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
One of the most popular and beloved Disney songs of all time is Idina Menzel's "Let It Go." In the song, Menzel sings about freeing oneself from expectations and constraints, letting go of the past and embracing one's true self. The lyrics set the scene on a snowy mountain, where the singer finds herself alone and isolated, with no one around to judge her. She reveals her innermost thoughts and feelings, expressing the need to break free and be her own person, unburdened by the pressure to conform to societal norms. The song not only resonated with young listeners, but also adults who could relate to its message of empowerment and self-discovery.
The first verse of the song establishes the setting of a desolate, wintry landscape. The singer describes herself as the queen of this kingdom of isolation, where she is free to be herself. She acknowledges the storm within her, as though she might be afraid to show the world who she truly is. She's tried to suppress what makes her unique but is now realizing that she needs to let it go while the second verse describes how distance can make things seem smaller and insignificant. The singer no longer sees her past fears and doubts as controlling factors and sets out to test her own limits, with no one to tell her what's right or wrong. The singer embraces her newfound freedom in the chorus, declaring that she is "one with the wind and sky" and won't be held back anymore.
Interestingly, "Let It Go" was originally written as a villain's song, but was later reworked to become the empowering anthem it is today. The song's release skyrocketed Menzel to international fame, and she went on to perform it at the 86th Academy Awards, receiving a standing ovation. The song won Best Original Song at the 86th Academy Awards and a Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media, as well as numerous other awards. "Let It Go" has since become a cultural phenomenon and has been covered and parodied numerous times, from classrooms to late-night TV shows.
Line by Line Meaning
The snow glows white on the mountain tonight
The snow is shining brightly in the darkness of the night upon the mountain
Not a footprint to be seen
No one has ever been here before now
A kingdom of isolation
There is no one else around for miles
And it looks like I'm the queen
I'm in charge and always in control
The wind is howling like this swirling storm inside
My emotions are overpowering and raging like the strong wind outside
Couldn't keep it in, Heaven knows I've tried
I have done my best to hold my emotions inside, but it's been difficult
Don't let them in, don't let them see
I don't want anyone to know the real me
Be the good girl you always have to be
I have to be perfect and follow the rules all the time
Conceal, don't feel, don't let them know
I have to hide my true feelings and emotions from everyone else
Well, now they know
Everyone knows my true feelings and emotions now
Let it go, let it go
I need to release my emotions and let them out
Can't hold it back anymore
It's become too difficult to keep all my emotions locked up inside
Let it go, let it go
I need to let everything out and not keep anything hidden
Turn away and slam the door
I'm going to shut everyone out now
I don't care what they're going to say
I'm done caring about what others think of me
Let the storm rage on
I need to let all of my emotions out and not hold them back anymore
The cold never bothered me anyway
I'm strong and immune to the cold and harshness of the world around me
It's funny how some distance makes everything seem small
When you move further away from something, it seems less important, and the problems appear smaller
And the fears that once controlled me can't get to me at all
I'm not afraid of anything anymore, and nothing can stop me
It's time to see what I can do
I need to start living life to the fullest and take chances
To test the limits and break through
I need to push myself to the limits and not hold back
No right, no wrong, no rules for me
I'm not going to let society dictate how I should live my life
I'm free
I'm finally free to live my life on my terms
I am one with the wind and sky
I'm at peace with myself and my surroundings
You'll never see me cry
I'm not going to let anyone see me vulnerable or weak
Here I stand and here I stay
I'm not going to back down, and I'm not going anywhere
My power flurries through the air into the ground
I feel strong and powerful, and I can feel the energy all around me
My soul is spiraling in frozen fractals all around
I'm in tune with my emotions, and they are swirling around me like a snowstorm
And one thought crystallizes like an icy blast
I have realized one thing, and it has hit me like a cold wind
I'm never going back, the past is in the past
I'm not going to dwell on the past anymore and move forward
And I'll rise like the break of dawn
I'll continue to move forward and grow, just like the sunrise each day
That perfect girl is gone
I'm not trying to be perfect anymore, and I'm happy with who I am
Here I stand in the light of day
I'm not hiding anymore, and I'm standing in the light for everyone to see
Let the storm rage on
I'm not holding anything back anymore and letting my emotions out
The cold never bothered me anyway
I'm strong and resilient, and nothing can bring me down
Lyrics © Wonderland Music Company Inc.
Written by: Kristen Jane Anderson-Lopez, Robert Joseph Lopez
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind