Lea Michele says one voice pushed her toward her return to Broadway — and it belonged to her on-screen mother, Idina Menzel.
People magazine reports that Michele, 39, took on the role of Florence Vassy in the revival of To play chess after hearing Menzel perform one of the show’s most iconic songs.
“I heard Idina Menzel sing [the Chess number] “Nobody’s Sides,” and I said, “I have to sing that song every night,” Michele told the outlet at the show’s opening night afterparty in New York City.
Menzel, 54, previously played Florence in a 2008 London concert production, long before appearing as Michele’s biological mother on cheerfulness. That connection made the role feel even more personal, Michele said.
The actress also noted how much of her former cheerfulness castmates are currently lighting up Broadway. “I mean, Jonathan [Groff]is here with me tonight and I spoke to Darren [Criss]and I’m so excited for Kevin [McHale]she said. “Glee has the most incredible cast of… talented people, so it makes sense that we’re all here.”
Groff plays the lead role Just in timeCriss appears in Maybe a happy endingand McHale is headlining the 25th annual Putnam County Spelling Bee off-Broadway.
Despite the demanding schedule, Michele feels the role is “a real gift.” As a mother of two, she acknowledged the challenge of leaving the house every night, but added, “I get to do what I love and I get to sing these songs that I’m so inspired by working with a cast that I’m so inspired by.”
