Idina was born on Long Island, New York, to a Jewish family. Her mother, Helene, is a therapist, and her father, Stuart Mentzel, worked as a pajama salesman. She was raised in Syosset, New York, with her younger sister Cara, and later changed the spelling of her last name (Mentzel) because of constant mispronunciation.
When Menzel was 15 years old, her parents divorced and she began working as a wedding and bar mitzvah singer. A job she continued throughout her time at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. She earned a Bachelors of Fine Arts degree in Drama at NYU.
In 1995, Menzel auditioned for Rent, which became her first professional theater job and her Broadway debut. Rent opened off-Broadway at the New York Theatre Workshop on January 26, 1996. The show moved to Broadway's Nederlander Theatre due to its popularity. For her performance as Maureen Johnson in the original cast, Menzel received a Tony nomination as Best Featured Actress in a Musical. Her final performance in the musical was on July 1, 1997.
Following the success of Rent, Menzel released her first solo album entitled "Still I Can't Be Still" on "Hollywood Records," Menzel also originated the role of Dorothy in Summer of ’42 at Goodspeed Opera House in Connecticut, starred as Sheila in the New York City Center Encores! production of Hair, and appeared on Broadway as Amneris in Aida. Menzel earned a Drama Desk Award nomination for her performance as Kate in the Manhattan Theatre Club's 2000 off-Broadway production of Andrew Lippa's The Wild Party. Her other off-Broadway credits include the pre-Broadway run of Rent and The Vagina Monologues.
In 2003, Menzel starred with actress and singer Kristin Chenoweth on Broadway in Wicked, a musical by Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman loosely based upon the popular 1995 Gregory Maguire novel. Menzel received the 2004 Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical for her portrayal of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West. On her third-to-last performance of Wicked on January 8, 2005, she fell through a trap door and cracked a lower rib. The injury prevented her from performing in the January 9 show. Menzel did, however, make a special out-of-costume appearance at that performance, performed her final song, and received a 5 minute long standing ovation. Menzel was replaced by Elphaba standby Shoshana Bean.
Following Wicked, Menzel appeared off-Broadway in the Public Theater's production of See What I Wanna See, a Michael John LaChiusa-penned musical whose run ended in December 2005, for which she received Drama Desk Award and Drama League Award nominations. She reprised her Tony Award-winning role as Elphaba in the West End production of Wicked when it opened at London's Apollo Victoria Theater on September 7, 2006. During the run, she joined the ranks of highest paid female performer in the West End at $30,000 per week. Menzel finished her West End run on December 30, 2006. She was succeeded by Elphaba standby Kerry Ellis.
Menzel played the role of Florence in the 21st Anniversary concert of Chess at the Royal Albert Hall, London from May 12–13, 2008, alongside Kerry Ellis, Adam Pascal and Josh Groban.
In 2008, Menzel headlined the Powerhouse Theatre's reading of Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik's musical Nero from July 1–11. She performed the role of Nero’s mistress Poppea.
Menzel's film roles include appearances in Just a Kiss, Kissing Jessica Stein, Tollbooth, Water, Ask the Dust, Enchanted, and Rent, in which she and five other original cast members reprised their stage roles. As a singer Menzel is known for her wide vocal range, and her use of the 'belt' technique.
Menzel performed at the 1998 Lilith Fair summer concert festival and continues to write and perform original music. She has toured extensively and frequently performs in various venues throughout New York City. She produced and released her debut album, Still I Can’t Be Still, for Hollywood Records in 1998. One single from the album, "Minuet," made the Radio & Records CHR/Pop Tracks chart at #48 in October 1998.
Her second album, Here, was released independently by Zel Records in 2004. Menzel has contributed to soundtracks, including those for the film The Other Sister and the ABC television dramedy Desperate Housewives. In 2007, she appeared on the Beowulf soundtrack singing the end credits song, "A Hero Comes Home." Also in 2007, Menzel's powerful singing voice lead her to be asked to accompany the baritone British X-Factor runner-up Rhydian Roberts on his debut album, duetting on the song "What If."
Her third solo album, I Stand, was released on January 29, 2008. The CD includes many new songs, including the lead single, "Brave," the title track "I Stand," and a song released on EP, "Gorgeous." The album debuted at #58 in the Billboard 200 making it the first solo album by Menzel to make the charts. There are five versions of this album: the original version, the special limited edition, the iTunes version, the Barnes & Noble edition, and the Borders edition.
On April 1, 2008, Menzel kicked off her "I Stand" tour in support of her new album.
On November 11, 2008, Menzel released a new single in conjunction with Major League Baseball. The single is entitled "Hope" and all proceeds go to Stand Up 2 Cancer.
On November 27, 2008, Menzel performed "I Stand" on the M&M Candies float as part of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.
On December 10, 2009, it was confirmed that Menzel was in negotiations to have a recurring role on Glee. In Spring 2010, Menzel began playing the role of Shelby Corcoran, the coach of the opposing Glee club, Vocal Adrenaline. She was also revealed as Rachel Berry's biological mother.
When asked about 'Defying Gravity' being sung on Glee, Idina was asked about her musical future. She said that the long-rumored movie version of 'Wicked' would probably not be green-lit until there's a dip in its Broadway grosses.
Idina also said that she had met with Andrew Lloyd Webber about taking the role of Betty Schaefer in his much delayed Sunset Boulevard film adaptation. As of February 2010, it is widely believed that Idina is no longer part of Sunset Boulevard as she wanted the role enlarged, to the refusal of Lloyd-Webber.
Menzel married actor Taye Diggs, her co-star from the original Broadway production of Rent, on January 11, 2003 after 7 years of dating. They have a Yorkshire Terrier named Sammy Davis Jr. and two cats named Ella and Coltrane, whom they call their "Jazz Cats" because they were named after famous jazz performers. On December 6, 2004, it was reported by the New York Post that Menzel and Diggs were threatened with harm in a series of letters because of their interracial marriage. Their son, Walker Nathaniel Diggs, was born on September 2, 2009.
Menzel was an Honorary Chair of the Imperial Court of New York's Annual Charity Coronation Ball, Night of A Thousand Gowns on March 21, 2009. Other Honorary Chairs for the evening's charity event included Sir Elton John CBE, Patti LuPone, John Cameron Mitchell, Joan Rivers and Dame Robin Strasser.
Gorgeous
Idina Menzel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In a far off place we wouldn't need to justify
Everything we are
And all that we believe
We could finally be
Whoever we both want to be
And when we can't be heard,
And when we can't be seen
You will reach for me
When all of the beauty turns to pain
When all of the madness falls like rain
As long as we crash and we collide
We will be gorgeous, you and I
Through the window pane,
Through the bedroom door
This city wants to fight
But it can't touch us anymore
We have come so far,
We have shed our skin
The more that's taken from us now,
The more we have to give
And when we can't be heard,
And when we can't be seen
I will call you close and
You will reach for me
When all of the beauty turns to pain
When all of the madness falls like rain
As long as we crash and we collide
We will be gorgeous, you and I
And when we are drowning in the noise
I'm gonna stop to hear your voice
As long as we crash and we collide
We will be gorgeous, you and I
(We'll be gorgeous)
(We'll be gorgeous)
In the perfect time
(We'll be gorgeous)
And when we lose our faith
In all that's beautiful
You lift me to this place
When all of the beauty turns to pain
When all of the madness falls like rain
As long as we crash and we collide
We will be gorgeous, you and I
And when we are drowning in the noise
I'm gonna stop to find your voice
As long as we crash and we collide
We will be gorgeous, we will be gorgeous
(you and I)
And when I lose my faith
I don't know what to do
You lift me to this place
And make me feel so beautiful
As long as you're right here by my side
We will be gorgeous, you and I
Idina Menzel's song Gorgeous is a powerful expression of the bond between two people, who face adversity but remain beautiful in their own way. The song explores how the world around us can be chaotic and full of pain, but when we have someone to share it with, we can navigate this world with grace and courage. In the first verse, Menzel speaks of a world where we wouldn't be judged for who we are or what we believe in. The lyrics express a yearning for a place of complete acceptance, where we can be whoever we want to be. The chorus of the song speaks to the idea that even when things go wrong, we still have each other, and together we can weather any storm. Menzel believes that when we face hardship, it is essential to have someone we can lean on and that beauty can be found in the midst of the madness.
The second verse speaks of the city that surrounds the two individuals, a place that is full of noise and conflict. Menzel emphasizes how they've already come so far in their journey together, and no matter what they lose, they still have more to give to each other. In the bridge, she reflects on how easy it is to lose faith in the world and beauty around us. However, the person she shares this bond with lifts her up, reminding her of what is truly important in life. The song ends with the idea that as long as they have each other, they will remain gorgeous, and nothing can take away the beauty they share.
Line by Line Meaning
In a perfect world, in another time
In an alternate reality, where things are perfect and different
In a far off place we wouldn't need to justify
In that world, we wouldn't have to explain ourselves
Everything we are
All of our characteristics and qualities
And all that we believe
Our beliefs and values
We could finally be
What we truly want to be
Whoever we both want to be
The person we dream of being
And when we can't be heard,
When we feel unheard,
And when we can't be seen
When we feel invisible
I will call you close and
I will reach out to you
You will reach for me
And you will support me
When all of the beauty turns to pain
When everything attractive transforms into agony
When all of the madness falls like rain
When all of the craziness pours down like raindrops
As long as we crash and we collide
As long as we handle and deal with difficulties and obstacles
We will be gorgeous, you and I
We will still look and feel beautiful, both you and me
Through the window pane,
Looking outside through the glass window
Through the bedroom door
Gazing through the doorway
This city wants to fight
The place we inhabit is hostile
But it can't touch us anymore
But it doesn't affect us anymore
We have come so far,
We have progressed considerably,
We have shed our skin
Getting rid of our past selves
The more that's taken from us now,
Even when we lose things
The more we have to give
The more we are capable of providing
And when we are drowning in the noise
When we are struggling with the surrounding chaos
I'm gonna stop to hear your voice
I'll pause and listen to your words
We will be gorgeous, we will be gorgeous
We will still remain beautiful as a pair
And when I lose my faith
When I become hopeless
I don't know what to do
I'm unsure of what actions to take
You lift me to this place
You bring me to a better state of mind
And make me feel so beautiful
You make me feel like a stunning individual
As long as you're right here by my side
As long as you're with me
We will be gorgeous, you and I
We will remain stunning together
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DAVE BASSETT, IDINA MENZEL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind