IDINA MENZEL IN CONCERT

She has been called the Streisand of her generation and that’s probably a fairly apt description of Broadway’s barefoot diva Idina Menzel. Fronting the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, the star of Wicked, Rent and Glee, sans shoes, gave a powerhouse performance of show tunes, pop and standards.

How often do we get to hear a Broadway star singing Broadway songs with a full symphony orchestra? Not often and for the capacity audience of Wicked, Rent and Glee groupies it was bliss. For others it was the chance to witness a Broadway professional at the top of her game dynamically delivering what she does best.

She opened with two choruses of “Over the Rainbow” sung off-stage, and entered to an ear-deafening reception singing Wicked’s “The Wizard and I”.  She sang Streisand (“Don’t Rain On My Parade”), Cole Porter (an inventive coupling of “Love For Sale” with Sting’s “Roxanne”), and Lady Gaga (“Poker Face”) which she sang on Glee. Her salute to mentor Marvin Hamlisch was his favourite song “At the Ballet” which segued into an emotionally thrilling “What I Did For Love”.

To sustain a two-hour concert without intermission is not an easy job, but Menzel cleverly used audience participation in her patter and had assists from several audience members for the Rent duet “Take Me Or Leave Me.” She closed with “For Good”, incredibly effective sung a-capella and without a mic, and a soaring “Somewhere” from West Side Story. She encored with her Wicked signature tune “Defying Gravity” and a song from the Next To Normal team Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey’s new show If/Then which she will open on Broadway next year.

The Queensland Symphony Orchestra under Vanessa Scammell blended seamlessly with Menzel’s touring musicians in what I can only say was a brilliant set of arrangements by musical director Rob Mounsey. It was the barefoot diva’s first visit to Australia and judging by the reception I’m sure it won’t be the last.

Peter Pinne    

Photographer: Robin Wong.

Read Coral Drouyn's interview with Idina Menzel.