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.
River
Idina Menzel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They're cutting down trees
They're putting up reindeer
And singing songs of joy and peace
Oh I wish I had a river I could skate away on
But it don't snow here
It stays pretty green
Then I'm going to quit this crazy scene
Oh I wish I had a river I could skate away on
I wish I had a river so long
I would teach my feet to fly
Oh I wish I had a river I could skate away on
I made my baby cry, yeah
He tried hard to help me
He put me at ease
And he loved me so naughty
Made me weak in the knees
Oh I wish I had a river I could skate away on
I'm so hard to handle
I'm selfish and I'm sad
Now I've gone and lost the best baby
That I ever had
Oh I wish I had a river I could skate away on
Oh I wish I had a river so long
I would teach my feet to, to fly
Oh I wish I had a river I could skate away on
I made my baby say goodbye, say goodbye
Say goodbye
It's coming on Christmas
They're cutting down trees
They're putting up reindeer
Singing songs of joy and peace
Oh I, I wish I had a river I could skate away on.
Yeah I wish I had a river I could skate away on and on
And on, and on
The song "River" by Idina Menzel is a poignant and melancholic reflection on the holiday season and the singer's longing for escape. The opening stanza sets the scene: it's Christmastime and festivities are underway, yet the singer feels disconnected and out of place. They yearn for a "river [they] could skate away on," a metaphor for a temporary escape from the pressures and confinement of their life. The singer laments the lack of snow and the evergreen landscape, which only emphasizes their own isolation and disillusionment.
The chorus repeats the same sentiment, with the singer imagining a river so long that they could teach themselves to fly. The second verse reveals that the singer's lover has left them, presumably due to their own emotional turmoil and instability. They acknowledge that they are "hard to handle," "selfish," and "sad," and regret losing the person who loved them despite it all. The final stanza returns to the holiday setting, emphasizing the singer's contrast with the outward cheer around them.
Overall, "River" captures the familiar yet complex feeling of loneliness during the holiday season, and the desire for a brief reprieve from one's own struggles.
Line by Line Meaning
It's coming on Christmas
The holiday season is approaching.
They're cutting down trees
People are cutting down trees to be used as Christmas trees.
They're putting up reindeer
Decorations with the image of reindeer are being put up.
And singing songs of joy and peace
People are singing uplifting songs that celebrate peace and happiness.
Oh I wish I had a river I could skate away on
The artist wishes to escape from this holiday season and/or the sad state they are in.
But it don't snow here
The environment that surrounds the singer does not match their wish to feel as though it were snowing.
It stays pretty green
The surroundings are lush and green, not white and snow-covered.
I'm going to make a lot of money
The artist may see this as a way out of their current situation.
Then I'm going to quit this crazy scene
The artist plans to leave their current state of being.
I wish I had a river so long
The artist desires a place of escape that is away from everything they currently experience.
I would teach my feet to fly
The singer wants to be free, and to be able to glide away from their troubles.
I made my baby cry, yeah
The artist's actions have caused their loved one to be upset and unhappy.
He tried hard to help me
The singer's partner tried to help them, showing their caring nature.
He put me at ease
Their partner helped the singer feel more comfortable and at peace with themselves.
And he loved me so naughty
The singer's partner enjoyed loving them differently and unconventionally.
Made me weak in the knees
Their partner's love for them made the artist feel overwhelmed and overcome with emotion.
I'm so hard to handle
The artist recognizes that they are difficult to deal with.
I'm selfish and I'm sad
The singer is dealing with challenging emotions, such as sadness and self-centeredness.
Now I've gone and lost the best baby
The singer has lost something very valuable to them, likely their partner.
That I ever had
This loss is significant and irreplaceable.
I made my baby say goodbye, say goodbye
The artist caused their partner to end their relationship and leave them.
Say goodbye
The artist is emphasizing the pain of the goodbye that they caused.
Yeah I wish I had a river I could skate away on and on
The desire to escape is very strong, even consuming the singer's thoughts.
And on, and on
The artist wishes to escape and soar away until their troubles and heartache are behind them.
Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: Joni Mitchell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind