Skip to main content Skip to footer site map
Interview: Idina Menzel Reflects on Her Career In New Documentary WHICH WAY TO THE STAGE?

Interview: Idina Menzel Reflects on Her Career In New Documentary WHICH WAY TO THE STAGE?

Idina Menzel: Which Way to the Stage? premieres December 9 on Disney+.

From her iconic roles on Broadway in "Rent" and "Wicked" to voicing the legendary character of Elsa in Disney's "Frozen," Idina Menzel has done it all. However, her new documentary follows her as she's finally fulfilling a lifelong dream: headlining a concert at Madison Square Garden in her hometown of New York City.

"Idina Menzel: Which Way to the Stage?" follows Menzel on a national tour over the course of 16 shows as she juggles the challenges of being a working mom with a grueling travel schedule, all while preparing finally to realize her dream.

Directed by Anne McCabe, the documentary features footage of Menzel onstage in Wicked and Rent, alongside interviews with her family, friends, co-stars, and creative collaborators. The film also tells the story of her personal experience with in vitro fertilization.

BroadwayWorld caught up with Menzel at the premiere of the documentary in New York City. Keep reading to see which Broadway role she was most excited to revisit in the film, what she learned about herself through the film, and more.

Plus, check out a new clip from the documentary, in which Menzel looks back on creating the role of Maureen in Rent, cut in with footage of her singing "Take Me Or Leave Me" at her concert.


How are you feeling now that everyone's about to see the documentary?

Oh, a little nervous. It's one thing to watch a movie that you're in as an actor. It's another thing to watch it when it's just you bare bones there. But I have my whole family and friends and all the musicians are here and so it's just cool.

In the documentary, we're gonna take a look back at some of your iconic Broadway roles. Which one were you most excited to sort of take a look back on and re-examine?

They all are sort of with me all the time. I feel like they're sort of just chicken or the egg, they've defined me, I've defined them. It's fun to look at the Rent stuff just because it's the furthest away and I just see myself being so young and I would say usually when you're young you say you don't know what's ahead of you. But back then we were really aware of how important it was to take in the moment and that we were on the cusp of something and that we had a responsibility to Jonathan Larson to really make sure that we kept a good head on our shoulders and we were grounded and that we just made sure we communicated his message. So I think that that precedent was set back then and I hope that I've kept it and that it remains till this day.

Looking back, what did you learn about yourself while you make this documentary?

Good question. I learned that I can multi-task pretty well. That I know that I may not feel like I put on a perfect show, but as long as I stay true to myself and authentic, that audiences will still feel something from me. So if I'm with my son or I'm taking a flight back in the middle of the night so I can get back to the show or I'm feeling under the weather, that as long as I just kind of stand up there and I'm authentic, that that's the best show I give, not because I'm trying to hit a note and hold a long note for days.


Watch a clip of Menzel looking back on her time in Rent in the documentary here:

Photo by Eric Maldin/Walkman Productions Inc.




Related Stories
Video: Idina Menzel Breaks Down Let It Go From FROZEN With Chris Wallace Photo
This week on Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace?, singer Idina Menzel joins CNN Anchor Chris Wallace to discuss her best-known work as the voice of Elsa in Frozen, her career on stage and screen and a possible return to Broadway. Watch a video clip from the upcoming episode now!

Review Roundup: Idina Menzels Documentary Comes to Disney+ Photo
In “Idina Menzel: Which Way to the Stage?,” filmmaker Anne McCabe follows Menzel on a national tour over the course of 16 shows as she juggles the challenges of being a working mom with a grueling travel schedule, all while preparing finally to realize her dream. Check out what critics thought of the documentary in the first reviews now!

VIDEO: Idina Menzel Teases Return to Broadway on E! NEWS Photo
During a recent interview on E! News, Idina Menzel teased her return to Broadway in an original musical. Menzel also discussed a possible Rent revival, documenting her Madison Square Garden debut for her upcoming Disney+ documentary film, and more. Watch the interview video now!

VIDEO: Idina Menzel Reveals How RENT Inspired Her New Documentary Photo
Idina Menzel appeared on CBS Mornings to promote her new documentary, Idina Menzel: Which Way to the Stage? Menzel described what inspired her document the experience of playing at Madison Square Garden, calling back to a lesson she learned while starring in Rent. Watch the new video interview now!


From This Author - Michael Major


Arctic Lake Shares New Single 'Are You Okay?'Arctic Lake Shares New Single 'Are You Okay?'
March 24, 2023

Emma Foster’s expressive vocals and Paul Holliman’s bright, buoyant production combine to deliver a reassuring message about restoring personal connections that have gotten frayed by outside demands. The London-based duo collaborated on the track with Donny Bravo.

Matt Corby Releases New Album 'Everything's Fine'Matt Corby Releases New Album 'Everything's Fine'
March 24, 2023

Reinvigorated by the art of collaboration Matt returned to his most trusted partnerships with producers Alex Hendrickson, Chris Collins (Gang of Youths, Middle Kids, Skegss), and pop-writing talent Nat Dunn (Rita Ora, Charli XCX, Tkay Maidza) to build a dynamic, layered musical world now on display with the arrival of Everything’s Fine.

Lindsey Lomis Drops New Single 'Bad News / Good News'Lindsey Lomis Drops New Single 'Bad News / Good News'
March 24, 2023

Lomis made waves with 2020’s In the Madness EP and a string of live dates supporting artists like The Brook & The Bluff, “Slow Motion” collaborator JoJo, Lawrence, Lexi Jayde, and Joshua Bassett. She also earned online support from the likes of Justin Bieber, Meghan Trainor, Shawn Mendes, Joe Jonas, Allen Stone, and more. 

FREYA RIDINGS Soars In 'Can I Jump?' Ahead of New Album in AprilFREYA RIDINGS Soars In 'Can I Jump?' Ahead of New Album in April
March 24, 2023

Writing the track with Scott Harris (Camila Cabello, Shawn Mendes) and Annika Bennett along with Grammy Award winning producer Federico Vindver (Coldplay, Meghan Trainor), “Can I Jump?” was inspired by the biggest of decisions - the prospect of getting married to her partner after an on/off/on relationship which started when she was 19-years-old.

Brandy Clark to Return With Brandi Carlile-Produced Self-Titled AlbumBrandy Clark to Return With Brandi Carlile-Produced Self-Titled Album
March 24, 2023

Brandy Clark will return this spring with her highly-anticipated new self-titled album. Produced by 9-time Grammy winning Brandi Carlile, the album showcases Clark’s versatility with eleven songs that span the emotional spectrum, including the first single, “Buried,” which is out now.