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.
Let It Go -
Idina Menzel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Not a footprint to be seen
A kingdom of isolation
And it looks like I'm the queen
The wind is howling like this swirling storm inside
Couldn't keep it in, heaven knows I tried
Don't let them in, don't let them see
Conceal, don't feel, don't let them know
Well, now they know
Let it go, let it go
Can't hold it back anymore
Let it go, let it go
Turn away and slam the door
I don't care what they're going to say
Let the storm rage on
The cold never bothered me anyway
It's funny how some distance makes everything seem small
And the fears that once controlled me can't get to me at all
It's time to see what I can do
To test the limits and break through
No right, no wrong, no rules for me
I'm free
Let it go, let it go
I am one with the wind and sky
Let it go, let it go
You'll never see me cry
Here I stand and here I stay
Let the storm rage on
My power flurries through the air into the ground
My soul is spiraling in frozen fractals all around
And one thought crystallizes like an icy blast
I'm never going back, the past is in the past
Let it go, let it go
And I'll rise like the break of dawn
Let it go, let it go
That perfect girl is gone
Here I stand in the light of day
Let the storm rage on
The cold never bothered me anyway
The first verse of the song Let It Go from the Disney movie Frozen paints a picture of a snow-covered mountainous landscape that seems to be untouched as there are no footprints to be seen. The visual imagery of the song portrays a sense of isolation, as if the queen was surrounded by a world of her own, a kingdom of isolation, with her entirely in charge. The second verse tells of her inner turmoil, comparing it to the whirlwinds outside her. She has been trying to keep her thoughts and feelings this way inside her, but now she finds it difficult to keep them concealed. She feels that she is not allowed to show them, and that it is only appropriate for her to be the “good girl” that everyone expects her to be. By saying “don't let them know, well, now they know”, it is apparent that she has allowed others to know of these internal battles, and therefore she is left feeling vulnerable.
The chorus of the song Let It Go sums up the queen’s emotions, with her admitting that she just can't hold back anymore, and that she is letting everything go without considering what others may say. She feels a sense of liberation and freedom coming over her, as she lets go of all the constraints and expectations she has been living with so far. The bridge of the song shows her rising above her fears and limitations, and taking control of her own destiny. She is free to explore and make her own rules, and she is determined to not turn back, with memories of the past dissipating like melted snow. Overall, Let It Go is a song about self-discovery, individuality, and breaking out of oppressive expectations.
Line by Line Meaning
The snow glows white on the mountain tonight
The snow is shining brightly on the mountain tonight
Not a footprint to be seen
No footprints are visible anywhere
A kingdom of isolation
A place of complete solitude
And it looks like I'm the queen
She's the only one there and thus feels like the ruler
The wind is howling like this swirling storm inside
The wind outside reflects the turmoil inside her
Couldn't keep it in, heaven knows I've tried
She's been trying to keep her emotions bottled up, but can't do it any longer
Don't let them in, don't let them see
Hide from others and don't let them see you like this
Be the good girl you always have to be
She's always had to be perfect and good, but it's exhausting
Conceal, don't feel, don't let them know
Pretend everything is okay and don't let others see how you feel
Well, now they know
Others now know how she feels and what she's been holding inside
Let it go, let it go
Let everything out and release it all
Can't hold it back anymore
She can't keep her emotions bottled up any longer
Turn away and slam the door
Distance yourself from others and close the door on everything
I don't care what they're going to say
She's no longer concerned with what others think or say
Let the storm rage on
She's letting all of her emotions out and letting them run wild
The cold never bothered me anyway
She's used to being alone and doesn't mind the isolation
It's funny how some distance makes everything seem small
Physical distance can make problems and issues seem less significant
And the fears that once controlled me can't get to me at all
She is no longer controlled by her fears and is free of them now
It's time to see what I can do
She's ready to explore her abilities and see what she can accomplish
To test the limits and break through
She's ready to push herself beyond her perceived limits
No right, no wrong, no rules for me
She's free to do what she wants without anyone else's rules or restrictions
I'm free
She's finally free of everything holding her back
I am one with the wind and sky
She's in sync with her surroundings and feels at peace
You'll never see me cry
She's done crying and won't let anyone else see her breakdown
That perfect girl is gone
She's no longer trying to be perfect, and it's liberating
Here I stand in the light of day
She's out in the open and not afraid to be seen
My power flurries through the air into the ground
Her power is evident and all around her
My soul is spiraling in frozen fractals all around
Her emotions are both intense and delicate, like a fractal
And one thought crystallizes like an icy blast
A single crystallizing thought hits her like a gust of wind
I'm never going back, the past is in the past
She's done with the past and looking forward to what's ahead
When I'll rise like the break of dawn
She's looking forward to a new day and new beginnings
That perfect girl is gone
She's not looking back at who she used to be
Here I stand in the light of day
She's ready to face life with confidence and conviction
Let the storm rage on
She's unapologetically letting her emotions out
The cold never bothered me anyway
She's used to being alone and can handle it, despite it being cold and isolated
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Kristen Jane Anderson-Lopez, Robert Joseph Lopez
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind