Saturday, July 19, 2008

MESMERIZED

Thursday night was the Idina Menzel show. I was very excited because I love Idina. She's got a voice unlike any other and I was ready and willing to pay money just to hear her belt some songs, even if I didn't know them (her tour is promoting a CD which I had never listened to). But it's Idina. In the words of Paula Abdul, she could sing the phone book and it'd be amazing.

From the beginning, she was a hoot. Her microphone pack slipped out twice during the first song. She was "discombobulated" and thrown off her game and kept talking about it all night long, which, in my opinion, made her that much funnier and more endearing. She told jokes and lots of stories. She was very interactive and sassy with the audience, even going into a little bit of "Over the Moon" when someone yelled "moo with me!" She did a whole bit about her previous life as a wedding singer and how she had to dance with the band and wore awful clothes. She sang "No Day but Today" and also sang a very sweet a cappella "For Good" which went from sweet to hilarious when she kept forgetting the words. After her final song, she came out for an encore and sang "Defying Gravity" as recorded on her new album (aka not the Wicked version). It was different to hear it without the full orchestra, but she channeled a little Elphaba for us at the very end when she hit that final note.

For a few years now, I've wanted to see Idina Menzel perform live, no matter the setting. Thursday was no disappointment. The theater was pretty intimate, so between that and Idina's candidness, the show was worth every penny. If you like theater, and her show is coming to your city (cough Eric cough), you should definitely go.

6 comments:

  1. Not to discredit her in any way, but from your description, it sounds like she didn't have it together. Her mic pack falling out, forgetting words? When I go to a show, I like to think that with the price of admission, I'm also paying for a certain level of professionalism. Was it a fluke, or is she unprepared for a solo tour?

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  2. Excuse me, Music Teacher. She was totally professional. She recovered from every misstep and had the audience in her palm the entire time. And I don't think the mic pack was her fault - it was her tech guy's first day on the job.

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  3. Dan: Part of Idina's personality (and performance) is a wacky, accident-prone, and down-to-earth woman - those things come through loud and clear when she is performing the music she has written herself. She's very much an "in her head" performer and things going wrong with her show, i.e. her mic pack falling off (which is not her fault, sh*t happens) distract her, but she always rambles her way back to the point she's trying to make. It's just who she is, and it does not make her any less professional than someone who walks on stage, sings 15 songs perfectly, takes a bow, and walks off. At least she makes for an interesting night. You never know what she's going to say or do. And it's worth every cent.

    Sincerely,
    A fan that found this blog on a Google Alert

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  4. That's good stuff. Like I said, I meant no discredit to her. Giving fans a memorable and enjoyable musical experience is what it's all about. Lindsay enjoyed herself; mission accomplished. Just playing devils advocate, don't kill me.

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  5. I don't think I can't see that show in LA and leave with my masculinity.

    The last time I read Dan's comment, it said, "Was it a fluke, or is she unprepared for a solo tour?" He did ask if it was a "fluke," but everyone ignores that.

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  6. Yeah but "fluke" makes it sound like she didn't recover and the show was a flop, which was very much nit the case.

    And I wouldn't worry about your masculinity Eric, especially when your blog & Facebook status has been devoted to Chris Martin lately. Seriously though, I went with a male and he was just as masculine after the show as before. You'll be fine. As big a theater nerd as you/we are, I'm surprised I'm having to talk you into this.

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Oh goody!

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