IDINA MENZEL

Published Sep 28, 2021, 11:30 AM

There's a new villain in town - well, on your screens anyway - and she's delightfully wicked! Idina Menzel, known as the voice of Elsa in “Frozen”, and for her Tony winning Broadway depiction of Elphaba in "Wicked", is the evil stepmother in the new “Cinderella” movie, out now!

Join us, and my cohost Delilah Jr., as we talk about Idina's work as a writer, singer, and actress, and also her work as a mom, partner, sister and friend. (And our shared love of sourdough bread!) It’s all in this episode of LOVE SOMEONE! ~ Delilah

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Oh, September. What a beautiful, beautiful season of the year. I love this season. I say beautiful, but it's also kind of bumpy. September is a time of profound change, and change often means disruption. It's a month much like its spring counterpart, March, where anything goes is the typical weather forecast in most areas. One day it's beautiful, one day it's raining. Could be calm and mild, could be hot, and Muggie could send us rain and wind. Even if serene summer weather does hang out a little bit longer, September does the equivalent of flooding our emails with reminders that fall in soon winter just around the corner. It's those cooler mornings and cooler nights, the shorter days, the trees that aren't quite shedding their summer coats yet but begin randomly dropping their leaves hither and thither. In yonn that tell us would better enjoy every drop of sunshine we can soak up. If you live in a place that affords you the opportunity to study the behaviors of some of the wild critters, you probably pick up right now, and they're frenzied behaviors especially those that are collecting and storing food for the winter. Hello, Mr squirrel, I'm talking to you. I'm actually talking to me because I'm like a squirrel every fall. I'm canning. I'm canning, I'm freezing. I'm dehydrating because I'm storing up food for the winter. Those reminders served me to jar up everything that I can. I put away the patio furniture and make sure the gutters are cleaned out. While I should make sure the gutters are cleaned out, I forget that often I prepare the garden beds for winners worst. But these days also send me into a state of reflection, thinking of all the beautiful things September has brought to me in the past. September made me a mom with the birth of my oldest child, Isaiah, and then my second born, Sheila. September is the first bite of a ripe juicy apple in the knowledge that change, change is what propels us forward, even when we resisted, even when we hate it. Some of us, really, especially at this stage in life, hate change. No what else September brought us besides my kids finally getting to go back to in person learning the new movie Cinderella that opened September three in theaters and on Amazon Prime Video. Why does this movie excite me so royal because one of my most favorite actresses plays the evils stepmother Broadway sensation Adina Menzel, who I first saw way way back in her Tony winning role of Alphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West and the smash musical Wicked that I've seen like eight times now. And who everyone I mean, everyone who has a child or a grandchild is familiar with well familiar with her voice, at least as Elsa in Disney's Oscar Award winning Frozen. No one else is super exciting she is here with us today. I can't wait to get caught up with her and all that she's been up to. Right after I give proper credit to another outstanding performer, one of the sponsors of this podcast episode. I believe everyone, everyone has the power to change the world. That's what Mercy Ships is doing. Through the generosity of volunteers and donors. They create floating hospitals that traveled to some of the poorest countries on Earth to provide free, life changing surgeries. Visit Mercy ships dot org slash love to see how you can change the world by being a part of all the beautiful work they do. That's Mercy ships dot org slash love. Hello, Idina, guy, I have a co host with me in the studio. This is Delilah Jr. H. If her plan went through, she would be in her first day of school today, but some paperwork was missing, and so instead she got to come home and she gets to meet and talk with Idina. I don't know if you remember. We had lunch together many many moons ago, and my daughter, Sheyla came, who was at that time your biggest fan, and I had taken her to see you and Wicked. And now Delilah is your biggest fan, and she has not yet got to see a new movie. And then we'll get to watch the movie later on. The movie's great, it's fun. So, Idina men Zelli, what have you done? What have you been doing during the COVID shutdown? You've been busy, busy, busy, busy. I've been busier, probably than I would have thought. During a pandemic. Cinderella happened, and then I came home for what was going to be a two week break to see my family and then didn't go back for months because of COVID, and then we that one little you know, kind of dipped down the numbers. They got it, they had figured out how to be safe on set and got us back in and we we finished the film, the films Cinderella, and then a couple of months go by and then I just finished Enchanted. Yeah, so I've been busy in making music. But mostly, you know, the pandemic for me was a silver lining and that I got to be home more and go to my son's basketball practices and just be a mom and a wife and hang out at home. And I would like to see it that I learned how to cook like everybody does, but I didn't. I did a few arts and crafts, and I found that I liked dakupage ng Jacopa chair and some vases. I loved acupage. I ate the whole house, and I'm age posh. I went a little crazy. I I love to cook. And maybe a month or two before the COVID shut down, two of my girlfriends taught me how to make sour dough bread and one shared a starter that's like fifty years old. So my girlfriends and I became the sour Dough Sisterhood, and now I shared the same starter. It has a name, and we became the Sour Dough Sisterhood. And we would send pictures to each other, you know, where we put like herbs in it, or herb butter in it, or Janie added because my producer, Janie is very health conscious, so she added all these healthy nuts and grains and she only used hold wheat bread. Then we would send pictures to each other. And then I noticed as the year went on, the picture of me holding the bread the bread loaf was the same size, but I but you're asked that bigger. Yeah. I was growing like with each picture, and I'm like, shoot, should I edit these? Like should I use the body shaping thing? Get rid of that sour dough middle that I've created. So it was a wonderful experience, but boy, now I'm trying to walk ten thousand steps a day to trim trim down the sour rating. For a minute, though, wasn't it just to kind of just eat whatever and not worry about having to be on camera public in some way and just enjoy And it was great until I realized I had to get back into my corset for Cinderella, and then I that will be so humiliating if they have to extend the corset and it redo the costume out on the peloton. At that point started trying to work off my sour bread. Well, I haven't gotten back up, you know. I haven't done a speaking tour or anything since this hit. But I am doing my ten thousand steps a day, or I'm trying to anyway. Um, so you finished Cinderella. I did a commercial for it a couple of weeks ago, and I haven't had a chance to watch it because I want to watch it with the kids. But tell me about that. Yeah, it's it's really joyous, honestly, the music and the arrangements and and she's not a whimp. I hear, she's not waiting for the Brinds Desavers. Are you gonna have a good life? Yeah, it's very modern. It's modern take on Cinderella, and it's it's good. I think that, you know, we have to they say these these stories are timeless, but sometimes they don't always stand the test of time. When I need a little recalibrating and we need to look at them as a society and just just until still a lot I have had a very hard time as a mother with eight girls, exposing them to Disney princesses who were waiting for their night in Shining Armor, their prince Charming to kiss them and wake them up or whatever, because I'm like, that's not real life. I know. That's why I feel lucky that I'm Elsa and Frozen, because I think that that Disney team that created Frozen was really trying to be responsible and held accountable in that way, and that that was all about the two sisters falling in love with one another really and being there for each other. And so I think that there's a trend to really do the work there. And in Cinderella, it's really about a woman not compromising herself and not settling and having a vision of what she wants in life. And and also it's a really nice role model for young men to see because the man she chooses is actually very supportive of her and wants her to be her best self. Wouldn't that be nice if we could always give that message and that our young daughters received that message that you know what, you can make it on your own if you choose to have a prince Charming in your life. Make sure he loves you for you. Yeah, It's just that's how I feel in my with my husband now. I just feel like he sees me. He sees me for who I am and with all my imperfections, but he also sees them as being my strengths and what makes me special. And so he's a good example for my son and to see my son to see the way that he treats me with that kind of respect, and for my son to see the way I treat myself and the characters I play, and that I you know, I feel a lot of guilt as a working woman when I leave my son or I'm busy for the day, or you know, can't be at every practice or game. But he's also seeing that his mom does what she loves to do and what she's passionate about for a living. Does he have any clue how amazing I am amazing and slapped and hot a DNA that you are, that's right? How how you drip with with awesomeness? Thank you? Know? Um? I think he does. I think, depending on the day, plays it off. But um, he's very proud. He will. It all comes down to this one time where the teacher called me and said, Um, he was a music class and she asked everyone to raise her hand and tell what who their favorite singer was, and he said my mom. So I think about that every time he screams set me when I'm singing something in the shower and tells me it's too loud and annoying. I take myself back to that music class. Nevermind myself that deep down he's very proud, and he's also probably going to use it to get some of the girls one day. Of course he is. Actually, I'll say, he actually really likes this movie because he likes that I'm kind of playing I shall I say the nemesis. Um, he likes it. The music I'm singing this, this original song I have in this in the movie that I co wrote called dream Girl, is really, as he would say, badass, and he wants me to rock more. I think. So he's excited by that. Very cool. That is awesome. So Cinderella out now available to anybody? Yeah? Is it? It's what? Yeah, it's out now, or it's on Amazon, or you can go to certain theaters and see it. I have to say, it's pretty awesome to see you on a big screen. You know, we're all assuming that we've just kind of we don't need it anymore and we're home. But one day it would really be nice if we could all safely get back into a theater because I got to see it outdoors and a big screen and it's just luminous and fun, and let's do that, let's do it out to me, you probably see more of my smile lines, Oh you're so beautiful, but um, it's good because of music and the dancing and the be um all the tracks are really you know, when you have great sound, it's just a different story, a completely different story. Somebody one said to me. You know, you can get up and pause and go to the bathroom, or if something emotionally makes you feel a little uncomfortable, you can stop it, Whereas when you're in a theater you have to sit with what the creators we're doing and whether whatever that makes you feel. And I think that's the lost art here. A little bit is that my husband gets up twelve times to pee in the middle of an emotional movie and where are you going? Where are you going, honey? Where I'm going to make popcorn and go into this and like, but this is not how it was intended for you to see. Well, it's you know, it's depressing. I know, we'd sit in it for a minute. Yeah, feel the feelings, It's okay, embrace the embrace the feelings. Yeah. If a movie doesn't have like three car explosions in it and at least you know, two or three bad guys and the chase, and my husband isn't interested unless it's Princess Pride. Princess Pride, It's true, that's a great movie. Yeah. Well I'm I'm pretty evil, except then you learn what makes me tick in this movie, which is why I love it a lot, because you know, she's not just an archetype. She's she's definitely has levels and pain and human experience that you get to see, like Alpha ba. Yeah, I guess I'm drawn to those characters, you know, as misunderstood powerful women that um that have to take their anger out by you know, and their anger, but their anger is frowned upon their rage, their power so becomes it becomes scary as opposed to becoming powerful and beautiful. And so this is a different angle on that, but but all stemming from the same place of women with strong talent and passion and strong feelings that temper them and bring them and suppress them, and then it comes out in different ways. And so I think it's important for everyone to keep reminding themselves that. But the whole point is to step into other people's footsteps, you know, and find that empathy. I mean, that's I think why I like being a performer, because I'm always asked to do that. I think is human beings. Before we judge someone is important to kind of think about what was their experience? Maybe why are they acting this by you know, I'm having so much fun getting caught up with you today, Adina. Can we pause for just a second and let one of my podcast sponsors take about The show must go on, but without these sponsors, none of this would be possible. This podcast is sponsored by Better Help, a company set up to help people. It's not a crisis line or self help group, but a group of professionals who provide counseling that's done securely online. They make it possible for you to talk with them from the comfort of your own home or office. You don't have to limit yourself to counselors near you, and it's much more affordable than traditional counseling with financial aid available. Better Help matches you with licensed professionals that specialize in everything from depression, distress, family conflict, trauma, grief, to self esteem and much more. Everything is confidential and it's easy to make appointments via video or phone. They can help you start living a happier life today. Received ten percent off your first month by visiting better help dot com, slash love Someone that's b E T T E r H E LP dot com slash love Someone. Over one million people have taken charge of their mental health with Better Help. So it's confession session, something I do on my radio show often where I ask people tough questions and you can pass, that's fine. But I'm thinking of the three characters, the one you're describing in Cinderella and certainly Frozen your character, and as Alphabet and Wicked, And you just touched on how often when we are strong, when we are talented, when we are driven, were painted as batches or difficult or unmanageable. Where if a guy is talented and driven, he's the head of the company. He's the best thing ever. You know. He can take over the world. He can run these major corporations and have a race to space with his other multi billionaire buddies. So when in your person life, in your real life off screen, has there been a moment, And I know there's probably been many where you were made to feel like you should be less than who you are. There was a scene in Amadeus Mozart where the guy who had commissioned the requium or whatever said, it's there's too many notes and let's like, um, what do you mean there's too many? Take some out, get get rid of some of it. Is there a time that you can share where somebody made you feel like who you are, your talent, your personality, your beauty, your strength, your features that are like you're beautiful, thank you. But was there a time where, I mean, I remember a specific time when somebody tried to change my name and this is my birth name and they're like, no, no, no, you can't. You can't go by the Lila. It sounds too made up. Yeah. Um, I'm thinking of several things, and you don't have to name names. I'm not asking you to hurt anybody. I never want to hurt anybody on the show. But well, I think of my wicked experience. But the person that was most at fault for the way I felt was honestly myself. Um, I allowed myself to feel insubordinate and like undeserving. I was so my insecurity was so high, it's going to get fired in every incarnation of the workshops and different things of Wicked. And I so adored and revered Christian Channoit's process and how like she was just she really was such a pro and she seemed like hit the character to me, she was so perfect and every time she said her line to everyone laughed, and I was just really feeling like, um, not feeling Wicked at all. And so that became like a self fulfilling prophecy because the more I tried to fake it, I just felt worse and worse about myself. So this is one of those beautiful times where the character and the person were, you know, art imitating life and it wasn't. I remembered of one night where the director had said, like, step into your light. I mean, the show is called Wicked, let's go like, let's be badass. You know you're holding back and only and I don't like to say this because I want young people to really, um, not copy other people and embrace what makes them unique. And yet I think there's a time to emulate the people that inspire us. And I had this moment when I was backstage and I said to myself, tonight, I am going to pretend like I'm Glenn Close playing alf blah blah. She would hold for applause, she would take a long about, she would hold the notes longer, she would let the silences just linger, you know, like there would be no worrying about being too good or too talented or too powerful. And so that was the best show I ever had because I said, no, you hold here, they're applauding. Don't go into the next song yet, take that in or or lay into this line, and don't be afraid to be angry or powerful. This is who you are, you know. And it's so that's that's always a weird example for me to talk about, because I want kids to like, really believe in what makes them unique. And yet sometimes we have to look to the women that we are inspired by for a little help sometimes. You know, my mom was a very big I'm five ten and she was three inches taller than me, very big woman, but she was she looked like a model. You know, she was beautiful, and she had a very big personality. And it wasn't until much later in life that I realized she had a lot of insecurities, a lot. But I didn't know that when I was a kid, and a lot of times, you know, you were you were talking about what would Glenn Close do? And when I would be going into a situation, and I would be just be so anxious, in a bundle of nerves. I would think about my mom and how you know, she would walk into the principal's office and she would defend her daughter, and my mom the same. She was so beautiful everybody to this day, she's seventy three, she looks like she's in her fifties. She's everyone say she would look like Fara Fauce that when she'd come into school. Um, she was so powerful on behalf of us, my sister and myself, and like and fight for us and loyal, and yet we would see are look in the mirror it herself and take yourself down. Oh this I look fat. Oh I don't like the way I look here. And and so I realized as a parent that no matter what you have to be an example, you can't because the kids are watching what you do, and no matter how much you said you're beautiful girls and you're you're talented, it didn't matter. I inhabited the part of her that saw a beautiful woman in the mirror and then was disparaging to herself. So it's important as parents that we start of fake fake it till you make it. My motto, fake until you make it. Well, if you're faking it til you make it, you're doing a damn good job, because you're amazing. You're amazing. I love your voice. I mean, everybody knows your voice, probably because of Frozen, but I had the pleasure of hearing your voice for the first time in Wicked, and then of course bought the album and then you know, followed you. And there is a quality to your voice that is otherworldly. Oh thanks, like a power that blows me away. Oh thank you, so thank you for sharing your music with us all these years. Delilah, did you have anything that you wanted to say or ask? You're sitting here so nicely. In the movie Frozen, did Hans actually wanted to marry Anna just to take over Aaron? Now? What do you think about that? Was that upsetting for you. Was that upsetting that ending? Yeah? I didn't like he wanted to take over your castle. Yeah, he was so deceiving, wasn't he? H? I know, And it was a surprise because we all believed he really loved her, right. I tend to think that characters are complicated, and maybe he thought she was really wonderful, but he also wanted the power of taking over the castle. So I think it's left up to our interpretation. And is Anna, you're like the character who plays her? Is she your actual sister? Kristin Bell, she feels like a sister. No, she's she's my friend and she's very much like Anna, and we treat each other like sisters. But I actually have a younger sister, my real sister. Her name is Kara. She's three years younger than me, and we're very similar in that way. She's she's more like Anna, and she's always you know, and I'm like also making all these songs and everybody paying attention to me and telling me I'm magical. And she's my younger sisters, more quiet, she's smarter than me, she's more responsible than me, and she's a writer, and so she's had to learn growing up She took her a long time to figure out what she wanted to do because I was always singing and you know, taking the energy out of the room. And now she's this beautiful writer and we've written this children's book together that hopefully I'll come on the show one day and like a year and talk to you about I'll send it to you. But yes, and my true real sister, her name is Kara, and we're very very close. So here's a question with your true real sister. If anybody had ever put a wall between you and said you couldn't go out that door or she couldn't come in the door, I guess uh also had the choice to go out, but she was afraid of her power. Would that wall have ever kept you from your sister, from your family? No, unless I really thought I could hurt her, which is what I think Elsa believed. She really was told by her parents that she could hurt I mean, she did hurt her sister when they were a little you know, she knocked on the ground, so she was just terrified of really wounding the people around her. So, um, No, nothing could keep me from being with my sister, unless for some reason I thought that that actual touch was going to really hurt her. That's so sad when you think of it. Like I know, I was talking to somebody yesterday when I was prepared ring for this interview, and I said, you know, I really don't like that story at all because I just think that it's it's cruel, it's it's child abuse to have two sisters living in the same house with the wall between them and no contact. Horrible. Yeah, yeah, that's like some sort of weird hell to be in. I know, But what about COVID. We've been locking our family members in other rooms in the house we put in. You agree with me? Lui? That's my dog? What kind of dog? He's an Italian water dog. He looks kind of boodally. But they're called Legoto Romagnolo's. That's the pretentious name. They they're bred to find truffles and tuscany. It's like really tough stuff. And does he ever go truffle hunting? He digs a lot, Yeah, he did. Sometimes. I think we could get truffles and put him in the ground for him, just just because he's always looking digging for something, for anything. Okay, so folks can find Cinderella. It is in some theaters. It is available on Amazon. You're working on a children's book. What else can they look forward to enjoying you in? Anything else in the works. Yeah, I'm working on some new musicals, a couple of things that are in their nation stages. UM, but that's my happy place. I love to be involved in the early stages and um work with new young composers and writers. And then yeah, just sohe an album. I'm working onto music and oh yeah and album and written a dozen or so songs. You know, I just have the songs the video to dream Girl, that's the song in the movie. I did a remix with Nile Rogers and it's really great and I'm excited for everybody to see that that will come out with the soundtrack. And we did Enchanted. We finished that up and I don't know, we'll see. I'm enjoying. I like when there's I see nothing in the calendar for a minute, and it means I just drive Walker to school in the morning, and I pick him up from school, and I'm around for homework, and you know, I can order in food because I had not a cook, but at least I can send you some sour dough, please please. We went when we were in Ireland. Sour dough was all the age, yummy sour dough. I make the sour do and then we slice it and butter it and then pan fry it like a steak and then put parmesan cheese or you know, some kind of hard cheese on top. Hey, look, I'm you know, Dolilla. I know your your mommy. Maybe she forgot a form today, but I'm really um relieved and happy that whatever mistake she made this morning, um, happened so that we could see each other and get to meet each other, you know, and parents, We just we have to remember a lot of things these days. So just give her a right, Okay, thank you for that. Yes, Um, me and my niece we did a play about Frozen. We went in the backyard for barbecue, and um, Delilah and my granddaughter performed songs from Frozen and I had made costumes for them. What was your favorite moment, Talila? Probably love as an open door. Yeah. I was Anna and she was herbar was Elsa. And did you did everyone applaud? How did that feel? I felt nice? Oh good? Right? Did you get nervous or no? Yeah? Yeah, what do you do when you're nervous? She giggles, She giggles, Yeah, you pushed through and you did it. Yeah, well, I wish I was there. You send me a video. I can send you the video. We have the video. I was so proud of him because a lot of people have the desire in their heart to, you know, to step up and do something, and then they let fear. When I was saying, she pushed through her nerves and she did, she did. Aren't you so proud of yourself after that? Yes? Yeah, I was really proud of her. I still get nervous every time I have to get up and sing what happens to you when you get nervous? I was at the pea. Yeah, I have to pee and many times, and then, um, I start to freak out that I'm going to forget the lyrics. So then I sell myself. Stop it. Just sing the song to your son. Sing the song or your son. That's all that matters. Um. So I do think like that. Sometimes I do mess up and forget the lyrics and then I'm I tell everyone, oh, I just messed up, and I'm going to take that back and start again. And I find that the audience really likes that to see that you're human infallible. So I've learned that to lean into my mistakes. But that takes a minute to to trust and it's scary. But yeah, what else I get dry mouths sometimes? Well, thank you for this time, Thank you for spending time with us. I think we're going to have a Cinderella party. Oh great, yeah, yeah, I got a nice big Streen Sammy videos of the Frozen play. Okay, I will send that to you. Thank you all right, Well, love you guys, Thank you, Love you, Douglas. Bye. There are talented people, and then there are talented people. The incredible, beautiful Adina Menzel is one of the latter. She's gorgeous. She can sing, she can act, she can write, she can dance, she can spread love and light enjoy the people, even when she takes on the role of an evil old crone. If that's not talent, I don't know what is. I'm so thrilled. She gave us so much of her time today and we were able to talk about her work as a writer, a singer, and actress, her work as a mama bear, as a partner, as a sister, as a friend. She's a phenomenal entertainer and even more, an inspiring role model. Just ask my daughter, Delila Jr. Who truly adores her. Cinderella is out now in theaters and on Amazon Prime Video. Doesn't that sound like a great way to spend a Friday night with your family after a long week of work in school. And if you're looking for some amaze in Christmas music for the upcoming holidays, pick up or download her sensational album Christmas A Season of Wishes to add to your playlist. That's a rap on this fairy tale episode of Love Someone, but never fear. I'll be back in two weeks with another fabulous episode featuring another fabulous guest. Until then, enjoy what is left of our autumn sunshine. Try to embrace the changes in the weather, the changes in the season, and as hard as it is, whatever changes might be happening in your own life. That's the hard one to embrace, isn't it. Thank you for joining me. Let's do it again soon. Join me on the air every night for my radio show and do me a favor. Take some time out of your busy life to slow down and love someone

LOVE SOMEONE with Delilah

In a world that can feel divisive and bleak, it's easy to get caught up in feelings of hopelessness, 
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