Surprise Idina Menzel!

There are certain days when I don't want to fall asleep. And as someone who considers sleep her bff, it's always a huge thing when this happens. It means I feel so happy and fulfilled that I don't want the day to end, because when I wake up it'll be tomorrow.

And the events that made me feel such joy will be yesterday.

So, when I got home from seeing Idina Menzel last Wednesday, it was 11:00 PM, I had to get up early for work the next day, and the last thing I wanted to do was sleep when my head hit the pillow.

Instead, the world around me danced to the melody of “Defying Gravity” echoing in my brain.

I didn't know I was going to be seeing Idina, but my mom surprised me with tickets for my birthday this month. The tickets, I noticed, were purchased in December. Mom always treats me too well, and she knows I’ve been a fan for a long time.

For me, it wasn’t Frozen or Enchanted or even Wicked. It was RENT.

Just as there's a shock value in meeting the character of Maureen for the first time at the peak of her protest, there's a bit of a shock in being introduced to Idina during a scene where she pretends to suck a cow's udder. It’s both ridiculous and intriguing. My first experience was from clips of the movie, but I've since seen the show numerous times. Not ever with Idina, though. I came in too late for that.

In college, I discovered an EP which included stripped-down versions of both "Defying Gravity " and "No Day But Today," and I listened to those songs for years, mixed in with my acoustic and nighttime playlists.

Then Frozen happened which I expect was a draw for a large portion of the audience.

So, there was this guy wearing an Elsa t-shirt at the show, and when "Let It Go" happened for her finale, he screamed out "YEAH THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT! WOO ELSA!" And when she gestured for us to join her, our section didn't need to sing because he was loud and excited enough for all of us.

Despite the appeal of Elsa, Idina’s show was mostly Broadway-inspired - right up my alley. There were classics from Wicked – “The Wizard and I” and “Defying Gravity” and an a cappella “For Good" dedicated just to us, as well as tributes to some of her favorites: Don't Rain on My Parade," "No Business Like Show Business," and more. There were also a couple surprises, like her dark covers of "Creep" and "Love for Sale/Roxanne," and her tribute to Joni Mitchell with "River." Then, she also sang some of the songs she's written over the years.

Idina was very welcoming - it almost felt like a friendly living room concert instead of a show at the Hippodrome (except how can you possibly forget being in such a stunning theater). At various points in the show, she invited audience members to join her. This was especially thrilling with "Take Me or Leave Me" from RENT, which is normally a duet. And then there was, of course, the moments with "Let It Go." It was adorable when she invited some children in the front rows to alternate singing the chorus.

So cute. Some were better singers than others.

But the audience participation and the intimate way she spoke to us made it feel like we were visiting a friend instead of paying money to see a show. I think that's how it should be, though; music should always feel like a companion.

Edited June 2016 from post originally published July 13, 2015 via Wordpress

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