Idina Menzel's Final Performance — Page 2

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

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

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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!

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

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.

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

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......

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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??

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.

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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.

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.

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.

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.

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