IT WAS almost too nice an evening to travel to Bristol but a rare opportunity to see American actress, singer and songwriter Idina Menzel performing live was too great an opportunity to miss.

The musical theatre star wowed the crowd at Colston Hall performing a mix of tracks from her latest album Idina, with established musical theatre standards from the shows she has appeared in.

Menzel opened her first UK concert of the tour in Bristol on Wednesday evening with one of the songs from Idina entitled Queen of Swords which, with a large band on stage, really brought the song to life. This was quickly followed by the first musical theatre song of the evening, Seasons of Love from Rent.

As she moved into the next song, Cake, she explained how it was inspired by her fiancé.

The concert took a more intimate turn as she interacted with the crowd.

This occurred several times throughout the show and I especially enjoyed her tribute to Jonathan Larson, the writer of Rent who tragically died on the show’s opening night.

Other stand out sections included the mix of Wind Beneath My Wings and Defying Gravity which highlighted the full strength of Idina’s voice.

A fabulous performer presenting a fantastic night at a beautiful venue. What more could one ask for?