Broadway star, actress, singer-songwriter- there’s nothing Idina Menzel (born 30 May 1971) aka Idina Mentzel from New York, US can’t do. As the voice of Elsa in Disney’s animation 2013 “Frozen” and lending vocals to the smash-hit song “Let It Go” became a worldwide phenomenon sending Menzel into the stratosphere.
Born into a Jewish family, when her parents divorced at 15 Idina began performing at bar mitzvah’s and weddings as a singer before enrolling at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts where she studied performing arts.
In 1995, Menzel scored her first professional job as she joined the cast of the Broadway musical “Rent” as Maureen Johnson, a role which earned her a Tony nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. Ending her successful run in 1997, Menzel released her debut solo album “Still I Can’t Be Still” through Hollywood Records in 1998.
Over the next couple of years, Menzel played small roles in theatre productions “Hair”, “The Wild Party” and “The Vagina Monologues” before landing the prolific role of Elphaba in the award winning musical “Wicked” in 2003. It was this role that really showcased Menzel’s incredible talent and powerful mezzo-soprano vocals and in her two year stint, she received the Tony award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical.
In 2004 Menzel released her second album “Here” before returning back to her role in “Rent” for the film adaptation the following year. Releasing her third album “I Stand” in 2008 allowed Menzel to take time out to support the release as she spent most of the year and 2009 touring the album, playing sold out shows across the country with Josh Groban and saxophonist Ravi Coltrone joining her on stage at The Lincoln Centre in New York City.
During 2010 Menzel embarked on the “Barefoot at the Symphony Tour” which allowed her to perform with symphony orchestras taking the tour nationwide and branching out to England and Australia. Later that year she had the opportunity to perform at the White House for President Obama and his wife singing the songs “Defying Gravity” and “What I Did for Love”.
It was her role as Elsa in the Disney’s chart-topping “Frozen” in 2013 and its enchanting lead single “Let It Go” which captivated audiences across the globe. The track won an Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 2014 Oscar’s where Menzel also performed it live. Later that year she released her fourth album “Holiday Wishes” which peaked at number six in the US Billboard Charts.
With a voice which captured the essence of Disney in modernity and a heart of gold, Menzel continues spreading joy to the masses both through her music and philanthropy work.
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