Menzel Duets with Charles on Genius and Friends CD, Sept. 20

By: Sep. 10, 2005
Click Here for More on IDINA MENZEL
Get Access To Every Broadway Story

Unlock access to every one of the hundreds of articles published daily on BroadwayWorld by logging in with one click.




Existing user? Just click login.

According to Billboard Magazine, Idina Menzel will be heard singing with the late Ray Charles on Genius and Friends, a new CD that will be released on September 20th by Rhino Records. The CD is timed to celebrate the 75th birthday of the soul legend, who was born on September 23rd, 1930.

Menzel's track with Charles is "I Will Be There." The album also features Charles duetting with Jill Scott, Mary J. Blige, Chris Isaak, Patti LaBelle, Diana Ross, George Michael and Angie Stone, as well as John Legend and Italian pop star Laura Pausini. "Rhino rounded out the album with two tracks originally recorded for other purposes: Alicia Keys' performance of 'America the Beautiful,' a tune associated with Charles, at last year's Super Bowl halftime show, and Charles singing 'Busted' with buddy Willie Nelson for a 1991 TV special. Keys is accompanied by 150 students from the St. Augustine-based Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind, which Charles attended as a youth in 1937," according to Billboard. Prior to his death, Charles had requested that Rhino finish and release the CD.

Charles, who broke open racial boundaries as a musician and who pioneered a new sound with its roots in gospel, died on June 10th, 2004--a few months before the Academy Award-nominated film Ray was released (Jamie Foxx won an Oscar for his performance). A Broadway-bound musical based on the property, with a book by Pulitzer Prize-winner Suzan-Lori Parks, is currently in development. " Charles' (who went blind at an early age) hit songs include "What'd I Say?," "I Can't Stop Loving You," and "Hit the Road Jack."

Menzel, who will next appear in Michael John LaChiusa's See What I Wanna See at the Public Theatre, received the 2004 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her turn as Elphaba in Wicked. She reprised her Tony-nominated turn as Maureen in the upcoming film version of Rent (which will be released this November). Menzel played Amneris in Broadway's Aida, portrayed Kate in Andrew Lippa's off-Broadway musical The Wild Party and appeared in the City Center Encores! production of Hair, as well as in the Actors' Fund Benefit Concert of Funny Girl. The burgeoning film actress will also be seen in Ask the Dust, starring Colin Farrell and Salma Hayek.

A 146-track boxed set of Charles' songs, Pure Genius--The Complete Atlantic Recordings (1952-1959), will also be released on the same date and label as Genius and Friends. "The releases come at a time when Charles' profile remains as high as ever: His first big seller on Atlantic, 'I Got a Woman,' is the sample that anchors Kanye West's single 'Gold Digger,' which is No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100."

To pre-order the CD, visit the following link.


Vote Sponsor


Videos