Dinner’s on Me with Jesse Tyler Ferguson - Idina Menzel

Episode Date: October 17, 2023

Star of “Rent” and “Wicked,”Queen of Broadway Idina Menzel joins the show. Over a Mediterranean feast, Idina discusses life before “Rent” fame, the painful way “Wicked” on Broadway came to an end, and her showmance with actor Taye Diggs. A Sony Music Entertainment & A Kid Named Beckett production.  Interested in advertising on the show, contact [e-mail].   Find out more about other podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you like a little danger with your romance and come on who doesn't, there's a new showtime original limited series for EO. Fellow travelers from the writer of Philadelphia and the network that brought us homeland and the affair is part epic love story, part political thriller, and all in on one big secret. It's this story of the risky, volatile, and very steamy relationship between two political staffers who fall in love at the height of the lavender scare. That's the McCarthy era campaign against gay government employees that you may not have learned about in school. Matt Boemer and John Lombardley star as lovers whose fiery and forbidden affair intensifies through the anti-war protests of the 60s, the discocene of the 70s and the

AIDS crisis of the 80s, all despite the constant threat being exposed and losing everything, including each other. Don't miss the series premiere of Fellow Travelers streaming October 27th with the Paramount Plus with Showtime Plan. Hi, it's Jesse. Today on the show, you know her from Rent and Wicked and the blockbuster animated film that rhymes with Chosen. It's the clean of Broadway, Adina Menzel.

Sometimes it's really hard for me to watch when young 20-something kids get success and they don't have a perspective, you know, and I see that they're just so angry or complaining and it's like you're doing it. This is Dinners On Me and I'm your host, Jesse Tyler Ferguson. To say I was a fanboy of a Dean of Men'sell when I met her over 20 years ago would be an understatement for sure. Much like any young actor living in New York City in the mid-90s, I was obsessed with the musical rent, and specifically Adina. She was unlike anyone I had ever seen on stage before. I mean, yes, she had one of the best voices I had ever heard, but she also possessed this intoxicating

presence and every moment she had on stage captured my attention. You can only imagine what a thriller was when we were both cast in a production of Hair Together a few years later. I really remember playing a cool around her, but honestly, I know I was losing my mind with excitement. As we both continue to move through the industry, we remain friends. We even share an agent now, shout out to Bonnie Bernstein, that trajectory of Adina's career has always fascinated me. Each role she plays seems to be even more iconic

than the previous one. I mean, her body of work is just tremendous. Hi. Hi, this is my seat. Yeah, that's you. I asked Adina to join me in the valley for a meal at Bakery. They have a few locations in LA and are known for their Mediterranean and Italian inspired small plates.

I have to say the Sherman Oaks location is absolutely stunning. It's this 1920s one-story Spanish colonial revival style building. And our table is in this dining room which is encased by windows. Plants are hanging from the ceiling and there's this cozy little bar in the back. I thought it would be the perfect place to catch up with my friend, Adina. Okay, let's get to the conversation. But I was thinking the last time I saw you guys at that music will...

Yeah, you were so nice to do that. It's a no. I thought it was gonna be bigger. That it was. And I have you there. I was the most heartfelt, amazing speech. I was very, very, very, very. Should have kept Jesse for like, no. And you know what? If you want me to like, do a huge big thing, then I'll do that too. Well, you could repeat the speech. Do you have it in the laptop? I do. I have to. It's safe. Yeah, yeah, yeah. you could repeat the speech. Do you have it in the laptop? I do. I can repeat the speech. What I loved about that night is you you

sang after accepting this award a few songs afterwards and I was standing stage right with your team of people and watching you sing from stage right. And I had this really kind of met a moment because we met, I'm gonna start turning up again, because I'm so proud of you. Like I really am, I'm so proud of you. And I love our friendship so much. But we met doing a production of hair in a city center

on course, I think it was May of 2001. And I was a fan of yours already, because I had seen rents like three or four times. But we were in this production of Hair Together. And every night I would stand back stage on stage right and watch you sing easy to be hard because it was, first of all, it was an incredible interpretation of that song.

But I was just so enamored, the fact that I got to be in a show with you. Really? Yes. Oh my God, be in a show with you. Really? Yes. Oh my god, yes. Oh, thank you. I mean, you were iconic to me already.

Oh my god. You're like five years older than me, but I really looked up to you, and I still do. Thank you. And I just had this moment of watching you backstage after getting to introduce you, and sort of like can this award off to you and watching you sing. Like it's comeful, circle, and I think you sing to find gravity. Yes, first of all, thank you for saying that sing. I think you sing. It's come full circle. I think you sing to find gravity. Yeah, first of all, thank you for saying that. And I love you.

Oh. Yeah, thank you. It makes me feel good. And when you have friends that you've come through it with, then we've all had these ups and downs. And we worked really hard. Yeah, yeah. Hi.

Hi. Have you guys been here before? I have not. I've been Paris to say we're valid people. We're going to the neighborhood. We're going to have a menu for you. Thank you. I just like lemonade.

Do you have that? Absolutely. I love that. Thank you. I want to back up a little bit because I actually don't even fully know the story about your early days before, right before. I know that you were a bar mitzvah singer.

That mitzvah you did wedding singing. Yes. But then right before rents for the head, what was your life like? I still had some weddings. And Bar Mitzvah's had a new year's wedding. And I think it was Boston at the four seasons. And I remember because I drove on a snowy day with my girlfriend, Maryanne, who was the other singer in the band with me.

I remember going there, and that was the last job I did. But I had also worked, what do they call them, shoot, at Bergedorf Goodman's when it's Christmas time and they just need extra people. They have a name. Holiday elf? Yes, no. They call it a, not a circulator. Damn it, I can't think of the-

It's just like extra help of the holidays. Yeah, but you move through. I was on the cosmetics floor. Yeah, there's a word for it, it'll come to me. A floater, a floater. A floater, yeah. And so I had to train, I was just gonna be two weeks worth of, but you make commission at Bergwarf Goodman. Oh, I didn't know.

And they put you on the floor with like, kills and La Prairie and, you know, Bobby Brown back then and all this stuff and some things that I'd never heard of really expensive stuff and they don't train you in it at all. They do is train you on the register. And I was just selling hair products to old ladies that just wanted you know get like supplements in their scalp and I didn't know what I was selling.

I mean so much money those two weeks. I literally made my rent. That was fun. Thank you. Thank you. If you're like, I was just there. Oh, perfect.

Thank you. Thank you. Right, that's the mocktails. I'm going to get the seabass and the little gem salad. Ooh, that sounds good. Can I just have the Capraezy? Do you say Capraezy or Capraezy? Capraezy. Caprae have the Capraezy? Do you say Capraezy or Capraezy? Capraezy. Capraezy.

I took a talent in high school. Did you? Yes, because I was training classically, and I thought, well, languages, I guess, doesn't really serve me at all. And then, can I have the fries with the polenta fries or whatever? Yeah. Absolutely. Thank you.

Thank you. So this is what your Absolutely. Thank you. Thank you. So, this is what your life was when you auditioned for? Did you audition for rental? Was it something that you were? No, of course I did. I had my high school boyfriend at the time. He was a year old. He was working at an agency.

Abrams, remember that agency? Oh, okay. He was like a junior agent. And I didn't even have an agent. So he said, they have this new, I'll probably show. And they're looking for raw talent. Like, you know, they want to discover people, rock, show, and I was like, that's me. And so I sent him my horrible resume, and he faxed it to Bernie Telsie. And I got a call for that to go in.

Hatchwick skirt, which ended up, they copped that, they used that. Why would wear my actual skirt? They used a lot of our own clothes. That's right, right, yeah, yeah. And then they like redid them, which is cool to see your stuff for years more than by the character. But, is Daphne Ramego? I said this, but we didn't see anybody.

That's like her blue pants. Right, there are blue pants. I put her in the Smithsonian. I know, those are from our actual closet. So I see you. Oh yeah, I did. Let's give them something to talk about. I don't know why I picked that.

It's kind of country, not rock. You think about it. And when a man loves a woman, I did that. And I didn't have, you know how you're supposed to come in very prepared, rational, with like a book, with like your songs in a nice sleeve of what it is that called. A quick cellophane or something like that. Yeah, the plastic thing. And you're supposed to have a, you know, your comic, you probably had a

very nice selection of comedy pieces. I would normally have one of those, which I remember what that would have been, maybe like Adelaide or something like that. And then I had my pop contemporary and then I had my moral legit. Mm-hmm. So, but you know how you're supposed to like mark it up nicely so that the accompanist

like, is there just getting a brand that's gonna put in the middle of the floor? Or like give them a little talk before it's that's professional view they teach you at school right mine was not that I went in it was when I'm not a woman and it had the code at the end and for anybody listening a code is like these two lines but the two dots it means repeat repeat the whole thing it means repeat it so it's like if you put it

at the end of the course you just keep repeating the course so much the whole thing. Remi has repeat it. So it's like, if you put it at the end of the course, you just keep repeating the course until someone does what you stop. And in a little sheet music it was because on the radio, it would just repeat and fade. Right, it'll fade. Yeah, they don't do fades anymore, whatever reason. No, no, no. So I forgot to tell them, look, I'm going to stick it twice and be done. So he just kept going and going and repeating it until I was like, I'm good.

I know, but I kept singing and ad living and I just keep remembering that. I don't know if I ever told you about when they had one of the first like open calls for rent. I went and I remember it was downtown. You would have been great for Roger. For Roger? No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, sorry, did I block? I'm not.

Do you play a acoustic guitar? No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no Did I block? Come on, do you play a acoustic guitar? I don't know. And I didn't get it. It was not right for it. I can't sing rock at all. And I think I sang, and I said, what about breakfast at Tiffany? She said, which was, I was like, it's a little song with a four note range.

I'm sorry, I keep starting. Yeah. But I didn't get it. I mean, I was so like musical theater, green. I thought you you Michael remembers. He took notes on everybody back then. Did he? Yeah, we still have some. I love that I got to work with him years later, you know, doing Shakespeare,

which is can be farther away from rent if you tried. Yeah, but better. Warren for us. Hardly, you know, but I mean, I've worked on lots of shows that were being created, spelling, beeping, one of them. We created that show from nothing. Is that the best? It's great, but also, and I know,

because I experienced this during spelling, there are times when you're like, this does not, is anyone gonna like this? Are people gonna give over trying to do? I mean, I can only imagine when you were putting rent together that there were, you know, things that you tried and took out and they- Yeah, wicked things.

Like, what the fuck? Of course, wicked things. Yeah, all those nails. Those nails. I mean, did you have a feeling of confidence in what you were doing specifically with rent or because he was also Jonathan as a new composer and no one had ever heard of him before?

Yeah, and when I got for the callback, they sent me Take Me or Leave me, but it was not, it wasn't even called take mirror, leave me. It was a duet between two lesbians. It was really weird, not used into my voids at all. And I was like, what is this show that I'm going in for? Hi. And this is our little dance show.

Thank you. This isn't very commercial. Right, right, right. This show where these couples are going to play. It wasn't commercial. No one had ever done anything like commercial. Right, right, right. It's a show where these couples are... It wasn't commercial. No one had ever done anything like that. And then the first day, Anthony, actually, gone on the mill, he was kind of like our ring leader and we started learning seasons of love.

That's the first thing we did on the very first day, learning our parts. That was really special. Like when we'd start to put all our parts together and starting to come together. Like that was a chill's moment, but not that I thought it was gonna be anything huge. I just thought it was really beautiful and maybe this would be something, but. Can you zoom out for a moment and look at how meaningful and impactful that song is today?

And it's like, it's, first of all, it's the most, I think, no one's song for the show, but also I think it has become an anthem for the show, but also, I think, you know, it has become an anthem for so many other things as well. I know. Do people actually eat when they talk? Yeah.

Do it, or they think they're eating, because I'd like to eat. You just pretend that there's no microphone in front of you. And then if people have a problem with these mouth sounds, I'm sure they'll comment on my Instagram. Well, my son always says that I'm selling. He hates her. Did you know it was gonna be a hit? There is something about like those early moments

when you don't know you have this thing you're creating in a safe space. We had each other for five weeks of rehearsal. I remember going with Anthony, rap, and I said, what do you think this is? We're doing, he's like, I think it's gonna be an event. Whatever it is, be an event. I always remember that.

But that's all. We just started to be like a cool off-broadway thing. Our lives changed immediately when we always argue of it was first preview of dress rehearsal. That's when he passed away. So the paint of he passed away. So. Jonathan Martin. Yeah, Jonathan Martin, sorry. The pain of it and everything. And just I always hoped that that wouldn't sort of

overshadow the actual work, the peace. But it didn't. It was just, I don't know, it was just so sad to be on. Was there ever a moment to be on it? Of course, incredibly sad. I mean, I was living in New York when all that happened and was all, anyone was talking about it. Right, so then they were all talking about it.

We didn't know it was gonna go to Broadway, you know? Right, did I ever feel like his passing elevated it and be made it more important than it was? Cause it was already such a great piece of art, you know, maybe if he had lived longer, he would have still, like, messed with it, but it was kind of this fully formed, realized thing. I mean, you know, and there's always still stuff you work on, the previews, and it was just usually the director's job to sort of nudge or coax the writers and composers to

make some changes that once there's some front of an audience, you know, that just better cuts. How do you make cuts to someone that's not there and that would have maybe cut or moved? Just so many decisions like that. With the nights when you would try certain things and then just like move it back the way it was.

I think probably, but yeah, we'll never really know if it got more of a spotlight on it because of this horrible thing that happened to a 35 year old man getting his very first grant from a theater quitting his diner job, getting it going. I don't think there's anyone who's a fan of rent specifically who doesn't mourn the loss of what more could have been created.

I mourn the art that we don't have because he left us too soon. Now for a quick break, but don't go away. When we come back, Adina tells me about her showman with Tay Diggs and being a couple in the public eye. And we hear more about that final performance of Wicked and what happened to her iconic dress in the ER. Was she cut out of it? You'll have to stay to find out. Okay, be right back.

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That's masterclass.com slash dinners for 15% off. If you like a little danger with your romance and come on, who doesn't, there's a new Showtime original limited series for you. Fellow travelers from the writer of Philadelphia and the network that brought us homeland and the affair is part epic love story, part political thriller, and all in on one big secret. It's the story of the risky, volatile, and very steamy relationship between two political staffers who fall in love at the height of the lavender scare. That's the McCarthy era campaign against gay government employees that you may not have

learned about in school. Matt Boomer and Jonathan Bailey star as lovers whose fiery and forbidden affair intensifies through the anti-war protests of the 60s, the discocene of the 70s and the AIDS crisis of the 80s, all despite the constant threat being exposed and losing everything, including each other. Don't miss the series premiere of fellow travelers streaming October 27th with the Paramount Plus with Showtime Plan. And we're back with more dinners on me.

You have this big opportunity, this huge break in your career. You didn't know it was gonna be a huge thing. All of a sudden, you know, your past is being profiled in magazines and newspapers and on evening talk shows and the shows move to Broadway. It wins a pure surprise, which is just something that musical theater does not happen. Not often.

It doesn't happen a lot. This was your first show too. So that's a lot of things to happen to someone on a big break. What was that whirlwind-like, and how did you keep yourself grounded? One of my most favorite songs in the show is called No Day But Today. And when you lose the captain of your ship,

and you just wanna do right by him the whole time. So for instance, we felt so committed, passionate, obsessed with doing right by Jonathan and like being there every day and never phoning in a show. And that we, not one of us, missed a show for six months. That's rare, right, Jesse? I mean, for six months, like we were losing our voices because a lot of us including myself

didn't know how to pace myself back then for eight shows a week. And, you know, if you hear me on the recording, I sound like Jenna Shoplin. That's not really me. I think that that's grounded us, that that gave us a purpose beyond, oh, the magazines and the tonies and the you know the dressing

room sizes and it was like no you got to get up there and every new person that's coming in the audience hasn't seen this and you got to do this for him and first family who's always there trying to heal through the music and through the show and through the success of the show. And walking to the theater with people literally lined up, would stop there all night to get tickets to the first few rows of the show, which is something the lottery system did not really exist and probably before that. Now it's just thing that if you wanted to see Hamilton in the peak days, like there's a lottery system and you know with social media and the internet, there's ways to sign up for the lottery, which is like, you know, you could literally just

be at home and then hopefully you get a ticket back in 1996. Sleeping bags on the street. Sleeping bags on the street of 43rd Street, which was a very... Which also was art in the city life. Because there was about homeless and it was about obviously about the AIDS crisis and about struggling artists and about community, you know, and people being there for one another. So I really feel like we, there were no egos back then, you know. And that's why I'll be honest sometimes, I won't drop names or anything, but sometimes

it's really hard for me to watch when young 20-something, get success and they don't have a perspective, you know. Because also for me and for most of us, except maybe my ex, it goes away. He kind of had his rise, he got a movie and went on. I made stupid mistakes, I got a record deal because that was my dream at the time, more than any TV or film. This would be a rock star. And sort of like cut off, I like compromised my momentum was, you know, how everybody goes in for all these film and TV shows when they're up for the tonies and then everybody's watching them.

No, not me. I got a record deal and I went into a studio and wanted to make an album that I thought was gonna be the biggest thing ever. It didn't sell anything and then I got dropped and then by that time my momentum is gone for me and I had to start re-auditioning again and do my whole thing. So point being is that that kind of success is fleeting

and whenever I hear about these sort of like arguments on set or people were I've been on set with certain people and I see that they're just so angry or complaining and it's like you're doing it you're doing it when you're a little kid and you tell you want to do it you're doing it get over it you know so you're waiting around an extra hour. I mean, right, right. You know. Right. You mentioned your acts, who is taking all these serious things, and then I can't eat

because it feels like it sounds just for a really long time. Ask me about the X and I could be like, chomping on my breath. Well, though, it's take-to-exes who you're talking about when you think of your acts, And you met doing rent together. I remember in high school, there's a thing called a show-mance. And that's like, you know, when you get a crush on you're like your leading man.

And are you leading lady? And you know the houses? It's not supposed to last. It's not supposed to last. And yet you had a show-mance that turned into a marriage. Yes. And a child. And a child, a beautiful boy, walker into a marriage. Yes. And a child. And a child, a beautiful boy, walker.

And then a divorce. And a divorce. But 16 years later. Yeah, yeah. You know, obviously relationships are hard. Relationships in your 20s are even harder. And then you put in the fact that both you are actors. And one is having, first of all, you both were incredibly successful.

But one is having a surge of success. How did that affect you? There's lots, it's very complicated. I mean, very supportive of each other always. Of course. So excited for him. The thing that came into play more I would say, and he's talked about it too, is the racial, interracial aspect of it. Because we were never, when you're in the theater like it's just not a thing like we all love each other and sleep with each other and best friends with whoever wants to be whatever sexual orientation

Yeah, but when you leave that cocoon that bubble And now in his case he's people's fit, you know, what is it 50 most beautiful people or something? I was on one year. I was on the list. You were? But there was a sidebar to it. It was like, I was like, it was a sidebar of like 10 beautiful people and their pets. So I had, it's like the offer came with like, we'll take a photo of Jesse and include him

in our 50 most beautiful people, but we need his dog leaf too. That's so hilarious. Are we like the curse on this part? I'll have to text it to you. For a lot of people, we're just jerking off to it. I hope so. Okay, where was I? Take.

No, I was saying. 50 most beautiful. It was on the cover of Essence and Ebony and being interviewed by all of these black journalists. And I think he had his own stuff to deal with with that. And it seemed like there was disappointment in the community with him because he was married to a little white Jewish girl from some shallow that we don't even remember him. And so I took that on too, you know.

Anyway, that's stuff that we had to we had to deal with. So it's less about being successful and more about just that kind of stuff, you know. And it's hard because I mean here you have two theater kids and then obviously you're like going to red carpets and Hollywood events and you know. Yeah, you know it's hard because I mean, here you have two theater kids. And then obviously you're like going to red carpets in Hollywood events. Yeah, and you know it's the, can we get a picture of them by himself? Right, 100%. When Wicked happened, that was a huge moment for you. And then, I think you were on the rise in a way that you hadn't been before in your career. But also, I wonder what was that like for Tay and you and your relationship?

And he was relieved, probably, and happy and proud of me and yeah, no, he was always so supportive and probably relieved so he didn't have to feel like he was overshadowing in some way or taking out too much space, you know. It's a hard thing. I've dated actors before, Justin, my husband is a lawyer. So he is not in the business, but he appreciates it immensely. And it's great that he's not,

because I have been in those relationships where I would sometimes dim my light because I didn't want to make my partner feel undervalued or unseen. No, my husband Aaron, now, who's like love on my life, he was an actor actually. It was a very successful child teenage actor. Yes, I agree with this, yeah. And now I found his gift and he's this therapist and he runs this inpatient facility out in

Malamo and he does the real important work. I love it because he works with addicts and people with mental illness all day. So when I come home and say, getting my period and I'm in a bad mood And he doesn't really think twice about that But why was I telling you this oh because when we go on the red carpet together Sometimes I take him when you just cuz it's nice to have someone sure with you Yeah, I'm to bounce off them and he looks great and suit and whatever very handsome But sometimes, thanks.

Sometimes he talks too much. He talks about me though. So it'll be like this. He like brags about me to the point that it kind of feels like a parent when you say, mom, and up. It doesn't even have to be related to the film that I'm there promoting. But then he'll say, did you know that she had a single was 15th on the singles list back in 19th?

You know, it's so sweet though. And it's so embarrassing. So I actually told him the other day, like, you can't just brag and it's very embarrassing to me. It's very sweet. Or at a party. Oh, it's with you. Oh, my God.

This is so funny. It's with you. We're at that, that Oscar party. Yeah, yeah, I remember. And Elizabeth Banks, we're totally named. Driving at Elizabeth Banks and I'm sharing with you. Was there? OK.

People that are much wealthier and more successful than me. And he was excited because my disco album was coming out. We're all talking, you know? And he's like, has she told you about her new dance album, John? Oh my God, we got in the car. I said, they're all doing amazing things in their life and their career.

You have to, like, I'm the only one doing something. It's so embarrassing. Just keep your mouth shut, Eric. I imagine him driving and you sitting in the back seat, like a little kid. No, there was a driver. And we had like an argument. He's like, well I'm proud of you. Now I embarrass you with these things where you should just go to these things on your

own then. I'm like, no I love it, but just don't say that. Elizabeth Banks just had a huge movie out and you're acting like I'm the only one. But you know what Justin does the same thing. He does the same thing. He does the same thing. He's proud of me and it's sweet. Listen, it could be the other way where you don't have your spouse supporting you,

but I totally understand how it could be embarrassing. Yes. I'm gonna eat on that note. On that note, take a bite of that pesto. Yeah, if you're on my two, like, well, wait, no, I was just gonna ask you if it's a mine. You don't have pesto in your heart. No, but I have parsley.

No. No, I have a fowl. I have a bucket. There's a pocket that I always get something at. You need the toothpick for? Every time. You talked about after rent having this period where you got a record deal than that.

You were dropped. I mean, it's so rare that you have such massive success as your first job. But the next big thing was a massive thing, being wicked. Talk to me a little bit about like your time between leaving rent and starting wicked and also the process of you like putting that show together. I heard that you had to really fight for the role.

There is more food. Now there are you had to really fight for the role. There is. Oh, more food. Another course here that's a rappelantum for you. Thank you. Thank you. It's the sea, man. Beautiful, thank you. I wanted to bring you guys one extra.

This is a special tea ad Sherman Oaks this location. This is our grilled pita. It's with beef and pistachio. Oh, it's delicious. Oh, I think I can enjoy that. Thank you. Why was I telling you all along? I mean, I was asking about how you started with Wicked.

I got asked a screen test for some sort of some TV show that was going to be Tim Robbins and produced by Julie Robbins. And I thought, oh my god. And it was like a supporting role. And I remember that the Wicked people wanted to do another reading and it was going to conflict. And they weren't going to work, they were going to say they'll recast for the workshop and try somebody new. They played hardball. And Bonnie and Heather said, let the pilot go. This is something

special for you. Yeah. So that really always meant so much to me. Yeah. And it wasn't until three years later that we even knew it was, you know, here we were in Broadway, but all that time, instead of trying to get the paycheck for something, you know what I mean? They knew that the artistic process was important. Yeah. And that this would be much bigger in my career for me.

Well, are they right? Yeah. So, I mean, that's the part about being an actor that I find the hardest is maintaining that sense of, first of all, trusting your gut and not being, you know, wooed by things that are maybe more lucrative, that might not be as artistically satisfying. And, you know, certainly there's obviously different points

in our career and we're lucky enough now, both of our places, but we're right now that we can step back and look at if something is artistically meaningful to us and we don't necessarily need to see the paycheck right away. But when you're starting off and to have those people who are really looking out for you, I think, is incredibly important. And it's everything. So I'm glad you had that. And so I know the show went to San Francisco,

and you- Oh yeah, and we didn't get good reviews. Well, that's all I want to ask you, is because even when you moved to Broadway, the New York Times didn't love it. No, they said one line about me. I remember he said he and Ben. Been brandy, yeah. And a bullpine voice, and I had to look that up. said one line about me. I remember he said he and Ben. Ben Bradley.

And a bullpine voice. And I had to look that up. Ha ha ha ha. Me, wolf like, I believe. Wolf like. There's what I mean. I just had to take that as a comp. You really should use that as, you know,

when you have all the big quotes, like when you're doing a concert or something, like Broadway mega-stop. Ben Bradley. And it's my only mention in that. In that. Yeah. But did you remember being shaken by that?

Or doing the same thing? What's the worst thing to get on stage after a bad review? Absolutely. And also the audience is loving you. Yeah. In previews. Right. Right this time in the wild party I remember.

Loving us. Standing on vacation. Then they see one review after you open. They come in the next day, nobody stands up, there are arms across, like all of a sudden they have no mind of their own. Right, we could happen in an era where like if the New York Times didn't love it, you're kind of screwed. And it is also one of those rare shows that obviously anyone listening knows that the show's still running on Broadway and is doing incredibly good business and making billions and billions of dollars.

So it didn't mean anything. But it was one of the first shows I think that sort of overcame that. I don't know, I maybe like found it the opposite and have the greatest reviews either at the beginning. Which, then we didn't win a Tony either. Right. And I think a lot of it was because the big,

big budget show, divide, no pun intended, that, yeah, the critics, that they could just, the word of mouth, the whole thing, built snowballed, and it built throughout the year. And, but then it ended up with you taking home a Tony

for best actress. We know we're about to do 20, it's our 20 year anniversary. God. And Kristen, I have done a bunch of things along through the years where we've really gotten this look and see, I don't know, of legacies, too big of a word, but just to see what we were created and what we've been a part of and how many people we've connected to because of this thing we've done together.

So it's been really beautiful in that way to have a couple of these milestones along the way. And we've been just really kind of emotional about it recently. I'm sure. It's a really mind-blowingly huge thing that you were part of this moment in history that, I mean, if you at like the hits of our generation rent and wicked are two are two of the biggest ones and you were a part of both of those yeah anime none of these that I choose did am I putting out some kind of you know energy out in the world that's attracting them to me if you believe in any of that I don't know I think it's a little it's chicken of the egg I don't know well you are all so widely talented having it and say me

remarkable voice so that does have something to do with that too I didn't even think about this but your two experiences your two huge experiences on Broadway opened and ended with trauma I mean Jonathan Larsen passing away before the show started and then before your last performance of wicked you weren't even able to. Yeah, but no comparison. I mean, I broke a rib. No, but those are, no, but you were taken out in that ambulance.

Yeah. And the show, like, I mean, it was kind of a huge deal. It was for a minute. But God didn't think they all just sat there and waited for the rest of the show. I thought they were going to be outside the hospital waiting near the emergency room. I thought it was going to be outside the hospital waiting near the emergency room. I thought it was going to come out. I'm high on my pergace set and morphine to just, you know, crowds of people saying, a dinner, you're okay.

No, they were all still at the theater watching Shoshana being get back, get into the green makeup and finish the show. God. God bless her. God bless her. For doing that. And then the next day for she was so generous. She, because the fall happened two minutes before the end of the show and the story.

So she actually, they, carded me over there as stoned as I was on these painkillers. They asked me to come so they could sort of send me off and do a curtain call and Joe Mantello wanted to say something. And I could barely barely you couldn't fart or shave your legs I mean when you break your ribs, yeah, sorry and Tay actually Found because he's such a great stylist dresser. He had to be I was like, what am I gonna wear there? You know good hurt so much to be even in a in a car at the bouncing on the street

And he could bought me this red Adidas track suit you know, it hurt so much to be even in a car, the bouncing on the street. And he bought me this red Adidas track suit. It was easy because it zipped on, it was soft, and so Shoshana left at that two minute point, and I came out. And the weird thing is that when I fell, I actually fell when the character is melting and dying So and then she comes back alive

So it was the same about the same time that this all happened so she left and then I came out with my white face no remaga and my very loud red That's it when they said she's alive, you know, I came out Lost it was great. I don't remember that much of it. You were high when they said she's alive, you know, I came out. The audience must have lost their minds. Do you remember? You were high. You were totally high. It was crazy. But recently, you know, it was so cool for the album

that my husband loves to brag about that just came out. We had for a record-least party, we went to $3 bill out in Brooklyn. Amazing. And all these drag queens did my songs back for me. And the production level is amazing. And one of them did what songs did they do? Take me or leave me in the red tracksuit.

Unbelievable. Like that was a thing. It's like a really niche, popular cost. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So good. Yeah. I should go as you. Yeah, no.

It's just easy. You know, I want to find a red tracksuit. We need to catch suit. Who are you going at? I'm Adina Menzel, and her last performance of red. Yeah. And it's so comfortable. Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's so comfortable. Yeah.

Or you could do me after I fell, and I'm in the emergency room, which means I have my act two dress on still, because everyone's afraid to cut it off, because it costs so much money. But it's like, you know, touted, and then my green makeup is still on, but I've cried it off. And you can't really get it off unless you use the right key. And so I'm in the emergency room. So it's like a putriddy green and the wigs off. So I'm in a wig cap. How pretty is that? Unbelievable. I know I was doing spelling bee right next door when that all happened.

And so we had the same producers, David Stone, Patrick Attula. And so I was hearing a lot of the backstage antics about this. And specifically the expensive dress that you had to get cut out. I didn't get cut out. They had two huge... Maybe you wanted to get cut out. Yeah, and the doctor said, no, maybe you wanted to get caught off it then. Yeah, and the doctor said, no, let's try to save this. And they had two big, strong guys in the hospital.

I had an X-ray yet. So they didn't know if I had hurt my back or my neck. So they turned me like a pig on a roast. Yeah, they caught. And they don't want to mess with my spine, on the spit. And then, joe me, my dresser and best friend for many years, did her little thing on buttoning all the things all the way down, and then getting me out of it, and I was crusing, and I was just like, F-this, these fuckers have made a million, millions of dollars, cut me out of this thing.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, so good. Now for a quick break, but don't go away. When we come back, Adina tells me about her son's reaction to Wicked, and how she feels about Adele Dazim. OK, we'll be right back. MUSIC

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And we're back with more dinners on me. So you've been a part of these two things that I'd like have gone on to be iconic pieces in schools are obviously doing rent now. And there's little girls who just, they look up to the character that you created specifically for Wicked. I know so many little girls who, and little boys must be honest,

who really looked to that character is like you know she was an outsider she put up against a lot of hardship and she she had to overcome that and like you know I just feel like there's so many wonderful themes that kids specifically really connect to are there these things that you encounter like you get this from people a lot of. Yeah, of course. I think first and foremost, I needed to learn the lessons of the character for myself, too. I don't think that people, there's a misconception

if you have a really big voice that you have a big, that your inner voice is loud enough, that you listen to your self and trust your instincts or even in my life I'm a little bit more on right now because I'm with you and I know people listening but in my day to day people often say like I'm quiet. Yeah, I'm so I also think like you said in the beginning when you had to dim your light for other people, because you didn't want to sort of take up too much space, I think that, especially as women, that were sort of trained to do that. And so that character and even the character with the

blonde hair who's animated, we can't talk about, they have like huge power, but if they really use it, they're afraid like they're really going to hurt people in their life. Literally physically can hurt them. And so learning how to harness that and nurture that and own it is what's so beautiful about that. And not making, not dimming their light for others. It actually learning that the more authentic and pure they are and the more they embrace what makes them special, the more good that they can bring to the world, you know. Has your son Walker encountered any of these characters?

Like has he seen Wicked? Has he seen, you know, the animated films? When was really little I show him on YouTube and he'd call me green mommy and then when he got to be about four five I took him to see wicked I was so excited and he was so rambunctious and he kept he was too young and he kept like he was into the mnemonkeys. Uh-huh. They didn't scare him that much. And then maybe like five more minutes.

And all of a sudden, he's kicking the guy in front of him. He's laughing, he's doing us. And I'm there seeing the show. I had to delete. I was so embarrassed. And you know that the girls knew I was probably there and I was seeing the show. And I would know how that would girls knew I was probably there. I was seeing the show and I would know how that would feel

if I was them. So I wrote this whole, because I remember rent, I think was Prince and Woody Allen left rent after intermission and we were all like, oh, how could they do that? So obnoxious, but also, oh, did they hate it? You know, so I wrote a whole, I got a big piece of stationery

from the company manager and I wrote, I will be back. You guys had amazing act. One, it was beautiful and I wrote, and then I said, but my son was ruining it and annoying everybody. And so I did that. Then recently, I took his basketball team two years ago,

which is so funny because I took them in a taxi, none of them even knew, walker notes, but none of them knew that they're going to see, they knew they're going to see, wicket they didn't know, the walker's mother was the original. And you would think it wouldn't matter, but I literally, in the taxi up there, I took out my phone and I said, I'm not sure if you know, boys. But this one's, I was the original, and I caught myself, I felt so stupid. Like, why am I bragging about this? I needed to be around there to brag for you.

Exactly. But Walker said he felt such a sense of pride, you know, he was emotional. Yeah, he sat next to me for that. So that was great. And, you know, he plays it both sides. And I mean, embarrassing. I sing in the house when his friends are over. And then when it really matters, he's

very proud. Is that what you asked me? Yeah. I do want to talk, as we're talking about kids. I have both your kids' books. They wrote with your sister and we read them to back it. And it's loud mouse and proud mouse. Yes. They wrote with your sister, Cara. Who has a different spelling of her last name? It's my real spelling. I figured, yeah, yeah.

She just didn't add it. I changed my spelling. And never thinking I was going to write a book with my sister. And I actually said to her, can you just change your spelling for the book? And she said, no. And the whole theme of the book is about finding your own voice. And I'm saying to her, can you just change your spelling for the book? And she said, no. And the whole theme of the book is about finding your own voice.

And I'm saying to her, just change your spelling. It's very loud mouth. It's very loud. So now people think it's a typo. I didn't think it was a typo. I changed it, which is all, you know, unsythetical to what I'm been saying here. But because I had self-hatred about the Jewish way,

it sounded like men's soul. Yeah, M-E-N-T-Z-E-L, and it sounds like a dina-men's soul, like mental pencil or something. True thing. And then Miss Maisel. Yeah, yeah. So I changed it thinking back then that I could play Latin, the French, this men's L.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Now I'm not allowed to play any of that. That's what you said. That's what that means. And people still screw up my name, right? So, I'm a major level so. For sure, yes, which we haven't talked about that, but you also have talked a lot about.

I know I just listened to your podcast and you did what you talked about that. And there was a wrinkle to John Travolta screwing up your name at the Oscars as he announced to you as Adele Dazim. I just remember touching your face and wherever you were. You're saying it, I'm not.

But you know, having a joke about. I was trying to look at you. I had to get pulled in and like a profile. I had a moment with John Travolta as well where. What is it? So I was... I was... I was... It didn't really happen to drag me, but I was in a Taylor Swift video.

You need to calm down. And we went to the MTV V-O-Words, V-H-1 video where... I don't know, whatever the video where it's on. And a lot of the people who appeared in the video were... There is Taylor's guests. And she had a lot of drag queens in the video as well. And there's a drag queen named Jade Jolie, who her stick is she dresses,

like she looks just like Taylor Swift. So she came basically looking, wearing the drag that she would wear any day, just happens to look exactly like Taylor Swift. So she's up on stage, we will, Taylor Wednesday award, we all go up with her and John Travolta was so proud of himself because he got all the names. You could see, because it was like kind of right right after the Adalto scene thing. And you can see he was so proud

of himself. And then he hands the award not to Taylor Swift, but to this drag queen. He mistakes her for Taylor. I think that is fair, but it was just so funny because it was like he had gotten to the end. He's like, yes, I did it. And then he didn't nail it. It was just kind of like, oh, and then of course, like all the blocks next day was like, John Travolta mistakes.

Jay-Jolee for Taylor Swift. I mean, in his defense, she does look exactly like her. And for she was so happy about it. So happy. And she made light of the situation. Everyone was fine. No one like, but it was just funny that I was like, oh. But yeah, that's so funny.

Poor guy. Poor guy. I don't know. Good things for me. All you guys called me, text me, the whole theater community. Right, right. We love you, Adina. What the fuck was that?

You know? I mean, it was a moment for sure that will be replayed and replayed. You'll be hearing that for the rest of your life. It's okay, I kind of love it. Absolutely. Yeah, for sure. Oh, well, I mean, really quickly just drama queen, which is fantastic. I was listening to on the car ride over.

I love that you made it and sort of celebration of the LGBTQ community, which is, you feel like it's been a real supporter of yours, which we have been. I love that it's a disco album, I think it's great. It's really good, it's really, really good. Well, I've always wanted to do this kind of music. I feel definitely painted in a corner or put in a box at the theater person,

as I think a lot of our friends do, that are very versatile and once you're, especially before Hamilton Days, once you're known for being in the theater, people have a hard time letting you cross over, you know? So I've always still tried to push the envelope and then, and I just wanted to do music, then I want to think about it,

and just wanted to do stuff that I didn't care what people said, or this is the kind of album you should do. Right. And then also what sort of cemented it for me was, every time I'm in London, I go around one in the morning, I go to G.A.Y. heaven. Yes, I love that place. Yeah.

Actually, one year we were there and Josh got and thought I'd make a video of this. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And they were there, I mean. So I usually surprise. I tell the promoter of the club, and go, I prepare a couple songs, get up there. The place is just packed up against the stage, you know?

And we're dancing, and we're singing, we're all crying. Or just it's like I put on a great show, but also that crowd is amazing and I can like put my hand out like a real rock star, you know and shake people's hands and connects which no no disrespect to our theater crowds, but they're much more polite and they're further away Yeah, the worst thing they do is they open candy wrappers, and text in the milkshows, which is very bad. It's very bad to do.

It just feels so good to do a concert like that with everybody's screaming. And so I knew when I came home, do music where you can go back and just hang out. And then I got to do all the pride events this summer. It's just incredible. And just a really good opportunity to kind of get out there and also say thanks.

Because you say you supported me. But the truth is, I feel that I've learned so much from my friends in this community about how to treat better person, how to take risks, how to be courageous, how to try to be authentic, you know. And so it was just really all came together this summer and a really beautiful way, yeah. Yeah, I mean, your career's really been a very full circle

moment from, you know, doing spirit-line cruises to, you know, headlining pride shows. Yeah. It's really, it's really remarkable. It's a basketball mom now. It's a basketball mom. Mm-hmm. Yeah, I'm really proud of you. Thank you.

I'm proud of you. I love you. I love you. Thanks for coming. Next time on Dinner's On Me, Pop phenomenon also known as Ginger Spice. Jerry Hallowell Horner. We'll get into what it was like to be one of the most famous pop stars in the world. Her new life is an author, and so much more.

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It's hosted by Yours Truly. It's executive produced by me and Jonathan Hirsch. Our showrunner is Joanna Clay. Chloe Chobal is our associate producer. Sam Bear engineered this episode. Hansdale She composed our theme music. Our head of production is Samu Allison. Special thanks to Alexis Martinez and Justin Makita. I'm Jesse Tyler Ferguson. Join me next week.