‘Frozen,’ ‘Wicked’ star Idina Menzel talks touring, motherhood before Foxwoods show
In Idina Menzel’s own words, it’s all about making music with her guys.
The star of Broadway’s “Wicked” and voice behind the smash it, “Let It Go” from “Frozen” will perform at Foxwoods Resort Casino on Friday at 8 p.m., promising an exhilarating night of music ranging from the stage to the silver screen – and beyond.
In a recent interview, Menzel shared her thoughts about balancing life on the road as a performer, band member and mother as her 2017 world tour kicks into gear.
“The bulk of the tour is about to begin. We’re ready. We’re jamming. We’re a tight band, we’re having fun, the setlist seems to be working and it’s just a fun, eclectic night of music and we try to leave room for spontaneity,” said Menzel. “No matter the size of the venue, I want people to connect and want to connect with them. I love to perform live. It’s what I live for.”
Part of keeping things fun and connecting with concertgoers, according to the singer, involves keeping things fresh, with recent setlists including cuts from some of Broadway’s most beloved shows, such as “Wicked” and “Rent,” alongside “Frozen” favorites, cuts from Menzel’s debut studio album, “Idina,” and a variety of covers that – without giving too much away – hit upon the likes of Led Zeppelin, the Beatles and Simon & Garfunkel.
“When you go out on the road as much as I’ve gone out, it’s a challenge to keep things fresh and new for yourself and your audience yet maintain some of the parts of the show and songs in the show that audiences would expect,” said Menzel. “You have to strike the balance between changing an arrangement to keep it fresh and changing things for the sake of keeping myself on my own toes.”
Menzel said that while she fully understands that it’s impossible to satisfy every concertgoer with every rendition of a song, striking this balance is something that, oftentimes, simply sorts itself out while performing with her band.
“For me, it’s about making music with my guys — the people I’ve been on the road with for many years. I love being part of a group of musicians. And there are three new girls on the road with us, and they bring a whole other variable to the thing — we have two string players who sing and a great female background vocalist, said Menzel. “But then again, you can’t satisfy everybody. If you do an acoustic song, you’ll have people saying they wanted an album version. Once you make a decision, you have to go with it. If you keep phoning in the same old show, for me, that’s just when I need to get off the road.”
“The hard part of touring is staying healthy, keeping my little boy on the road with me, trying to juggle motherhood and a career. You never sleep the same. That’s the life of a singer, though,” she said, emphasizing that her ultimate goal in performing is to share all sides of her life with concertgoers.
“I want people to feel like they really got to know me. That I was willing to make myself vulnerable and allow them into a little window of my soul through the music,” she said.
Menzel will perform at the Grand Theater at Foxwoods Resort Casino on Friday at 8 p.m. Tickets range in price between $69 and $125.