Idina Menzel doesn’t rule out a role in ‘Wicked’ movie or reunion with Kristin Chenoweth

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It’s been several years since Idina Menzel donned the green body paint and pointy black hat of her Tony-winning role as Elphaba in ‘Wicked,’ but it seems like she’s never too far away from the misunderstood heroine.

Menzel plans to perform a few of her best-known songs from the Broadway musical during an orchestra-backed show at the Orange County Performing Arts Center on Sunday. It’s the only scheduled local stop on a national cabaret-style tour that started this spring.

But what of that long-discussed movie version of ‘Wicked,’ which is stuck in development and possibly years from fruition?

Menzel doesn’t rule out an appearance, but she won’t be Elphaba. The part calls for a younger actress, she said, even though she thinks it would be cool to provide the voice for the school-aged character through some kind of ‘Avatar’-like computer magic.

‘I just loved playing her,’ Menzel said, ‘and I’m still blown away that people drive down the street singing ‘Defying Gravity’ in their cars.’

She wasn’t interested, though, in revisiting ‘Wicked’ during her stint on the hit TV show ‘Glee.’ She and ‘Wicked’ costar Kristin Chenoweth were both guest stars on the musical series at different times, and it could’ve provided a natural platform to re-team them.

‘I don’t think anybody would’ve wanted a ‘Wicked’ gimmick,’ she said. ‘We wanted to be on the show for who we are as individuals.’

The fact that there was no ‘Wicked’ reunion had nothing to do with any feud, Menzel said, pooh-poohing reports of bad blood between the former co-stars. ‘She’s on my list of top five most-talented people,’ she said of Chenoweth. ‘It would be nice to get back on stage with her.’

Click here to read more here about Menzel’s current tour, her plans for a ‘Glee’-like summer camp and her attempts at bicoastal baby- and career-juggling.

-- T.L. Stanley

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