Idina Menzel and James Marsden just stole the hearts of musical lovers everywhere with an impromptu duet of “A Whole New World” from “Aladdin” on “The Late Late Show With James Corden.” During a Nov. 17 appearance, the two “Disenchanted” stars discussed their love for all things theatrical, and near the end of the segment, Marsden persuaded Menzel to join him in singing the classic “Aladdin “.
“He’s just a real pain,” Menzel said of Marsden, “and Amy Adams, too. They were both singing and dancing, even when they said cut.”
“Amy and I were such big Idina fans that when they were yelling cut out…or in the makeup trailer or whatever, we’d go up to Idina and say, ‘Hey, you want to sing a song? with me?” Marsden says, before launching into the start of “A Whole New World.” Menzel quickly joins him, even getting in tune during the chorus.
Ahead of their duet, the pair discussed their various musical theater insecurities, with Menzel saying she’s actually not a great dancer. “I have to be tutored,” she laughs. Marsden, for his part, ignored Menzel’s compliments on his vocals and confessed that he didn’t consider himself a singer as a child, although he often tried to channel various musicians like Frank Sinatra. He then did an impression of John Legend’s “All of Me,” deeply impressing Corden.
Menzel and Marsden were promoting their upcoming movie “Disenchanted,” which features numerous musical numbers. “It’s 15 years later,” Marsden said of the ‘Enchanted’ sequel, “and it’s kind of a story of what happens after happily ever after. Maybe the blushing is a little rose in our relations.”
“But not ours,” Menzel said quickly. Menzel and Marsden’s characters Nancy Tremaine and Prince Edward were an unlikely couple in 2007’s “Enchanted.”
Previously, Marsden told POPSUGAR that Menzel would finally get his own song in “Disenchanted.” “The elephant in the room is Idina is in the first movie and doesn’t sing a note,” he said.
“I was happy to be hired as an actor [in ‘Enchanted’]not to sing,” Menzel told us then. “But I’m glad I have a song now.” Marsden replied, “I think everyone will be very, very happy about it.”
“Disenchanted” is now streaming on Disney+.