Defying Gravity: Idina Menzel’s ‘Take Me or Leave Me’ tour coming to Mesa

Broadway star, TV and film actress, and singer Idina Menzel will perform at the Mesa Arts Center on Thursday, July 25, as part of her “Take Me or Leave Me” tour.

Menzel is known for the unique mezzo-soprano, emotional voice she brings to her performances. She got her start as a wedding and bat mitzvah singer.

During her early career as an actress, she originated the role of Maureen in “Rent” on Broadway. She also played the character in the 2005 movie version. She later originated the role of the Wicked Witch of the West Elphaba in “Wicked” on Broadway, which won her a Tony Award.

Her resume includes appearances in or voiced characters in “Glee,” “Kissing Jessica Stein,” “You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah,” “Cinderella,” “Ralph Breaks the Internet” and “Hercules.”

Menzel said during her performance in Mesa, fans will hear music from throughout her career.

“They can expect to see an intimate show, where I do a lot of my classic songs, but I always try to find a way to tell a story that relates to those songs and how they fit the timeline in my life,” Menzel said. “I’m going to explore some new arrangements to songs and try some songs I’ve always wanted to sing. … There will be some really funny stuff. I have some surprises for people.”

Menzel said a lot of thought went into the songs she would do and the stories she would tell during her tour.

“One of my favorite things to do is go on tour and do live performance,” she said. “I’m very open to spontaneity and fortuitous mistakes and getting to connect with my audience again. It’s been several years since I’ve been out on the road.”

In August 2023, Menzel released her newest album, a disco record called “Drama Queen.” She plans to perform original music from this album during the show.

“That was an album that I was really proud of. … I felt like I wanted to give back that album to the LGBTQ community for always being so supportive of me from the very beginning of my career,” Menzel said. “So, while this tour isn’t going to be disco and dance, I am going to find ways to incorporate the songs into the show. They just might be arranged a little bit differently.”

She has found that organizing a tour can be challenging because of the wide range of genres she has performed.

“I like to make it feel cohesive,” Menzel said. “I used to think that maybe it was asking the audience to go in too many directions, but in the last 10, 15 years, I’ve realized it doesn’t quite matter what style the music is because it’s all under the umbrella of me, my life, what I’ve experienced and the characters I’ve played. That’s the common thread.”

Menzel said that many of her songs have new meaning to her now when she is performing them.

“All great songs evolve with the person, I think,” she said. “At first maybe they are really connected to the character that is singing them, but then, the more and more you get to sing them, the more and more your life and experience informs how you interpret the songs. That’s one of the things I love so much about live performance, is that depending on how you feel and what you’re experiencing in your day, a song might surprise you. That’s why, believe it or not, it doesn’t get tiring singing the same songs all the time.”

As she has gotten further into her career, Menzel has had a chance to choose roles that speak to her.

“In the beginning of your career, you don’t necessary look for roles because you just want to work,” she said. “I’m fortunate enough to have landed roles that were so life-changing and affirming and taught me so much about myself. … But now, I just want roles that really challenge me as a performer, as an actress or as a singer and roles where I get to work with a great creative team, where I can really explore all facets of what I do. I’m most proud of this wonderful collection of characters that all really speak to one trying to embrace who they are, their individuality, to not shy away from their own power.”

She has also had the chance to shape other roles in different ways.

“That’s what I love about creating new characters — you find their voice literally and figuratively,” Menzel said. “I love playing with my voice, whether I’m doing a speaking role or singing role. It’s my instrument. I like exploring that. I get to do that now, and people trust me to go through that process and figure out what the best choices are.”