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.
My Own Worst Enemy
Idina Menzel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There was a time I wasn't afraid of anything
With the lilacs and the rain
One day you went away
I remember
I forgot everything
My mother's always trying to tell me
My father's always trying to say
Baby, you're beautiful in every way
My lover's always got me in his arms
Trying to protect me, keep me from harm
So why do I always have to be
My worst, my own worst enemy
In the shadows, in the grays, in the lonely
There is a place
Where we can all hide away
But in the windows of the soul
There is nowhere we can go
If we keep running
Running from our destiny
Say I walk on water
Say I walk on the moon
But it's never enough
No it's never enough, no it's never enough
Say I'm only human
It's all in my head
But it's never enough
No it's never enough, no it's never enough
One day I'll find my alibi
The lyrics to Idina Menzel's song My Own Worst Enemy reveal the singer's struggle with her inner demons, her insecurities, and the challenges she faces in her relationships. The first verse conveys a sense of loss and longing as the singer is reminded of a time when she was fearless and carefree. With the lilacs and the rain, she remembers a time before someone she loved left and she forgot everything. This loss has left her feeling vulnerable and exposed, unable to find her way back to who she used to be.
The second verse reveals the conflicting messages the singer receives from the important people in her life. Her mother tells her to be grateful and to believe, while her father assures her she's beautiful in every way. Her lover tries to protect her and keep her from harm. However, despite their efforts, the singer still feels like her own worst enemy. She can't shake the negative thoughts and self-doubt that plague her.
The chorus highlights the singer's need for validation and acceptance. She imagines walking on water or on the moon, but nothing seems to be enough to satisfy her. She acknowledges that she's only human, but that's not enough to stop the negative thoughts and feelings. She hopes that one day she'll find her alibi, a way to justify her actions and find peace within herself.
Overall, the lyrics of My Own Worst Enemy reveal the singer's struggle with her inner demons and her need for validation and acceptance. It's a relatable theme that many listeners can identify with.
Line by Line Meaning
In the roses, in the spring, I remember
Memories of spring and roses remind me of a time when I was fearless
There was a time I wasn't afraid of anything
In the past, I was fearless
With the lilacs and the rain
The scent of lilacs and the sound of rain remind me of that time
One day you went away
But then, you left
I remember
And I forgot everything that made me fearless
My mother's always trying to tell me
My mother constantly reminds me
How to be grateful, how to believe
To be thankful and to have faith
My father's always trying to say
My father constantly tells me
Baby, you're beautiful in every way
That I'm beautiful in every way
My lover's always got me in his arms
My partner holds me tight
Trying to protect me, keep me from harm
To keep me safe from harm
So why do I always have to be
But why do I keep being
My worst, my own worst enemy
My own worst enemy
In the shadows, in the grays, in the lonely
Amidst the darkness, in loneliness
There is a place
There is a place where I can hide
Where we can all hide away
Where everyone can hide away
But in the windows of the soul
But in the depths of our soul
There is nowhere we can go
There's nowhere else to run
If we keep running
If we keep trying to escape
Running from our destiny
Running from our fate
Say I walk on water
Maybe even if I could walk on water
Say I walk on the moon
Maybe even if I could walk on the moon
But it's never enough
It's never enough to escape my insecurities
No it's never enough, no it's never enough
Never, it's never enough
Say I'm only human
Maybe if I admit that I'm only human
It's all in my head
It's all just in my mind
But it's never enough
But that's never enough to overcome my doubts
No it's never enough, no it's never enough
Never, it's never enough
One day I'll find my alibi
Maybe someday I'll find the reason why I'm so hard on myself
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Glen Ballard, Idina Menzel
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind