Idina Menzel to Return to Broadway Spring 2014 in If/Then by Next to Normal Team after DC Tryout- Page 2

[veronicamae]

Posted: 2/28/13 at 11:47pm

I'm just beyond thrilled about this announcement. Truly.

Also, really? Criticism for forgetting words to songs she's sung 2000 times? That can happen to anyone and everyone. She's not going to get up there and mumble her way through a song in a staged performance. Could it happen that she forgets her words? Yes. Of course. That's hardly a reason for her to be a "bad pick" for this show.

p.s. remember when! https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.php?thread=1037112&dt=13



Updated On: 3/1/13 at 11:47 PM

[yankeefan7]

Posted: 3/1/13 at 9:05am

I know some concert performers have telepromper for the words. Years ago I saw Paul McCartney and took some pictures. While looking at them, noticed there was a telepromper with words of the song he was singing on stage. I could actually read the words from the picture.

[DEClarke]

Posted: 3/2/13 at 6:59pm

I'm planning my next NYC trip around this show! So excited!!!

[fingerlakessinger]

Posted: 3/2/13 at 8:08pm

As soon as I heard this, I turned to by boyfriend and said "we're taking a trip to DC..."

[Kevinoes]

Posted: 3/4/13 at 3:38pm

Betty Buckley had been in Pippin on Broadway for like 2 years during the 1970s. One night, after hundreds of performances, she went up on a line. She promptly gave her notice. The lady went on to a steady career in film and television, a Tony Award, numerous Broadway productions, and a successful concert career.

There was a phase where the original cast of Hisory Boys, during their international tour before hitting Broadway, were in rough shape, drying up on lines, etc. until Nicholas Hytner came in and gave them a refresher. This after close to 1,000 performances under their bets. I've witnessed actors in rep theatre go up randomly in the middle of a scene. And that after doing a show for months! Sometimes a new cast member on stage, an excited or dull audience, the heat of the room, how much you ate that day, can just totally make you lose a line. Anything can throw you!

I am very excited to see Ms Menzel back on stage! I have nothing but respect for her taking her time to find the right project to come back to Broadway with.

[winston89]

Posted: 3/4/13 at 4:16pm

darquegk,

Townshend has two rock operas, Tommy and Quadrophina. Well, technically 3 if you count The Iron Man that he did with his solo band. But, there isn't a fourth.

[binau]

Posted: 6/26/13 at 7:38pm

Idina is performing her concert in Australia right now - she sounds absolutely amazing at the moment, so I think she is ready to return to Broadway!. I was not expecting much after being scarred from that CHESS concert.

She sang "Learn to Live Without" from If/Then as an encore, which is quite nice but not exactly a show stopper out of context. Does this show have a theatre yet?

[GlindatheGood22]

Posted: 6/26/13 at 10:47pm

Alice Ripley was the last to win Best Actress in a Musical for an original role - and that, of course, was Next to Normal. Maybe that's good news for Idina.

[broadway guy]

Posted: 6/26/13 at 11:08pm

Idina sounds great in that song. It seems like her voice has finally fully recovered from WICKED. I am so glad she is coming back to Broadway in a ORIGINAL musical wrote by the N2N team. I am ecstatic for her and this show.

[bwaydude22089]

Posted: 6/27/13 at 12:35am

I absolutely loved Idina in Wicked. Saw her twice. While her voice didn't quite have so much range the second time, her acting was incredible. I've yet to see another actress tackle the role in a similar way. She was less diva and more... I don't know... fiery, misunderstood, and raw. Still, I think her BEST stage performance was in See What I Wanna See, for which she was nominated for several awards. I think she did that show back in 2005, after Wicked, and her voice sounded great. I think her voice has just changed a lot since 2003/2004. Hopefully this new score will be tailored to fit her voice. I'm excited.

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 6/27/13 at 12:18pm

I'm repeating myself, having just posted this on the thread on stars choosing winning shows, but if this is a huge hit, it will mean that she's 3/3 originating roles in mega successful shows. Rent is the 9th longest running show of all time, Wicked is the 12th (at this point).

By my count, only three other performers originated major roles in more than one show in the top 100: Terrence Mann, Mary Martin and Jerry Orbach.



Updated On: 6/27/13 at 12:18 PM

[broadway guy]

Posted: 6/27/13 at 12:25pm

[Younger Brother]

Posted: 6/27/13 at 12:26pm

Has anyone heard about more casting besides Menzel?

[steven22]

Posted: 6/27/13 at 1:28pm

I think Kyle Dean Massey was attached to the workshop at some point

[veronicamae]

Posted: 6/27/13 at 2:23pm

"Does this show have a theatre yet?"

At last public report, it does not - just "A Nederlander Theatre to be announced."

KDM was attached. So was Anthony Rapp and Colin Donnell. They were holding open auditions a matter of weeks ago, per a casting notice on Playbill, and no new casting has been announced. They go into full rehearsal in a few weeks though, as it begins DC previews on Nov 4, so we should know pretty soon.

[OperaBwayLover]

Posted: 6/27/13 at 2:55pm

Awesome! So excited about this!