Who, you may be asking yourself, is Idina Menzel? 

While she’s not a household name (unless you’re a Glee acolyte and, judging from the numbers that show pulls, you may be), but there’s a good chance you’ve had the Idina Menzel experience and not realized it.

Menzel will share the stage with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 17 at Kleinhans Music Hall (3 Symphony Circle, Buffalo) and, if you’re a fan of show-stopping vocal performances, you may want to crack open the old billfold for this event.

“But why?” you ask.  “I’m sure she’s fine if she’s teaming up with the BPO, but…why do I care?”

Well, I respond, let me first say that I am slightly put off by your frankness.  I don’t think you understand the level of talent we are dealing with here.

Sure, Idina Menzel plays a supporting role on Glee, the hit Fox musical dramedy.  And yes, she is a singer / songwriter whose most recent album, I Stand, was recorded with the phenomenally successful producer Glen Ballard and spawned a sold-out concert tour.  And yes, she’s starred in the popular ABC series Private Practice, and appeared in the Amy Adams-Patrick Dempsey film Enchanted, and played a supporting role in Robert Townes’ Ask The Dust. 

But lots of people have recorded albums, collected film and television credits and performed in a PBS live concert from the Royal Albert Hall in London with Josh Groban.  That’s not uncommon, right? 

The real kicker is Menzel’s stage experience—she received a Tony nomination for her Broadway debut performance as Maureen in the original production of the Pulitzer Prize-winning hit Rent.  She also earned a Drama Desk nomination for her performance as Kate in Manhattan Theater Club’s Off-Broadway original musical The Wild Party. She appeared as Sheila in the Encores! production of Hair and starred as Amneris in Broadway’s Aida.

This is a show that may fly under a lot of people’s radar because it’s not at a venue that serves booze in plastic cups but should really gain serious Saturday night consideration.  Tickets start at $40.  For more info, visit the BPO online.