The VIP Lounge with Idina Menzel
Idina Menzel likes to “go with the flow” when she travels, and while the Tuscany region of Italy is one of her favorite places on Earth, she is looking forward to chartering a sailboat and exploring the Greek islands in the foreseeable future. Menzel, 46, an accomplished Broadway performer (“Rent,” “If/Then,” and “Wicked,” for which she won the 2004 Tony Award for best actress in a musical), was on the hit TV series “Glee,” in the 2007 film “Enchanted,” and provided the voice of Queen Elsa in the 2013 animated smash “Frozen,” in which she sang the Oscar- and Grammy-winning song “Let It Go.” Menzel, a New York native who lives in California’s San Fernando Valley with her son, Walker, 7, and boyfriend, actor Aaron Lohr, said she is looking forward to performing at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Conn., on July 7, and at Blue Hills Bank Pavilion July 8. “I always have so much fun when I’m onstage in Boston, whether I perform with the Pops or perform on my own,” she said. “The audiences are always so enthusiastic and I’m just looking forward to seeing all of my friends again.” We caught up with Menzel to talk about all things travel.
Favorite food or drink while vacationing? I’m also a Disney princess and queen, so I have to be careful what I say. . . . I like a great, full-bodied red wine, like a Brunello, or an old-fashioned — guess that’s not so horrible.
Where would you like to travel to but haven’t? Oh gosh. So many places. Something I’ve always wanted to do and think I will do sooner rather than later is charter a sailboat and maybe sail the Greek islands or somewhere like that. It’s kind of like a bucket list thing for me.
One item you can’t leave home without when traveling? Probably something for my voice like my throat spray [called Entertainer’s Secret].
Aisle or window? Window because I’m really good sleeping on planes; I can sleep in all different yoga positions. If I have the window, I can wedge my foot up in between the person’s armrest in front of me a little bit without imposing. And I can lean my head on the window.
Favorite childhood travel memory? When I was in high school, I was in an honors choir and we went to the Soviet Union, as it was called at the time, and it was a pretty amazing trip. We went to Stockholm, then Helsinki, and then into — I forget where we entered into the Soviet Union, but we did Moscow, Leningrad, and we sang in all these churches. A pretty unforgettable experience.
Guilty pleasure when traveling? Pay-per-view movies in the hotels. Then I can watch all the movies that I’m too embarrassed to admit that I want to watch, like the cheap romantic comedies that I don’t watch with my boyfriend. Oh, and the M&Ms in the mini-bar.
Best travel tip? I would say go with the flow. Do not try to book every minute and every second and have everything planned to a T. Be willing to nap through something, or change in a moment’s notice. Try new food, a new restaurant. . . . Be easygoing. Take a drive somewhere you don’t know where you’re going and see where you end up — but that’s me. I know that can drive some people crazy. It’s also good to have a good travel partner, because if you have the kind of person who is a Type-A personality and that makes them freak out, you’ll fight and you won’t have a good time with anyone.