Idina Menzel: Live at Radio City
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| Concert by Idina Menzel | |
 Promotional poster of the concert | |
| Venue | Radio City Music Hall, New York City |
|---|---|
| Date(s) | June 16, 2014 |
| Duration | 120 minutes |
| No. of shows | 1 |
| Idina Menzel concert chronology | |
Idina Menzel: Live at Radio City was a concert by American singer-songwriter and actress Idina Menzel at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York on June 16, 2014. In the wake of the success of Disney's popular animated film Frozen (2013), in which Menzel starred as Elsa, Menzel announced in April 2014 that she will be headlining a one-night-only concert at Radio City Music Hall on her break from her eight shows a week.
The set list of the two-hour long show featured mostly songs from Menzel's various Broadway stints, specifically Rent, Wicked and If/Then, as well as original songs from the singer's studio albums, covers of U2 and Radiohead, and ending with a highly anticipated rendition of the Academy Award-winning "Let it Go" from Frozen. She was accompanied by a 35-piece orchestra under the direction of arranger and pianist Rob Mounsey. Menzel also announced her plans to release a holiday album later that year.
Both a critical and commercial success, the concert was sold out and received very positive reviews from critics, who praised Menzel's live vocals and humor. Menzel fell victim to a wardrobe malfunction.
Following the success of the one night only Radio City concert, Menzel announced a week after the release of her holiday album that she will embark on her very first World Tour.
Spearheaded by the unprecedented critical and commercial success of Disney's animated film Frozen (2013), in which Menzel stars as Elsa and performs the film's Academy Award-winning song "Let it Go", the singer and actress ultimately achieved "international stardom."[1] Additionally, Menzel, deemed the magazine's "(Not So) New 'It' Girl",[2][3] appeared on the cover of Billboard on March 29, 2014,[4] which was soon followed by an appearance on the cover of the April 22, 2014 issue of Variety as one of New York's "most powerful women".[5][6]
In February 2013, Entertainment Weekly confirmed that Menzel is expected to return to Broadway for the first time in ten years since leaving the original cast of Wicked to originate the role of Elizabeth Vaughn in the musical If/Then in spring 2014.[7]
In May 2014, Broadway.com asked its readers to vote for "Which Song MUST If/Then Star Idina Menzel Include in Her Live at Radio City Concert".[8] Ultimately, twenty-seven percent of readers voted for "Defying Gravity" from Wicked, while Frozen's "Let it Go", which garnered nineteen percent of votes, ranked second. Other popular songs included "Take Me or Leave Me" from Rent, "The Wizard and I" from Wicked and "Always Starting Over" from If/Then, which garnered seven percent each.[9]
Concert synopsis
Menzel performs a diverse selection of songs from her Broadway career (including hits from Wicked, Rent, and If/Then), along with original songs from some of her various solo albums, Pop and Rock covers, and a much anticipated performance of her Oscar-winning song "Let It Go" from Disney's Frozen. Throughout the concert, Menzel interacts with the audience sharing stories from her early younger years in Long Island, NY and reenacting her life at Intermission on Broadway.