The 'Beaches' Promo Showcases Idina Menzel's Voice

As anyone that's seen the Bette Midler movie Beaches will know, some films are labelled tearjerkers for a reason. The promo for Lifetime's remake of Beaches, starring Idina Menzel and Nia Long, proves that the new version will be every bit as tear-inducing as the original. As well as giving us a glimpse of the upcoming TV movie, about two best friends who support each other throughout their lives, Idina Menzel's cover of "Wind Beneath My Wings" in the Beaches promo is beyond flawless, just as you'd expect from the talented performer. Hearing the Frozen actor sing "Wind Beneath My Wings" is enough to make anyone's tear ducts twitch with oncoming tears. Her version pays tribute to Midler's original while carving out a sound all of her own.

Menzel, who has won Grammy and Tony Awards, is an incredible choice to play the role of C.C. Bloom, made famous by Midler in the original. In Beaches, C.C. is an actress and singer, reflecting on her life with her best friend, Hillary. Having kept in touch for over 30 years, C.C. and Hillary are #friendshipgoals through and through, which is what makes the events of Beaches so tragic. As the latest trailer for the remake hints, Hillary becomes ill, and C.C. rushes to her side to care for her and her daughter.

While the subject matter of Beaches is more than enough to make most of us well-up immediately, Menzel's "Wind Beneath My Wings" is beautiful and heart-wrenching. The trailer relies on Menzel's jaw-dropping vocals, and, instead of featuring dialogue from the movie, the promo makes us listen to the Wicked singer's take on the classic song. It's clear that her vocal performance is central to the Beaches remake, and the trailer evidences exactly why Menzel was cast. It's hard to imagine anyone else performing the song after hearing her sing it, and I can't wait to hear the rest of the soundtrack. It's sure to be every bit as incredible.

In Dec. 2014, Menzel told MSNBC,

I love that I play all of these strong women. But they’re not just strong — they’re women who have a really deep vulnerability and need to go through a journey in order to harness their power.

C.C. in Beaches looks to be another strong role for the Broadway star, as well as a character who expresses her vulnerability through music. As a TV movie about female friendship, Beaches is an example of exciting programming for women, and Menzel is more than ready to take the spotlight in a leading role. Beaches is going to break all of our hearts when it airs on Lifetime on Jan. 21, 2017.

Images: Lifetime/YouTube