Six Glorious Takeaways from Idina Menzel & Cara Mentzel on Live at Five

Way before asking us to moo with her in Rent, going green as Wicked's Elphaba and getting super cold as Elsa in Frozen, Idina Menzel was just a Long Island girl with a big voice and little sister, Cara Mentzel. Mentzel has written Voice Lessons, a memoir chronicling her relationship with Dee (as she calls her). The sisters recently caught up with Paul Wontorek on Live at Five to discuss the moving, hilarious stories in the book as well as drop some major Mentzel/Menzel knowledge. Hold on to your broomsticks, kids. Here are six things we learned about Idina Menzel and her super cool sis.

6. Cara Got Stoned for the First Time at the Rent Opening

What happens in Bohemia, stays in Bohemia—unless you document real life and put it out there in a memoir. Rentheads have dreamed about how epic the Broadway opening-night party must have been back in 1996. Now we have all the up-in-smoke details. Viva la vie Boheme!

5. Their Private Phone Lines Got Them into Trouble 

The Mentzel sisters had their own super special private phone line as teens. Idina used it to talk to a college boy, while her sister Cara received an unfortunate breakup call around 2AM. Or was it all a dream? Late-night phone calls can be confusing—although not to big sisters. 

4. Idina’s Surefire Vocal Coaching Tip: “Just Sing It Like This!”

Dee once gave her sister Cara a literal voice lesson. "I gave her some ‘constructive criticism,’ like ‘Why can’t you do it like this?’” Menzel said about coaching Cara for a school choir audition. Easier said than done. “Just do it like Idina Menzel” is also our go-to advice for many things.

3. Idina’s So Ready for a Pirates of Penzance Revival

‘Tis Mabel! Cara recalled a time when her sis starred in a school production of Pirates of Penzance and wowed the audience (obvi). “Everybody was mesmerized by my sister.” Including us! Idina gave us a little “Poor Wandering One,” and proved she's more than up to the task. 

2. Cara Was on Match.com While Idina Was Cavorting with Colin Farrell

Cara revealed her favorite Idina role: Vera in the 2006 film Ask the Dust. “I was single and whiny, and she got to fool around with Colin Farrell and then go home to Taye Diggs,” Cara joked. “I was like, ‘This is so unfair. I’m on Match.com with all these schmucks!’” We hear you, sis!

1. Idina Isn’t into Astrology, Except for One Thing
Idina may be famous for defying gravity on Broadway, but the stars are not where she looks to decide her fate. Nevertheless, she did share one astrological factoid about new hubby Aaron Lohr. “I’m not into astrology, but I do know that he and I are sexually compatible,” she said. TMI? What's that among sisters?

Curl up with Voice Lessons ASAP, and watch the full Live at Five episode below.