This Is Your Brain On Musical Theatre: 10 Questions with Idina Menzel

Singer. Songwriter. Broadway and West End Leading Lady. Film and television actress, and soon to be crowned Snow Queen - Idina Menzel has added much to her resume since her days as a wedding singer in Long Island. Along the way she's picked up a Tony, and is much loved for her performances in two of the defining musicals of our time, RENT and WICKED, the latter of which made Idina a musical theatre star on both sides of the Atlantic.

And now she's bringing that magic to Oz - Australia that is, for her first ever series of concerts Down Under. Idina will start her tour by headlining the closing weekend of the Adelaide Cabaret Festival, before heading to the famed Sydney Opera House, then on to QPAC in Brisbane, and Melbourne's Hamer Hall.

After her Australian tour, Idina will prepare for her much-anticipated Broadway return in the new musical IF/THEN, and lend her famous voice to Disney's latest villain, Elsa aka the Snow Queen, in FROZEN. It would seem this proud mamma to 3 year old Walker, and wife of the talented Taye Diggs just keeps getting better. And she also happens to be one of the loveliest chicks in the biz (you can read my little swoon in part one of our BWW Australia interview here).

For part two of our BWW Oz interview, Idina gave us a little insight into her brain on musical theatre ...

This Is Your Brain On Musical Theatre - 10 Questions with Idina Menzel

Is there a particular show and/or person that first made you feel like 'this is what I want to do'?

Seeing Jennifer Holliday in Dreamgirls.

Who was your first musicals crush?

I think it was Kevin Kline in The Pirates of Penzance.

What is the first cast album or soundtrack you listened to on repeat?

A Star is Born, Barbra Streisand/Kris Kristofferson

Can you remember the moment when you first understood that you could sing the way most others can't?

I auditioned for a solo in the Choir concert. 3rd grade. The positive way my music teacher Mr. Roper reacted. The jealous, hateful way Sarah from the 4th grade reacted.

Is there one night in your career that you would love to go back to and experience over again?

Winning the Tony for Wicked was an incredible evening.

Is there one role that belongs to the opposite gender or a different age group that you'd secretly love to perform?

Oliver. "Please sir, I want some more".

Who gets the best roles in Musical Theatre - men or women?

Oh it's probably close. The cool thing is that unlike film, the theatre roles for women get better and better as you get older.

What is your favourite movie musical?

West Side Story

What is the saddest/most poignant song to sing and why?

This song in the new musical I'm working on If/Then; but I can't tell you yet.

and finally, borrowing from James Lipton via Bernard Pivot:

What sound or noise do you love?

The laughter of my son when we play Tickle Monster.

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Idina Menzel AUSTRALIAN TOUR, June 2013

June 22nd - Festival Hall, Adelaide

June 26 & 27 - Sydney Opera House, Sydney

June 29 - QPAC, Brisbane

June 30 - Hamer Hall, Melbourne

For tickets and more information on Idina Menzel's Australian tour click here, or visit her official Facebook page here.