Menzel writes, "So here I am, on my couch, propped up by 12 pillows, a few painkillers, and some good friends and family. It doesn't seem so bad. The apartment looks like a florist shop and my cat hates me because I won't let him jump on my lap. I'm trying not to eat too much and doing a lot of breathing exercises which you're supposed to do when you've hurt your ribs. Anyway, just wanted to let you know I'm getting better. My spirits are high and thanks again for all your support." It was during the Jan. 8 Wicked matinee when an elevator beneath the trap door that usually meets Menzel during the show's "melting sequence" began descending without her. Menzel's fall resulted in a cracked rib, and the show was stopped until her understudy — and Wicked's current Elphaba — Shoshana Bean could finish the performance. About that matinee, Menzel good-humoredly writes, "So I melted every night and this time, I guess I really melted. It wasn't the farewell I had in mind, but thanks to all of you and the incredible company, it was a truly special evening for me. It would have been nice to sing those songs one last time, but somehow, after that night, I still feel a sense of completion and I am at peace with that."
The Tony-winning actress had surprised the sold-out crowd Jan. 9 when she came onstage — dressed in a red track suit — to complete the final scene of the musical on what was to be her final evening as the misunderstood Elphaba. During the curtain call, Menzel was again brought onto the stage so she could take her final bow. At that time she simply told the audience, "I love you all. It's been the best year of my life. Thank you."
Idina Menzel won a Tony Award for Leading Actress in a Musical for her work as Elphaba in Wicked. She created the role of Maureen in the original Broadway company of Rent, and her other theatrical credits include the City Center Encores! production of Hair, the Manhattan Theatre Club The Wild Party and the benefit Funny Girl concert. Menzel also recently completed filming the new motion picture "Ask the Dust."
