By Andrew Gans
23 Aug 2005

Tony Award winner Idina Menzel will be one of the many artists featured on the new CD "Music From and Inspired by Desperate Housewives."

Billboard.com reports that Menzel has recorded "Damsel in Distress" for the CD, which is due in stores Sept. 20 on the Hollywood Records label. Among the many other performers featured on the CD are Shania Twain ("Shoes"), SheDaisy ("God Bless the American Housewife"), Anna Nalick ("Band of Gold"), Liz Phair ("Mother's Little Helper"), Indigo Girls ("Mrs. Robinson"), Martina McBride ("Harper Valley P.T.A."), Leann Rimes ("Running Out of Time"), Joss Stone ("Treat Me Right [I'm Yours for Life]"), Sara Evans ("One's on the Way"), Macy Gray ("Boom Boom"), Gloria Estefan ("Young Hearts Run Free") and k.d. lang ("Dreams of the Everyday Housewife"). The recording also includes dialogue spoken by its leading ladies and Danny Elfman's Housewives "Theme".

"Desperate Housewives," which co-stars Teri Hatcher, Eva Longoria, Felicity Huffman and Marcia Cross, will begin its second season on ABC-TV Sept. 25.

Idina Menzel won a Tony Award for Leading Actress in a Musical for her work as Elphaba in Wicked. She created the role of Maureen in the original Broadway company of Rent, and her other theatrical credits include the City Center Encores! production of Hair, the Manhattan Theatre Club The Wild Party and the benefit Funny Girl concert. Menzel also recently completed filming the new motion picture "Ask the Dust" and will also be seen reprising her role of Maureen in the upcoming film of "Rent." Menzel is set to return to the stage this fall in the Public Theater's mounting of See What I Wanna See.