at 6:06am

Last night she was amazing. No detriment to others who have played Elphaba but to see a performer in the part go into her final show and NOT show off with 5,000 riffs that make the song un-recognisable is brilliant.

She concentrated on singing fantasticly, and she pulled it off. She may be over hyped and her fan base a little crazy but my god can the girl perform.

[mikeyb16]

Posted: 12/31/06 at 6:16am

Aww, well I'm glad to hear that it was a success!

[joebua]

Posted: 12/31/06 at 3:08pm

I didn't realize that there was issues out there re Idina.

then again, I don't visit here much.

And as much as I will enjoy Eden Espinosa and Megan Hilty in LA in April, I would rather see Idina.

Of course, thanks to Aaron Sorkin and Sara Paulson, I can't look at Kristin Chenoweth without thinking about her Evangelical bona fides and her visit to The 700 Club with Pat Robertson.

You can imagine that a lot of male theatre fans would have issue with that.

[wickedfan]

Posted: 12/31/06 at 3:15pm

There was. But we've decided to move on from that. But Idina playing Elphaba again? For shame!

[theaterdude87]

Posted: 12/31/06 at 3:16pm

Good luck to her...I am glad that she got to perform her final show this time around.

[lovepuppy]

Posted: 12/31/06 at 3:39pm

Wow. Why can't people just be happy for a Nice Jewish Girl From New York Done Good? I read somewhere that when she closed out her original run in Wicked on Broadway, she wouldn't do the role again. But the Rent movie and of course, her sheer talent and accolades in the Wicked role won her a budding film career and a chance to revive the role--for, what was it, a couple mil for a 3-month run in London? This is what zillions of out-of-work and working actors work for in their lives. You've got to go where the money is, and she worked hard and became an in-demand actress; it *doesn't* happen to so many people. If there's any truth to the "reviving her role as Maureen" in Rent in London next year, let the girl go there if she wants. They obviously like her in London if such rumors were started. She'll get paid gobs again.

And, please--thanks to a decade of training and her voice maturing, her singing on the "Rent" film soundtrack beats the crap out of her hoarse shouting on the OBC recording. She's clearly a stronger singer for having beat herself up doing Wicked so many collective months in her life. So if a director feels she looks the part of Maureen and can reprise her role on stage again, let her do it.

On the other hand, I wouldn't be at all surprised if she just wants to settle down and have babies now. Her throat probably could use a rest for a while since closing last night. Good for Idina, whatever she chooses!

Updated On: 12/31/06 at 03:39 PM

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 12/31/06 at 3:48pm

Idina reprise her role of Maureen in London? When hells freezes over. Didn't Rent come and ago nearly a decade ago in London without much success? I, more than anyone, would love to see her take the role on again (in NY please), but...the chances of that happening are slim to none.

I'm glad Ms. Menzel's on her way back here. I can't wait to see what she does next; I'm thinking her next album is next on the list.

"And, please--thanks to a decade of training and her voice maturing, her singing on the "Rent" film soundtrack beats the crap out of her hoarse shouting on the OBC recording."
Thank you! Someone else on this site has ears. I don't know what people are smoking thinking her singing back then was better than it is now. Her voice is a lot stronger and clearer now and her vibrato freer.
Updated On: 12/31/06 at 03:48 PM

[lovepuppy]

Posted: 12/31/06 at 4:02pm

Haha. You're welcome. :)

Honestly, I heard the movie soundtrack first last year, then someone burned a copy of the OBC recording for me. The soundtrack rocks--great music, definitely amped up by rock producer Rob Cavallo. Even Adam, first a musician, second an actor, said during promo last year, holding the soundtrack up for the camera, "THIS is what I thought the OBC record should have sounded like." I work in radio, hell yes, I have ears. :)

That OBC recording is beautiful in terms of getting to hear the OBC sing and to hear the whole libretto in pieces when I'm driving in my car, but the mixing kinda sucks in general (sorry purists, I'm a purist too but the sound quality is just poor here). And I hear Idina and I'm like, "why did they drag her into a studio to sing her parts when she was sick or needed to give her voice a rest for about a week when they recorded this?" Ugh. She just sounds over-worked to say the least and I practically feel pain in my throat for how she must have felt to belt it all out so hoarsely, like that. Maybe they were on a tight schedule, that's all I can think of.

But I just love her on the film soundtrack, and I love singing "Take Me or Leave Me" because of the job she does on it.

Updated On: 12/31/06 at 04:02 PM

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 12/31/06 at 4:10pm

Well, long story short, I hate the movie soundtrack, but I still think Idina's voice has gotten better over the years. If you compare Rent press reels to Wicked's or (especially) See What I Wanna See's, it's quite obvious.

[allofmylife]

Posted: 12/31/06 at 4:12pm

I turned on the TV last night and saw crowds dancing joyously in the streets and thought "Wow, Wicked closed, finally". But then I saw it was just about Saddam. Ho hum......

[mikeyb16]

Posted: 12/31/06 at 4:16pm

Like I said, it was on a messageboard in the West End when I saw this info. She could turn down the role to rest her voice or something by the time it comes to London next year.

I think from what I read, she was originally going to come to London to star in EVITA, rather than WICKED but turned it down because of some commitment problem. If it came to Broadway, I would assume she would have taken the role of Eva.

Anyway coming back to Idina's final performance, has any pictures been loaded up anywhere or something?

[Kevinoes]

Posted: 12/31/06 at 5:15pm

Maybe it's just me but I'd like to hear more about her last show than all this debate. I still wanna hear more. Surely there's something from someone??

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 12/31/06 at 9:41pm

"She could turn down the role to rest her voice or something by the time it comes to London next year."

Wait a second. Since when is Rent going to be in the West End next year? I missed that memo.

[Raviolisun]

Posted: 1/1/07 at 1:34am

I'm glad to hear she did so well. It's about time she hung up the pointy hat and moved on to other things.

[Becoz_i_knew_you21]

Posted: 1/1/07 at 1:46am

mikeyb16, your information is incorrect. Idina was never set to star in Evita. I think producers were thinking of her a possibility for the role but, she never even auditioned.

[jewishboy]

Posted: 1/1/07 at 2:53am

I heard that she turned down the role in Evita... anyways I don't want to stray off topic so much, but I actually prefer her on the OBCR of Rent. Her character is much stronger and edgier; probably form the "hoarse belting." But, I feel that her voice was too "clean" in the movie. Great actress though.

[winston89]

Posted: 1/1/07 at 3:53am

Yea I heard they are planning to bring back Rent to london. However, the producers of this production thought that the original production failed because it was set in nyc and " too new york." they want to screw around with it and do a lot of crazy stuff. One of them being to set the show in London as oppose to NYC.

[Sant]

Posted: 1/1/07 at 8:06am

Hasn't Idina herself said that she won't go back playing Maureen in RENT without the other OBC members? And I can't imagine most of the OBC members going to London to reprise their roles - especially for a REVIVAL production of RENT. The show had its original London run in the Shaftesbury Theatre (with A. Rapp, A. Pascal, W.J.Heredia and J.L. Martin re-creating their roles) and a touring production having a short stay in The Prince Of Wales Theatre later on.

[Elphaba]

Posted: 1/1/07 at 10:56am

I agree Raviola, like Bulgaria or Romania maybe......

[swerve]

Posted: 1/1/07 at 11:44am

It sounds like it was a fantastic show and quite emotional. Helen Dallimore's speech at the curtain call was lovely and very touching.

I'm glad that Idina finally got to do her last show and just as glad she's finished with Wicked as it's time for her to move on to better things.

Also, what's the point of posting in a thread like this just to post the same lame, nasty comments? I mean, why bother opening the thread? I don't get it, ridiculous.

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 1/1/07 at 11:47am

"I heard that she turned down the role in Evita"

She turned down the opportunity to audition because even if she got the role, it would mean a contract of at least six months, and she did not want to spend six months in London away from her husband, who is working in the states.

[Amneris]

Posted: 1/1/07 at 11:52am

Best of Luck Idina. I don't know why everyone has to sit here and write "oh my god i hear she's gonna have a baby" "i hear shes wearing a green sweater on tuesday" "i hear she kicked patti lupone in the teeth to do the evita revival" until she confides in you personally, enough. It's a new year. Let her live her life, you live yours and look foward to her next project without the bickering or crazy fandom.

[glimpseofstocking]

Posted: 1/1/07 at 12:03pm

"i hear she kicked patti lupone in the teeth to do the evita revival"
HAHAHAHA!

I've heard only good things about Idina's last show. Her voice has definitely matured and she keeps sounding better and better. Anyway, I hope she's successful with whatever she plans on doing next :)

[Becoz_i_knew_you21]

Posted: 1/1/07 at 12:08pm

I am very curious to see what she will do next on-stage.

[snl89]

Posted: 1/1/07 at 12:21pm

you know, as much as i am sad because I'll never get to see her in wicked, I'm so glad she IS done with it because it means new opportunities! I mean, hullo, SWIWS? it was BRILLIANT and she really hasn't done too many non wicked/rent related things throughout her career. A few, but SWIWS (and Wild Party too) make me really really excited at the thought of what she might do next!