(Orlando FL, Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center) Idina Menzel drew a very crowded audience despite some very unfavorable weather conditions to the Walt Disney Theater of Dr. Phillips, but was the 'Queen of Broadway' able to deliver?
Everyone is familiar with Disney. Collectively, the 2 'Frozen' movies have grossed over $3.5 BILLION. Idina Menzel is the voice of one of the 2 lead characters of the movie. In Disney films, she literally represents the best of the best. On Broadway, she is a Tony Award-winning actress for her portrayal of Wicked's 'Elphaba', and has been nominated 2 other times for her excellence with 2 other productions.
In Orlando, vocally she did very well. She entertained us early on with her performance of 'Do You Want to Build a Snowman', and introduced us to 'Great Escape' and 'Little Redwood' which will likely become massive hits from her upcoming return to Broadway under the new musical 'Redwood'. We even received a treat in the form of 'Buenos Aires' from Evita, before she brought back Frozen in the form of 'Let It Go.'
But there was something about the performance that just left me feeling a little unfulfilled. It just felt like her heart wasn't in this performance for some reason. For much of the show, I was struggling to feel a connection with her (and I am an absolute Disney princess fanatic). She wasn't smiling much, and her dialogue in between song choices felt rehearsed and not heartfelt.
Now there was a point where I did begin to feel for her. During 'Let It Go', there is a wonderfully high note in there that Idina admittedly called out upon concluding her song that she just didn't quite hit. She acknowledged to the audience that this had been a recurring nightmare for her as to whether she would hit the note or not, and then she instructed her band to replay the troubled portion of the song so she could attempt it again. Now here, I felt for her... the perfectionist in her was shining through brightly, and I do believe that this 'recurring nightmare' is a genuine concern for her building up over the days immediately prior to her having to belt it out during a performance. She somewhat playfully challenged the audience to attempt to sing it, which surprisingly they did somehow seem to hit the note, and you saw this look of shock on her face, and we saw, for me, the first genuine emotion through her smile and wide amazed eyes as she playfully threw up her middle finger and mouthed 'F*** You' as she laughed and walked toward the back of the stage. Was it a Disney moment? No, absolutely not, but it was during this unrehearsed unscripted portion of the show where I felt I was beginning to see the real Idina.
The next rather vulnerable moment was notably during 'No One Mourns the Wicked', during which Idina physically wiped off her makeup and removed her hair extensions as she sang through the lines of the song. This was pretty brave and, for me again, was the type of connection I was hoping to have with her throughout her performance.
I'm not certain that the rest of the audience was aligned to my feelings above, as the entire Dr. Phillips stood up to give her a standing ovation at the end of her set, but again: vocally, she was excellent and for the musical capabilities she displayed, she was definitely deserving of the Standing O. But again, just my opinion and for my own personal fulfillment: I wish that there could have been more moments where we connected with the Ice Princess in Orlando.
Bailey Guinigundo
Everyone is familiar with Disney. Collectively, the 2 'Frozen' movies have grossed over $3.5 BILLION. Idina Menzel is the voice of one of the 2 lead characters of the movie. In Disney films, she literally represents the best of the best. On Broadway, she is a Tony Award-winning actress for her portrayal of Wicked's 'Elphaba', and has been nominated 2 other times for her excellence with 2 other productions.
In Orlando, vocally she did very well. She entertained us early on with her performance of 'Do You Want to Build a Snowman', and introduced us to 'Great Escape' and 'Little Redwood' which will likely become massive hits from her upcoming return to Broadway under the new musical 'Redwood'. We even received a treat in the form of 'Buenos Aires' from Evita, before she brought back Frozen in the form of 'Let It Go.'
But there was something about the performance that just left me feeling a little unfulfilled. It just felt like her heart wasn't in this performance for some reason. For much of the show, I was struggling to feel a connection with her (and I am an absolute Disney princess fanatic). She wasn't smiling much, and her dialogue in between song choices felt rehearsed and not heartfelt.
Now there was a point where I did begin to feel for her. During 'Let It Go', there is a wonderfully high note in there that Idina admittedly called out upon concluding her song that she just didn't quite hit. She acknowledged to the audience that this had been a recurring nightmare for her as to whether she would hit the note or not, and then she instructed her band to replay the troubled portion of the song so she could attempt it again. Now here, I felt for her... the perfectionist in her was shining through brightly, and I do believe that this 'recurring nightmare' is a genuine concern for her building up over the days immediately prior to her having to belt it out during a performance. She somewhat playfully challenged the audience to attempt to sing it, which surprisingly they did somehow seem to hit the note, and you saw this look of shock on her face, and we saw, for me, the first genuine emotion through her smile and wide amazed eyes as she playfully threw up her middle finger and mouthed 'F*** You' as she laughed and walked toward the back of the stage. Was it a Disney moment? No, absolutely not, but it was during this unrehearsed unscripted portion of the show where I felt I was beginning to see the real Idina.
The next rather vulnerable moment was notably during 'No One Mourns the Wicked', during which Idina physically wiped off her makeup and removed her hair extensions as she sang through the lines of the song. This was pretty brave and, for me again, was the type of connection I was hoping to have with her throughout her performance.
I'm not certain that the rest of the audience was aligned to my feelings above, as the entire Dr. Phillips stood up to give her a standing ovation at the end of her set, but again: vocally, she was excellent and for the musical capabilities she displayed, she was definitely deserving of the Standing O. But again, just my opinion and for my own personal fulfillment: I wish that there could have been more moments where we connected with the Ice Princess in Orlando.
Bailey Guinigundo
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