Idina Menzel: World Tour


Idina Menzel: World Tour was a concert tour by actress and singer Idina Menzel.

Performances

Following the success of her critically acclaimed one night only concert at Radio City Music Hall and the release of her Christmas album Holiday Wishes, Menzel announced she would embark on World Tour: planning 54 concerts in various countries including America, Canada, the United Kingdom, South Korea, Japan, the Philippines and the Netherlands.
This was her first time doing a world tour.
In non-English speaking countries, Menzel sang a bilingual version of Let it Go, singing one of the song's stanzas in the country's language.

Concert synopsis

Menzel is accompanied by a five-piece band, six-piece horn section, and four-piece orchestra. The show begins with video clips projected against a white curtain before Menzel emerges wearing a black strapless dress, starting the show with a lower version of Defying Gravity from Wicked and Don't Rain on My Parade from Funny Girl.
She then addresses the audience before performing Brave and the title track from her 2008 solo album I Stand. Next, Menzel talks about her role in Wicked and performs a lower version of The Wizard and I. Next, Menzel pulls up a stool for her cover of River from her 2014 Christmas album Holiday Wishes.
Menzel shares a story about an experience she had studying Theater at New York University and performs a mashup of Cole Porter's Love For Sale and The Police's Roxanne. Menzel performs a tribute to Ethel Merman in a medley of There's No Business Like Show Business, Anything Goes, and Everything's Coming Up Roses. Menzel then performs the title track of her debut studio album Still I Can't Be Still and a cover of Radiohead's Creep.
Menzel then performs Take Me Or Leave Me with volunteers from the audience and No Day But Today from the musical Rent, paying tribute to Jonathan Larson, the composer of the musical. Menzel shares her experience with the Broadway run of If/Then and performs Always Starting Over from the musical.
Menzel then introduces her musicians and thanks the audience before performing an a cappella rendition of For Good from Wicked and Let It Go from Frozen, inviting audience members to perform with her. Menzel then takes a bow, dances with her band, and leaves the stage.
Menzel returns to the stage to perform her new original song Child and Tomorrow from Annie.

Set list

  1. "Defying Gravity" from Wicked
  2. "Don't Rain on My Parade" from Funny Girl
  3. "Brave" from I Stand
  4. "I Stand" from I Stand
  5. "The Wizard And I" from Wicked
  6. "River" from Holiday Wishes
  7. "Love for Sale" / "Roxanne"
  8. "There's No Business Like Show Business" / "Anything Goes" / "Everything's Coming Up Roses"
  9. "Still I Can't Be Still" from Still I Can't Be Still
  10. "Creep"
  11. "Take Me or Leave Me" from Rent
  12. "No Day But Today" from Rent
  13. "Always Starting Over" from If/Then
  14. "For Good" from Wicked
  15. "Let It Go" from Frozen
Encore
  1. "Child"
  2. "Tomorrow" from ''Annie''

Critical reception

Idina Menzel: World Tour has garnered critical acclaim. Sharon Eberson of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wrote that Menzel was "a little bit naughty, a little bit nice and a little bit nutty, but always entertaining... Each song, each story she told, was like unwrapping an elegantly wrapped package to see what surprise it held inside."
Melissa Ruggieri of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution opined, "What makes her live show so appealing is Menzel herself" because "She's funny." Ruggieri elaborated, "That's the thing about Menzel. Yes, the spotlight that comes with singing songs associated with 'The Wizard of Oz'... and Disney cartoons... But Menzel, 44, is an adult. And she sings about adult things". However, Ruggieri cited her performances of original songs "I Stand" and "Still I Can't Be Still", and rendition of "Take Me or Leave Me" alongside five audience members, among "a few moments that didn’t wow."

Personnel

Production

  • Music Director/Piano: Rob Mounsey
  • Tour Manager: Scott Cadwallader
  • Production Coordinator: Courtney Keene
  • Front of House Engineer: Alex Dakoglou
  • Monitor Engineer: Chris Trimby
  • Backline Technician: Brian Clairemont
  • Lightning/Set Designer: Abigail Rosen Holmes
  • Lighting Programmer: Felix Peralta
  • Lighting Director: Teddy Sosna
  • Stylist: Kemal Harris
  • Wardrobe: Joby Horrigan
  • Hair Stylist: Geo Brian Hennings

Musicians

  • Music Director/Piano: Rob Mounsey, Clifford Carter
  • Guitar: John Benthal
  • Bass: Sean Hurley
  • Drums: Rich Mercurio
  • Keyboards: Clifford Carter, Keith Cotton
  • Menzel is also accompanied by an additional 10 orchestral musicians serving as the local orchestra for each city.