'I'm having a blast honestly': 'Frozen' star, Syosset native Idina Menzel talks Christmas album, Carnegie concert

Long Island native Idina Menzel is currently starring in the country's biggest movie "Frozen 2," and she's not done offering holiday gifts to her fans.
Menzel released her new album for the holiday season, "Christmas: A Season of Love," back in October. If that wasn't enough, she's also performing at Carnegie Hall Dec. 11.
"This whole time it's thrilling, it's exciting, I'm having a blast honestly ... and I have to balance a lot, and multitask and get my 10-year-old to school and basketball games," says Menzel.
Her holiday album features 18 songs for the holiday season featuring Ariana Grande, Josh Gad, Billy Porter and her husband, actor Aaron Lohr.
The album has multiple original tracks, including "A Hand for Mrs. Clause" with Grande, and "At This Table" that she wrote with her friend Jonas Miran.
"It's a song about being feeling welcome, being free and it felt like the perfect holiday song," says Menzel. "So that started me on this journey of curating music for an entire holiday album."
Her track with Porter, star of the series "Pose," is a version of "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm," which has been covered by several popular singers over the years.
"I stumbled upon that song, which was done by Sinatra and also done by Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald, and I was inspired by their duets, so I picked one of the greatest singers I know," says Menzel.
Menzel says ultimately, she wants people to feel like there's a song for everyone on the album.
Menzel hails from Syosset, and says she has plenty of memories from growing up on Long Island, including one educator who saw her talent early on.
"My fourth grade teacher was Mrs. Pinkus in Baylis Elementary School," says Menzel. "She was such a joy for the kids and the teaching, and she really saw my talent as a little performer, and a singer and an artist."
For her upcoming concert at Carnegie Hall, Menzel says she's going to play most of her new album, including some other hits people will be excited to hear.
"I realized that Carnegie was the ultimate place to play and be welcomed, so to combine all of my worlds in that way during this season when all of this wonderful stuff is going on is truly the cherry on top -- or the star on the top of the Christmas tree," says Menzel.