Video: Idina Menzel Recalls Winning the Tony for WICKED

Idina Menzel stopped by Live With Kelly and Mark to discuss the Tony Awards, both past and present. In 2004, the performer won the Tony for her role as Elphaba in Wicked and will be also presenting this Sunday at the ceremony for the 77th Annual Tony Awards.

Menzel recalled that she didn't expect to win the award: "My agent had called me and said, 'You better not be so self-deprecating and actually write a speech and think that you could possibly win because it's very possible.' [I told her] that I don't like to get my hopes up," she said.

"I called my mom and she said 'Honey, what's wrong with just enjoying this month and thinking maybe it's possible, and envisioning it and getting excited about the dress and maybe holding the statue. If you don't win, it will take you 24 hours, you'll be disappointed and you'll move on."

Menzel also remembered an early experience with The Wizard of Oz when she played Dorothy in 5th grade. "My dad was a pajama salesman so he would have all the seamstresses make my costumes and a lot of the castmates were very jealous..."

Watch the full clip now!

About Wicked 

Wicked, currently the 4th longest-running show in Broadway history, celebrated its 20th Anniversary this past fall. Winner of over 100 international awards including the Grammy Award and three Tony Awards, Wicked has been performed in over 100 cities in 16 countries around the world (U.S., Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Japan, Germany, Holland, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, The Philippines, Mexico, Brazil, Switzerland and China) and has thus far been translated into six languages: Japanese, German, Dutch, Spanish, Korean and Portuguese. Wicked has been seen by nearly 65 million people worldwide and has amassed over $5 billion in global sales. 
 
In addition to the Broadway production, Wicked in North America has enjoyed unprecedented record-breaking sit-down engagements in Chicago, where it ran for nearly four years; Los Angeles, where it ran for two years; and San Francisco, where it ran for nearly two years, as well as two North American Tours.
 
The Broadway sensation Wicked looks at what happened in the Land of Oz…but from a different angle.  Long before Dorothy arrives, there is another young woman, born with emerald-green skin, who is smart, fiery, misunderstood, and possessing an extraordinary talent. When she meets a bubbly blonde who is exceptionally popular, their initial rivalry turns into the unlikeliest of friendships…until the world decides to call one “good,” and the other one “wicked.”
  
Based on the novel by Gregory Maguire, Wicked has music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, and a book by Winnie Holzman.  The production is directed by Tony Award winner Joe Mantello with musical staging by Tony Award winner Wayne Cilento.  WICKED is produced by Marc Platt, Universal Stage Productions, The Araca Group, Jon B. Platt and David Stone.