How Idina Menzel Got Ready To Present the Tony Award for Best Musical
In a grand Elphaba meet-up last night, Idina Menzel and Cynthia Erivo presented the Tony Award for Best Musical to The Outsiders. (Menzel originated the role of Elphaba when Wicked debuted on Broadway in 2003; while Erivo stars as the character in the upcoming Wicked film with Ariana Grande.) It was a magical moment of “green girl power,” as Menzel called it, but both actresses left the emerald hues at home for the ceremony. On Broadway’s biggest night, Menzel wore a Naeem Khan dress, Gismondi 1754 jewels, Stuart Weitzman heels, and a Tyler Ellis clutch to the 77th Tony Awards.
It has been a big month for Menzel, whose new musical Redwood just announced to have a Broadway transfer after premiering at La Jolla Playhouse this spring. Menzel originated the project with director Tina Landau 15 years ago. Redwood, which opens next year, will mark the first time Menzel has starred on Broadway since the 2014 production of If/Then. “It’s about a woman at a crossroads in her life as she finds herself in the mystical Redwoods,” Menzel tells ELLE.com exclusively. “It’s about the power of resilience and the ability to heal. I hope it does just that for the audience. I hope it resonates with people.”
To kick off her Broadway bid, Menzel allowed ELLE.com to come behind the scenes and get ready with her for the Tony Awards. Below, she talks through her awards show beauty routine, highlights her talented team, and recounts the night she won her Tony for playing Elphaba.
I love my hair artist Geo Brian Hennings so much. Geo does it all, from long extensions to natural wavy hair, and I usually let him tell me what we’re going to do. For tonight’s look, he gave me some hot curls that felt cool and effortless.
Genevieve Herr is my go to for sophisticated makeup that still looks light and like myself. For last night, we decided to focus on fresh skin to nicely compliment all the beading and openness of the dress.
A good, comfy robe is a must when doing glam. Geo and Genevieve work so hard, and the last thing I want is to mess up their work when pulling things over my head.
It’s a long night without food, so I always make sure to have a bite while getting ready. Fries are easy to nibble on without getting in the glam team’s way.
Picking jewelry is one of my favorite parts of getting ready. I love these Gismondi 1754 jewels and think they were the perfect way to tie my look together.
The final look. My stylist Tara Swennen and I loved the edgy architectural nature of this gorgeous Naeem Khan gown. We were drawn to its uniqueness and modern flair. I wanted to wear something fresh and cool for the Tonys. This felt perfect.
And off we go! My date this year was my manager Heather Reynolds. It was a perfect girls’ night out. We’ve worked together for over 20 years and she was with me the night I won my Tony.
Getting to present at the Tonys is so much fun! It always feels like I’m home again. This year has been really amazing for our community and it’s hard to pick a favorite show because I have friends in everything.
You Might Also Like
