Idina Menzel is an accomplished American actress, theater personality, singer, and composer who rose to prominence after portraying Maureen Johnson in the Broadway musical “Rent.” She also appeared in the film adaptation of the musical, portraying Maureen Johnson. She won a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her moving portrayal of Elphaba in ‘Wicked,’ a Broadway musical written by Winnie Holzman and Stephen Schwartz. She has received praise from both fans and reviewers for her portrayal as Shelby Corcoran in the musical comedy drama TV series ‘Glee.’ When Hollywood Tracks issued her debut solo album, ‘Still I Can’t Be Still,’ she established her crooning skills, and she further entrenched her crooning skills with the release of records like ‘Here,’ ‘I Stand,’ and ‘Idina.’ She’s also appeared in a number of Hollywood films, including ‘Enchanted,’ ‘The Tollbooth,’ ‘Water,’ and ‘Frozen.’ The Grammy she won for providing her vocals to the song “Let It Go” for the original soundtrack of the Disney film “Enchanted” has been her career’s crowning accomplishment to date. Idina’s first and only track to reach number five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart earned her an Academy Award and a slew of other accolades.
Childhood and Adolescence
Idina Menzel was born on May 30, 1971, in the hamlet of Syosset, New York, as Idina Kim Mentzel. She was born and raised in Syosset and attended Syosset High School.
She received a BFA degree with a major in Drama from the ‘Tisch School of the Arts,’ which is associated with New York University.
Following her parents’ divorce, Idina, who was 15 at the time, began working as a Bat Mitzvah and wedding singer to supplement her income and pay her university tuition.
She eventually eliminated that from her surname, Mentzel, to make her name simpler to pronounce.
A Career as a Theater Performer
Idina Menzel made her Broadway debut in 1995 when she auditioned for the role of Maureen Johnson in the musical ‘Rent.’
She was nominated for a Tony Award for her performance in ‘Rent,’ and she played Maureen Johnson for the final time on July 1, 1997.
Menzel released her debut album ‘Still I Can’t Be Still,’ which was marketed by Hollywood Records, based on the success of the Broadway show. She also appeared in the original casts of ‘Summer of ’42,’ ‘Hair,’ and ‘Aida,’ among others.
She was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for her performance as Kate in ‘The Wild Party,’ an off-Broadway musical theater production.
She has also been in a number of other off-Broadway shows, including ‘The Vagina Monologues’ and ‘See What I Wanna See.’
In the theatrical adaption of Gregory Maguire’s novel ‘Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West,’ Idina featured alongside actress-singer Kristin Kenworth.
She earned the Tony Award for ‘Best Leading Actress in a Musical’ in 2004 for her portrayal of Elphaba, the protagonist of ‘Wicked.’
When ‘Wicked’ was presented at the Apollo Victoria Theater in London’s West End in 2006, Menzel reprised her role as Elphaba.
For the entire three months that the performance remained on the West End, Idina was the most expensive female performer, raking in a cool $30,000 every week.
Idina Menzel made her Broadway comeback in early 2013, playing the role of Elizabeth in the musical ‘If/Then.’
Since March 30, 2014, this Broadway musical, which premiered at the National Theater in Washington, D.C., has been performing in theaters.
She was nominated for her second Tony Award for her performance in ‘If/Then,’ but lost out to Jessie Mueller. She played Elizabeth in seven consecutive performances during the musical’s National Tour across theaters in different states before bowing out for good.
A Career in Music
In 1998, Idina made her public debut as a singer at the ‘Lilith Fair’ concert. During her nationwide travels, she frequently performs in New York City.
In 1998, Hollywood Records published her first solo album, ‘Still, I Can’t Be Still.’
In 2004, she self-released her second album, ‘Here,’ which was endorsed by Zel Records.
She was on the soundtracks of the 2005 and 2007 films ‘Desperate Housewives and ‘Beowulf,’ respectively. She also sang a duet with Welsh baritone Rhydian Roberts called “What If.”
In 2008, Idina released another solo album, ‘I Stand,’ her third. The album, which featured numerous new songs, debuted at number 58 on the Billboard 200 and was her first to chart. The majority of the songs on the CD were written by her.
Menzel began a musical tour to promote ‘I Stand’ on April 1, 2008, and the first four stops were completely sold out. In November 2008, she sang the album’s title track at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Idina performed “What I Did for Love” and “Defying Gravity” at a Broadway event in the White House on July 19, 2010, in front of President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle Obama. She had gone on a performance tour called ‘Barefoot at the Symphony Tour’ earlier in 2010.
On October 14, 2014, she released her fourth album, ‘Holiday Wishes.’ The album reached number ten on the Billboard 200, making it her highest-charting album.
Idina received the ‘Breakthrough Artist Award’ at the 2014 Billboard Women in a Music Awards ceremony.
Menzel released her fifth album, ‘Idina,’ on September 23, 2016.
A career in Film and Television
In 2005, Idina gained an excellent opportunity to showcase her acting abilities on the big screen when she was offered the role of Maureen Johnson in the film adaptation of the Broadway musical ‘Rent.’ She had previously appeared in films such as ‘Tollbooth,’ ‘Just a Kiss,’ ‘Kissing Jessica Stein,’ and ‘Water.’
In 2007, she portrayed Nancy Tremaine in the film ‘Enchanted.’ In the TV show ‘Glee,’ she played Shelby Corcoran on a regular basis.
She returned to ‘Glee’ in the third season for the episode ‘I am Unicorn,’ in which she portrayed the character of a teacher.
When Idina Menzel portrayed Elsa in the animated film “Frozen” in 2013, she cemented her place in Hollywood’s hallowed halls.
The film went on to gross approximately $1.3 billion at the worldwide box office, making it the most successful animated film ever. The film critics praised Menzel’s performance. She was also nominated for a Grammy for the film’s music.
Her Major Projects
Over the course of her two-decade career, Idina Menzel has appeared in various Broadway and off-Broadway musicals, films, and television programs, as well as released a number of indie and studio albums.
Her roles in ‘Rent,’ ‘Wicked,’ ‘If/Then,’ ‘Enchanted,’ ‘Frozen,’ ‘Glee,’ and ‘Julie’s Greenroom’ will be remembered for a long time.
Achievements & Awards
For her work in the Broadway musical ‘Wicked,’ she earned the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical in 2003.
Her song “Let It Go” for the film “Frozen” garnered an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, and a Golden Globe nomination in 2014.
Personal History and Legacy
On January 11, 2013, Idina Menzel married actor Taye Diggs. Walker Nathaniel Diggs, the couple’s son, was born on September 2, 2009. On December 3, 2014, Idina and Taye divorced.
She is engaged to actor Aaron, with whom she has been in a relationship since September 23, 2016.
Estimated Net worth
Idina Menzel is an American actress and singer/songwriter who has a net worth of $16 million.