Tony winner Idina Menzel, who originated the roles of Elphaba in the hit musical Wicked and Maureen in the iconic musical Rent, is eyeing a return to Broadway. In a statement promoting her upcoming PBS special Idina Live: Barefoot at the Symphony, Menzel revealed that she hopes to return to the Rialto soon in “a brand new, original show that I’m not allowed to talk about, but really excites me.”
Menzel has been largely absent from the New York stage in recent years, having last appeared in the Public Theatre's See What I Wanna See in 2005. In addition to her re-occuring role as Shelby Corcoran on TV's Glee, Menzel has appeared in Enchanted, and toured extensively in support of her 2008 solo album I Stand.
Menzel will also release a DVD and album on March 6 to accompany her PBS special. The concert, filmed at Toronto’s Koerner Hall, will feature Menzel performing Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face,” The Police’s “Roxanne,” “Life of the Party” from The Wild Party,“No Day But Today” from Rent, as well as standards like “Love for Sale” and “Asleep on the Wind.” Menzel also duets on “Where or When” with her husband and fellow Rent veteran Taye Diggs.
While Menzel may be keeping mum about details on her potential Broadway return, the actress has another important role on her plate: mother. "My biggest project right now is trying to be a really great mom and learning how to balance family and career," she said of Diggs and their son Walker. "I’m just trying to spend as much time with my family as I can."