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.
Small World
Idina Menzel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My feet lift off the ground
No one here will see me
No one will hurt me now
I'm brushing off the rain
While climbing through the clouds
Nobody can see me
Goodbye, gravity
Goodbye, enemies
I'm going up to a place where the world is small
Where I can fly above it all
If I don't make it, sing my song
From here I'm weightless
No stars are famous
And the world is small
And the world is small
Still rising towards the dark
Don't care what's down below
'Cause no one can see me
And no one has to know
The atmosphere is lonely and beautiful
I don't miss a thing I used to know
I used to know
Goodbye, gravity
Goodbye, enemies
I'm going up to a place where the world is small
Where I can fly above it all
If I don't make it, sing my song
From here I'm weightless
No stars are famous
And the world is small
I feel so tall
If there's nothing to break my fall
It's okay, I've seen it all
And maybe I was always small
But I could fly before I crawled
If I don't make it, sing my song
From here I'm weightless
No stars are famous
And the world is small
And the world is small
The lyrics to Idina Menzel's song "Small World" are a beautiful and poignant ode to the feeling of being weightless and free. The opening verse places the singer in a field, but they quickly leave the earth behind as their feet lift off the ground and they climb through the clouds. The line "Nobody can see me, no one can hurt me now" suggests that the singer is seeking refuge from some kind of pain or trauma, and they find it in the isolation of the atmosphere. The chorus repeats the imagery of the singer leaving behind gravity and enemies to reach a place where the world is small, allowing them to fly above it all.
The second verse further emphasizes the sense of loneliness and detachment from the world, with the singer rising towards the dark and not caring what's below them. They describe the atmosphere as "lonely and beautiful," suggesting that although they have left behind the pains of the world below, they are experiencing their own kind of isolation and longing. However, they also declare that they "don't miss a thing [they] used to know," indicating that they have found a liberation in this weightless space. The bridge of the song suggests a sense of acceptance, with the singer acknowledging that even if they fall, they have already experienced everything they need to. The final repetition of the chorus brings back the themes of weightlessness, release, and the smallness of the world.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm standing in the field
I find myself in the field.
My feet lift off the ground
I am leaving the ground.
No one here will see me
I am invisible to everyone else around me.
No one will hurt me now
I am safe from harm.
I'm brushing off the rain
I am wiping off the raindrops.
While climbing through the clouds
I am ascending through the clouds.
Nobody can see me
I am currently out of sight.
No one can hurt me now
I am free from danger.
Goodbye, gravity
Farewell, force that holds me down.
Goodbye, enemies
Farewell, people who wish me harm.
I'm going up to a place where the world is small
I am ascending to where the world seems insignificant and inconspicuous.
Where I can fly above it all
I can soar above everything else, far above.
If I don't make it, sing my song
If I am unsuccessful, please perform my track.
From here I'm weightless
I am free of weight in my current position.
No stars are famous
The stars do not shine brighter than me.
And the world is small
The world seems relatively tiny from my current standpoint.
And the world is small
The world appears relatively insignificant from where I am now.
Still rising towards the dark
Still ascending towards the darkness.
Don't care what's down below
I am not concerned about what is underneath me.
'Cause no one can see me
Because I cannot be seen by anyone else.
And no one has to know
And no one needs to find out what I am doing.
The atmosphere is lonely and beautiful
The air I breathe is stunningly beautiful but also very lonely.
I don't miss a thing I used to know
I do not long for anything from before.
Goodbye, gravity
Goodbye, force that holds me down.
Goodbye, enemies
Goodbye, people who mean to harm me.
I'm going up to a place where the world is small
I am ascending to where the world seems trivial.
Where I can fly above it all
Where I can fly high above everything.
If I don't make it, sing my song
If I am not successful, sing my song despite that.
From here I'm weightless
I am weightless from my current spot.
No stars are famous
The stars are not brighter than me.
And the world is small
The world seems insignificant from my viewpoint.
I feel so tall
Although above the world, I still feel magnificent.
If there's nothing to break my fall
If there is nothing to stop me from falling back down.
It's okay, I've seen it all
It will be all right as I have experienced it all.
And maybe I was always small
Maybe, ultimately, I have always been insignificant.
But I could fly before I crawled
But I have always been able to soar.
If I don't make it, sing my song
If I fail, let my song continue to be performed.
From here I'm weightless
From where I am now, I am without weight.
No stars are famous
None of the stars shine brighter than me.
And the world is small
The world seems incomparably insignificant from my current position.
And the world is small
The world seems relatively small from my point of view.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ROSS GOLAN, GREG WELLS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
MG
Lyrics :
[Verse 1]
I'm standing in a field
My feet lift off the ground
No one here will see me
No one will hurt me now
I'm brushing off the rain
While climbing through the clouds
Nobody can see me
No one can hurt me now
[Chorus]
Goodbye gravity
Goodbye enemies
I'm going up to a place where the world is small
Where I can fly above it all
If I don't make it, sing my song
From here, I'm weightless
No stars are famous
And the world is small
And the world is small
[Verse 2]
Still rising towards the dark
Don't care what's down below
'Cause no one can see me
And no one has to know
The atmosphere is lonely
And beautiful
I don't miss a thing
I used to know
I used to know
[Chorus]
Well goodbye gravity
Goodbye enemy
I'm going up to a place where the world is small
Where I can fly above it all
If I don't make it sing my song
From here I'm weightless
No stars are famous
And the world is small
I feel so tall
[Bridge]
If there's nothing to break my fall
It's okay I've seen it all
And maybe I was always small
But I could fly before I crawl
[Chorus]
If I don't make it, sing my song
From here, I'm weightless
No stars are famous
And the world is small
And the world is small
ris
I'm standing in the field
My feet lift off the ground
No one here will see me
No one will hurt me now
I'm brushing off the rain
While climbing through the clouds
Nobody can see me
No one can hurt me now
Goodbye, gravity
Goodbye, enemies
I'm going up to a place where the world is small
Where I can fly above it all
If I don't make it, sing my song
From here I'm weightless
No stars are famous
And the world is small
And the world is small
Still rising towards the dark
Don't care what's down below
'Cause no one can see me
And no one has to know
The atmosphere is lonely and beautiful
I don't miss a thing I used to know
I used to know
Goodbye, gravity
Goodbye, enemies
I'm going up to a place where the world is small
Where I can fly above it all
If I don't make it, sing my song
From here I'm weightless
No stars are famous
And the world is small
I feel so tall
If there's nothing to break my fall
It's okay, I've seen it all
And maybe I was always small
But I could fly before I crawled
If I don't make it, sing my song
From here I'm weightless
No stars are famous
And the world is small
And the world is small
MG
Lyrics :
[Verse 1]
I'm standing in a field
My feet lift off the ground
No one here will see me
No one will hurt me now
I'm brushing off the rain
While climbing through the clouds
Nobody can see me
No one can hurt me now
[Chorus]
Goodbye gravity
Goodbye enemies
I'm going up to a place where the world is small
Where I can fly above it all
If I don't make it, sing my song
From here, I'm weightless
No stars are famous
And the world is small
And the world is small
[Verse 2]
Still rising towards the dark
Don't care what's down below
'Cause no one can see me
And no one has to know
The atmosphere is lonely
And beautiful
I don't miss a thing
I used to know
I used to know
[Chorus]
Well goodbye gravity
Goodbye enemy
I'm going up to a place where the world is small
Where I can fly above it all
If I don't make it sing my song
From here I'm weightless
No stars are famous
And the world is small
I feel so tall
[Bridge]
If there's nothing to break my fall
It's okay I've seen it all
And maybe I was always small
But I could fly before I crawl
[Chorus]
If I don't make it, sing my song
From here, I'm weightless
No stars are famous
And the world is small
And the world is small
Saniya Corbin
Victorious Fan Very helpful👍🏽Thanks💞💞
MG
@Saniya Corbin 💖💖💖
Clarice Bean
Nice I'm the 69th like
Reham AL Housain
What an amazing voice, words and music!
Jessie Pérez
Thanks you! ❤
Tom George
Is it just me? This woman has one of the most beautiful and talented voices I ever heard. She is gorgeous both face and figure. While her success continues to climb, I don't understand why she isn't more recognized for her amazing voice. Rarely does a gift like hers come along. I can listen to her for hours, but this song will always be on of my favorites.
Diana Lopez
She's one of the goddesses of Broadway
Glenda Langley
I know what you mean. The very first time I heard Celine Dion I knew she was going to be big. I got home and let my mom here her. She agreed with me.
This lady should have a label if she doesn’t already have one.
Great lady.
Great voice
Great song
Great artist
I love her music.
Glenda Langley
I know what you mean. The very first time I heard Celine Dion I knew she was going to be big. I got home and let my mom here her. She agreed with me.
This lady should have a label if she doesn’t already have one.
Great lady.
Great voice
Great song
Great artist
I love her music.