Idina Menzel to illuminate the Gaillard stage
Broadway legend Idina Menzel brings her Take Me or Leave Me tour to the Gaillard Center Aug. 3, a one woman show featuring fan favorite songs from throughout Menzel’s illustrious career — iconic hits from Wicked, Rent, Frozen, and newer music from her dance album, Drama Queen, released last summer.
In between songs like Frozen’s “Let it Go,” Wicked’s “Defying Gravity” and Rent’s “Take Me or Leave Me” (for which the tour is named), Menzel will offer stories from the course of her life on the stage. Menzel is widely known for playing independent, badass female characters who defy societal norms — the Long Island native originated some of the most iconic musical theater roles of all time: Maureen in Rent and Elphaba in Wicked.
Naming the show after the song she belts in Rent as Maureen is not only a tribute to where she got her start, Menzel said in an interview with the Charleston City Paper, but also a nod to the fact that this tour shows the human side of the larger-than-life performer who’s been dubbed the “queen of Broadway” and the “Streisand of her generation.”
“ ‘Take me or leave me’ means, I’m going to give you everything. I’m going to allow you to see all sides of who I am through my music, through my voice — my inner voice and my literal voice. To quote from Rent, I’m going to ‘take a leap of faith’ and hope that you, as an audience, will accept me for who I am.”
Connecting with fans
Menzel said she’s exhilarated by the opportunity to connect with her multi-generational audience through this national tour. This tour is her second, following a world tour in 2015.
“It’s emotional for me to get on stage every night and reconnect with my audience. I feel so lucky that I’ve had such supportive fans throughout the years. We’ve grown up together in a lot of ways — many of my fans from Rent, for example, are now parents and they’re bringing their kids who love Frozen.”
Menzel added gratitude that her fans have been supportive of her movement into different directions, like her most recent dance album Drama Queen, released in 2023.
“Theater fans are the greatest, because they appreciate all kinds of music; they’re very sophisticated listeners,” she said. “And so when I wanted to go in a dance direction, or a rock direction, or celebrate my theater career, I learned that they would actually accept all those things in one show … I used to worry that the incongruence of that would feel unfocused. But it’s all facets of who I am — that’s the common denominator.”
Figuring out the set list meant finding a balance between the songs fans expect and love, plus songs that Menzel is excited to reinterpret, or even songs she’ll perform for the first time.
“I want to do the songs that people love, but I also want to reinterpret them sometimes. For me, as an artist, I like to try new things. So finding that marriage is fun and challenging.”
And in between songs, Menzel shares stories from her life and career. Since connecting with the fans is a big motivation behind the show, she takes questions from the audience and approaches each stop on the tour with a sense of spontaneity, she said.
“I get to chronicle my life through music. I get to talk about my experience during Rent, having that experience as my very first and how it informs who I am. There’s lots of fun Wicked stories and stories about being green. There’s mom stories, stories about trying to balance being a parent and a performer … how I try to stay in the moment and be present in my life.
“Each audience is new for me, and I really like to find the humor in the evening.”
Bold authenticity
Ultimately, Menzel said her hope is that the Take Me or Leave Me tour is revealing and honest.
“I really do feel like the greatest shows that I’ve ever seen are ones where the performer allows us to see a little bit into their soul. I’ve always felt strongly about remaining vulnerable and trying to be as authentic as I can. Trying to take any room, no matter how big, and make it feel like my living room.”
This sentiment of bold authenticity calls to mind the characters Menzel’s known for: Maureen, who is not afraid to take on the establishment and fight for what she believes in; Elphaba, who is willing to be wicked if it means she can do good; and Queen Elsa, who exemplifies resilience, bravery and radical self acceptance. It’s not surprising then, that Menzel’s advice for young artists is to embrace their imperfections.
“[My advice for artists] would be to not compromise who you are for anyone. Know deep in your heart that those imperfections make up who we are, and end up being the things that draw people closer to us. So embrace the things that make us unique. And be patient.”
See Idina Menzel’s Take Me or Leave Me tour as she stops in Charleston, 7:30 p.m. Aug. 3. Visit gaillardcenter.org for tickets.