Odds & Ends: Why Emily Blunt Hid Behind Trees in Into the Woods, NBC Taps Idina Menzel & More

Here's a quick roundup of stories you may have missed today.

Why Emily Blunt Hid Behind Trees in Woods
Emily Blunt, who plays The Baker’s Wife opposite Tony winner James Corden's Baker in Disney’s upcoming Into the Woods, has been opening up about the challenges of filming the role pregnant. "I was hiding behind every tree in that wood!" she told Disney twenty-three. Ironically, her character is desperate to have a baby and Blunt says that her real-life pregnancy helped her portrayal: "Here I was, feeling incredibly blessed and understanding what the character maybe is missing out on." In case you’ve been hiding behind a tree yourself and haven't already inked the release date in your calendar, the screen adpatation of the classic tuner will hit movie theaters at Christmas.

Idina Menzel & Cyndi Lauper Tapped by NBC
Tony winners Idina Menzel and Cyndi Lauper are just some of the stars who are set to perform at NBC’s annual Christmas in Rockefeller Center. The tree lighting celebration will also include Lady Gaga with Tony Bennett, Seth MacFarlane featuring Sara Bareilles, Pentatonix, LeAnn Rimes and Trisha Yearwood. So remember to set your DVR for the 82nd annual holiday extravaganza on December 3!

Nathan Lane, Lena Hall & More to Honor Elaine Stritch
Tony winners Nathan Lane and Lena Hall, along with Broadway vet Holland Taylor and Liz Smith, have joined the previously announced star-studded lineup of Everybody, Rise! A Celebration of Elaine Stritch. The tribute will be held on November 17 at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre.

John Bolton to Narrate Carnegie Hall's Rudolph
Broadway vet John Bolton (Curtains, Spamalot, Titanic) will narrate Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer at Carnegie Hall on December 21. The special holiday family concert with the New York Pops, conducted by Steven Reineke, will be folllowed by the Sixth Annual Family Party.

Anika Larsen to Sing You to Sleep
This is some kind of wonderful news with all this December excitement going on! Anika Larsen’s debut album Sing You to Sleep will be the perfect antidote to overtired kids this holiday season. Released by Yellow Sound Label on December 9, the Tony nominee says she hopes that we enjoy the songs "so much so that they put you to sleep!" Tracks on the record include a duet of James Taylor’s “You Can Close Your Eyes" with her Tony-winning Beautiful co-star Jessie Mueller, Gershwin’s “Summertime” and Sting’s “Fields of Gold.”