Idina Menzel has a diverse career on the stage, in films and television, and in music. The beloved Broadway star, best known for her work in Rent, her Tony Award-winning performance as Elphaba, the green-faced Wicked Witch of the West in Wicked, and her recurring role in the hit TV series Glee, has spent much of the past two years crisscrossing the country, headlining with dozens of symphony orchestras. This past November, on the second-to-last stop on Menzel's 2011 itinerary, the star recorded her forthcoming PBS special Idina Live: Barefoot at the Symphony. On March 6th, she releases the DVD and accompanying album to the special.

The special, and the album, were captured in Toronto at Koerner Hall, a beautifully modernist, acoustically blessed, 1,100-seat space literally carved out of the city's historic Royal Conservatory of Music headquarters. Menzel performs with the 52-piece Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, one of Canada's premiere symphony orchestras, under the direction of guest conductor Marvin Hamlish (or as Menzel prefers to call him, the legendary Marvin Hamlish) and her equally accomplished music director and pianist, Rob Mounsey (who has worked with everyone from Paul Simon and Steely Dan to Madonna, Usher and Rihanna).

Though Menzel's symphony concerts have attracted sellout crowds and earned consistent critical praise, she was hesitant about the idea at first. "I've toured a lot in my life with different bands and different styles of music, but I stayed away from orchestras and symphonies for a long time, because I like to have a real intimacy with the audience, and I was afraid these big orchestras would usurp my ability to do that. But then I discovered that there's a way to work with 80 musicians and make it feel like we've all known each other for years. It was a bit of me fighting with myself, but that's what turning 40 does to you! I'm still able to explore my edgier side with songs like `Roxanne,' but do it with an orchestra, which is really thrilling."

With the PBS special and the album both completed, Menzel plans to go back on tour this summer. She also hopes to return soon to Broadway for "a brand new, original show that I'm not allowed to talk about, but really excites me." She'll also continue her exemplary work with A BroaderWay, the foundation she established with Diggs in 2010 to help inner-city girls find outlets for self-expression through arts-related programs. But, says Menzel, "my biggest project right now is trying to be a really great mom and learning how to balance family and career. I'm just trying to spend as much time with my family as I can."

The release marks her second album in the states and her first on the label. America is already well acquainted with May through her performances on "The Tonight Show" in April, the 2010 Grammy Awards and a PBS Concert Special with Jeff Beck. With the release of Mayhem, Imelda will embark on a string of summer dates including a July 21 album release party at New York City's Mercury Lounge, Central Park Summer Stage with Wanda Jackson and Lollapoolaza (dates attached).

May has achieved triple-platinum status in her native Ireland and gold status in the U.K., along with receiving numerous awards including Best Breakthrough Artist at the 2010 Classic Rock Awards and Best Female Artist of 2010 at the Irish Meteor Awards. She has also graced TV screens in the U.K. performing on "Graham Norton" and twice on "Jools Holland." Mayhem has received four-star reviews from MOJO, The Daily Mirror, The Guardian and The Daily Telegraph. The album reached number seven on the U.K. chart, remained in the Top Ten for two weeks and the Top 20 for eight weeks.

On Mayhem, May wrote 13 out of the 14 tracks including the title track/first single, and U.K. hits "Inside Out" and "Psycho." The album also contains a rendition of Soft Cell's "Tainted Love." Her accomplished band includes husband Darrel Higham on guitars, Al Gare on double-bass, Dave Priseman on trumpet, and Steve Rushton on drums.

Performing a fusion of surf guitars, blues and rockabilly, May self-released her debut Love Tattoo, which went Triple Platinum. The album was picked up and released by Decca abroad and on Verve Forecast in the U.S. Since that time, May has shared stages with Eric Clapton, Chuck Berry, David Gilmore, Shane Macgowan, Van Morrison, Lionel Richie, Wanda Jackson, Paul Brady, Jamie Cullum and Meatloaf. In 2009, Love Tattoo knocked Bruce Springsteen off the number one spot on the Irish album charts making May the first woman to grace the top spot in nearly 20 years.

May fell in love with rockabilly and the blues at the age of nine. She went onto perform in burlesque clubs and was part of a swing troupe before breaking out on her own. She caught people's attention not only musically but with her 50s look that has led her to grace the front cover of the Irish Sunday Times Style Magazine.