Idina Menzel Biography

The American singer Idina Menzel was born in 1971 in Queens, New York. Long before she rose to fame as the vocalist who gave audiences the smash hit “Let it Go,” from the Disney film Frozen, young Idina began singing when she was a child.  By the time she was a teenager she was singing gigs at weddings and bar mitzvahs in the New York area. After graduating from New York University with a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts, Menzel nailed a key role in the Broadway musical Rent in 1996. Her performance as Maureen Johnson earned Idina rave reviews and a Tony nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical, before she left the show in 1997.

After leaving Broadway, Idina Menzel set her sights on a career as a solo artist, and released her debut album, Still I Can’t Be Still, in the following year. Shortly thereafter, Menzel returned to the stage to star in key roles in the plays Hair, Aida, The Wild Party, Wicked, and the Vagina Monologues. Her performances earned her additional awards, including a Tony for Best Leading Actress in a Musical (for Elphaba, from Wicked) and a Drama Desk Award. Throughout the 1990’s, Idina Menzel also appeared in a number of films, including: Kissing Jessica Stein, Ask the Dust, Enchanted, the film adaptation of Rent, and of course her role as the character of Queen Elsa in the hit Frozen. She also began her recurring role on the television series Glee, all the while continuing her career as a solo artist, releasing the albums: Here (2004), I Stand (2008), and Live: Barefoot at the Symphony (2012.)

In recent years, Idina Menzel has continued her live performances, even appearing in her solo debut at Carnegie Hall. She has also performed at the Sydney Opera House and other notable venues. Most recently, Menzel returned to the stage for a role in the Broadway musical If/Then. Her performance earned her a nomination for Best Leading Actress in a Musical at the 2014 Tony Awards.