Misplaced Pages

Revision as of 18:20, 10 January 2014

Idina Menzel
Menzel on May 25, 2008
Background information
Birth name	Idina Kim Mentzel
Born	(1971-05-30) May 30, 1971 (age 53) Queens, New York, United States
Genres	Broadway, pop, vocal
Occupation(s)	Singer, actress, songwriter
Years active	1995—present
Labels	Hollywood (1998–1999) Warner Bros. (2007–2010) Walkman Records (2012— )
Spouse	Taye Diggs (January 11, 2003— ) 1 child
Website	idinamenzel.com

Idina Kim Menzel (/ɪˈdiːnə mɛnˈzɛl/; born Mentzel on May 30, 1971) is an American actress, singer, and songwriter. She rose to prominence for her performance as Maureen Johnson in the Broadway musical Rent, a role which she reprised for the 2005 feature film adaptation. In 2004, she won the Tony Award for originating the role of Elphaba in the Broadway blockbuster Wicked. In 2014, she will be returning to Broadway in the musical If/Then. Menzel is also known for her portrayal of Shelby Corcoran, the biological mother of Lea Michele's character Rachel Berry, on the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee, and as the voice of Snow Queen Elsa in Disney's Frozen.

Early life

Menzel was born in Queens, New York. Her mother, Helene, is a therapist, and her father, Stuart Mentzel, worked as a pajama salesman. She has a younger sister, Cara. Her family is Jewish; her grandparents emigrated from Russia and elsewhere in Eastern Europe. Her family lived in New Jersey (East Brunswick, Somerset and Marlboro) from when she was in kindergarten to third grade, but she considers herself raised in Syosset, New York.

When Menzel was 15 years old, her parents divorced and she began working as a wedding and bar mitzvah singer, a job which she continued throughout her time at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. Menzel herself, however didn't have a Bat Mitzvah after she quit Hebrew school as a girl. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Drama at New York University prior to being cast in Jonathan Larson's rock musical Rent. She changed the spelling of her surname to Menzel to better reflect the pronunciation the Mentzel family had adopted in America. She was friends with actor Adam Pascal before they worked together in Rent.

Theatre career

In 1995, Menzel auditioned for Rent, which became her first professional theatre job and her Broadway debut. Rent opened off-Broadway at the New York Theatre Workshop on January 26, 1996, but it moved to Broadway's Nederlander Theatre due to its popularity. For her performance as Maureen Johnson in the original cast of the musical, Menzel received a Tony nomination as Best Featured Actress in a Musical losing to Ann Duquesnay for Bring in 'da Noise, Bring in 'da Funk. 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 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. During her penultimate 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 her final show on January 9. Menzel did, however, make a special out-of-costume appearance at that performance, performed her final song, and received a five-minute 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 Theatre on September 7, 2006. During her run, she was the 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 11–13, performing the role of Nero's mistress, Poppea.

On February 28, 2013, it was announced that Menzel would make her return to the Broadway stage, starring as Elizabeth in the new Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey musical "If/Then". The new musical, directed by Michael Greif (whom Menzel previously worked with in the original production of "Rent"), had its world premiered at the National Theatre in Washington D.C., starting with previews on November 5, 2013, and an official opening on November 24, 2013. Following the out-of-town tryout, the show will move on to the Richard Rodgers Theatre on Broadway and begin previews on March 4, 2014, and then open on March 27, 2014.

Idina's powerful voice, passion, and broadway history (mainly in Wicked and RENT) has made her a legend on the broadway stage. She has a very dedicated fanbase who refer to themselves as Fanzels.

Film, television, recording and singing career

Menzel's film roles include appearances in Just a Kiss, Kissing Jessica Stein, The 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. She also appears on Ray Charles's album Genius and Friends, which was released in 2005, on the track "I Will Be There." 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 led 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. It 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. Menzel wrote many of the songs on her album.

On April 1, 2008, Menzel kicked off her 2008-2009 "I Stand Tour" in support of her new album performing 4 sold out legs. The concert at Rose Hall at Lincoln Center in New York City was filmed for the PBS series "Soundstage". Menzel was joined by special guests, superstar Josh Groban and saxophonist Ravi Coltrane.

On November 11, 2008, Menzel released "Hope," written by Paul Hampton, benefitting Stand Up to Cancer. On November 27, 2008, she performed "I Stand" on the M&M Candies float as part of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Menzel has a recurring guest star role in the television series Glee, playing Shelby Corcoran, the coach of the rival glee club Vocal Adrenaline. When the series first premiered, Glee fans had noted a strong physical resemblance between Menzel and Lea Michele who portrays the character Rachel Berry. According to her husband, actor Taye Diggs, Menzel expressed interest in possibly guest starring as the biological mother of Rachel. The character was introduced in the April 13, 2010 episode "Hell-O", and it was revealed in the May 18, 2010 episode, "Dream On", that Shelby is, in fact, Rachel's biological mother, having answered an ad from Rachel's two gay dads looking for a 'mother' to help them have a baby. Lea Michele and Idina Menzel sing "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Misérables and "Poker Face" originally by Lady Gaga together. Menzel returned to Glee in Season 3 episode "I Am Unicorn", her role this time as a teacher causing trouble for Rachel, Quinn, Puck, and former flame Will Schuster.

On July 19, 2010, Menzel performed "Defying Gravity" and "What I Did For Love" in front of President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama at A Broadway Celebration: In Performance at the White House. The concert aired on PBS October 20, 2010.

In April 2010, Menzel returned to concert stage embarking on her "Barefoot at the Symphony Tour", which she was accompanied by major symphony orchestras. Her performances included collaborations with the New York Philharmonic, the Boston Pops Orchestra, and the North Carolina Symphony. In October 2011, Menzel returned to London to perform a one night only concert in the United Kingdom at the Royal Albert Hall with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra with Marvin Hamlisch conducting. Menzel's concert stop in Toronto was filmed at The Royal Conservatory of Music on November 17 and 18, 2011 for her second PBS special. She was accompanied by the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony with Marvin Hamlisch conducting and special guest Taye Diggs, Menzel's husband. Idina Menzel Live: Barefoot at the Symphony was released as a live CD and DVD and air on PBS in March 2012.

Menzel announced she will continue live performances in 2012. The first date she announced was July 8, 2012 at Ravinia Festival near Chicago, Illinois. She made her Carnegie Hall solo debut (originally on October 29, 2012). However, due to Hurricane Sandy's impact on New York City, it was postponed until January 13, 2013.

Menzel is set to tour Australia in June 2013 with shows in South Australia, Melbourne, Brisbane and two at the famed Sydney Opera House.

Menzel voiced the character of Queen Elsa in the Disney animated film Frozen, released on November 27, 2013. Frozen received near universal critical acclaim. The review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes reports that 89% of critics gave the film a positive review based on 152 reviews, with an average score of 7.7/10, making it the highest rated family film in 2013. The site's consensus reads: "Beautifully animated, smartly written, and stocked with singalong songs, Frozen adds another worthy entry to the Disney canon." Her performance received praise from film critics, frequently focused on her performance of "Let It Go", who said that Menzel had been a "powerhouse"

Personal life

Menzel married actor Taye Diggs on January 11, 2003. They met in 1995 during the original production of Rent, in which Diggs portrayed the role of Benjamin Coffin III, the landlord. They have a son, Walker Nathaniel Diggs, born on September 2, 2009. In late 2013, it was reported that Menzel and Diggs had separated after 10 years of marriage.

Charity

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 Elton John, Patti LuPone, John Cameron Mitchell, Joan Rivers and Robin Strasser.

On May 17, 2009, Menzel performed at a special benefit concert in Atlanta, Georgia to raise money for the Pace Academy Diversity Program in coordination with the Ron Clark Academy. The event resulted in the funding of two scholarships for Ron Clark Academy students to attend Pace Academy. The event was organized and hosted by Philip McAdoo, a former Rent cast member and current Diversity Program Director at Pace Academy.

In 2010, Menzel founded the A BroaderWay Foundation with husband Taye Diggs as a means of supporting young people in the arts. A BroaderWay sponsors camp programs, theater workshops, innovative educational programming and offers scholarships and opportunities to experience professional performances. In Summer 2011, Camp BroaderWay welcomed young girls from under-served metro New York communities to a 10-day performing arts camp, run by Menzel and a team of acclaimed professional Broadway artists including Taye Diggs. During this camp the girls collaborated with Broadway artists to write an original musical that was performed at a theatre in New York. The camp was held at Belvoir Terrace Summer Camp in Lenox, Massachusetts.

Menzel has long-championed LGBT rights by partnering with organizations like The Trevor Project, the Give A Damn Campaign (filming a public service announcement and designing a T-shirt) and the NOH8 Campaign, posing for one of their trademark duct taped silence photos.

Theatre, film and television credits

Discography

Solo albums

Singles

Cast recordings

Miscellaneous

References

1. Neumaier, Joe (15 November 2005). "RENT CONTROL. One part original, one part newcomer". Daily News (New York). Retrieved 2008-03-06. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
2. Green, Jesse (February 13, 2000). "Trained to Be Wild". The New York Times. Retrieved May 5, 2010.
3. ^ Kachka, Boris (23 October 2005). "Something Wicked This Way Comes". New York. Retrieved 2008-02-18.
4. Susman, Gary (December 6, 2004). "Witch Hunt". Entertainment Weekly.
5. Lewis, Barry. "Broadway sensation Menzel has Catskill roots". Times Herald-Recorddate= 31 July 2010.
6. Bigus, Ruth Baum (3 November 2011). "'Wicked' and 'Glee' star flies into Kansas City for benefit". The Kansas City Jewish Chronicle.
7. Cairns, Dan (2008-08-31). "Idina Menzel: from Broadway belter to pop star". The Times. London. Retrieved 2008-08-31.
8. Boyle, Kelly. "Menzel delivers a Wicked good performance". Boston Music Spotlight. Retrieved 15 November 2013.
9. Ouzounian, Richard (29 November 2005). "Gig was weddings before Rent called; Menzel's big voice 'discovered' at age 5". The Toronto Star. Retrieved 2008-03-06.
10. "Idina Menzel's Official Website". Retrieved 2008-02-18.
11. McKinley, Jesse (2005-01-10). "Ding Dong, a Witch Is Hurt, but She Takes Her Final Bow". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-02-18. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
12. Wolf, Matt (2006-09-25). "Idina Menzel". Broadway.com (London). Retrieved 2008-02-18. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
13. "Idina Menzel highlights casting for Nero". Powerhouse Theatre. Vassar College. 30 June 2008. Retrieved 2008-07-26.
14. , New York Times, 28 February 2013.
16. "Idina Menzel – Still I Can't Be Still". Retrieved 2008-02-18.
17. Gans, Andrew (November 11, 2008). "Tony Winner Menzel to Perform During Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade". Playbill.
18. Gans, Andrew (27 November 2008). "Macy's Parade Features White Christmas, In the Heights, South Pacific, Hair and Mermaid". Playbill. and Tony winner Idina Menzel will offer "I Stand" on the M&M's on Broadway float.
19. Wicked's Idina Menzel Would ‘Love’ to Guest Star on Glee" People.com, 3 December 2009.
20. "Glee's Lea Michele and On-Screen Mother Idina Menzel Sing 'Somewhere'". Running Lip. Mersion Media. Retrieved 26 September 2011.
21. "Nathan Lane, Idina Menzel, Brian d'Arcy James and More to Perform Broadway Celebration at White House", Broadway.com, 14 July 2010.
22. Idina Menzel Live: Barefoot at the Symphony to Premiere on Chicago's PBS January 9; March 3 Nationwide, BroadwayWorld.com, 9 January 2012.
23. "Idina to Play Ravinia", Idina Menzel official website, 5 January 2012.
24. Gans, Andrew (28 February 2012). "Idina Menzel Will Launch New Concert Tour In June; Itinerary, Including Carnegie Hall, Announced".
26. Breznican, Anthony (11 June 2012). "Disney's 'Frozen': Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel to voice animated tale". Entertainment Weekly.
27. "Frozen (2013)". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. Retrieved December 2, 2013.
28. Sneitker, Marc (November 30, 2013). "Disney's 'Frozen' soundtrack: Ranking all nine original songs". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved December 10, 2013.
29. Das, Lina (November 30, 2013). "Idina Menzel: A snow queen to melt our hearts". Daily Mail. Retrieved December 12, 2013.
30. Barnard, Linda (November 27, 2013). "Frozen will warm your heart: review". The Star. Retrieved December 14, 2013.
31. DeTruck, Matt (November 27, 2013). "CD Review: Disney's "Frozen" Soundtrack". City Newspaper. Retrieved December 10, 2013.
32. Asl, Nasim (December 13, 2013). "Frozen Melts Viewers' Hearts". The Oxford Student. Retrieved December 15, 2013.
33. "Hitched: Idina Menzel and Taye Diggs". Variety. 2003-01-30. Retrieved 2008-08-31.
34. Michaud, Sarah. "Taye Diggs and Idina Menzel Welcome a Son", People, 3 September 2009.
35. Nudd, Tim (December 11, 2013). "Taye Diggs & Idina Menzel Split". People. Retrieved December 11, 2013.
36. "23rd Annual Night of A Thousand Gowns". The Imperial Court of New York. Retrieved 2009-03-01.
37. "Idina Menzel – No Day But Today (Pace Academy Benefit in Atlanta, GA 5/17/09) video". NME.
38. McAdoo Idina Menzel at the Internet Broadway Database
39. "About Pace". Pace Academy.
40. "A BroaderWay: About".
41. "Married Broadway Vets Idina Menzel and Taye Diggs 'Call the Whole Thing Off'", Broadway.com, 7 December 2010.
42. "Idina Menzel, Elton John and More 'Give a Damn' Against Hate Crimes", Broadway.com, 5 October 2010.
43. The Give A Damn Campaign Launches Celebrity T-shirt Project Presented By Van Gogh Vodka, wegiveadamn.org
44. "Idina Menzel Joins NOH8 Campaign's Gay Rights Protest", On Top Magazine, 21 March 2012.
45. Todd Gilchrist (2012-03-05). "Kristen Bell Set to Star in Stage Adaptation 'Some Girls', Animated Feature 'Frozen'(Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2012-03-05.
46. "Idina Menzel Album & Song Chart History - Billboard 200". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved October 1, 2011.
47. "Chart Stats - Idina Menzel". Chart Stats. Archived from the original on July 31, 2012. Retrieved October 1, 2011.
48. "Glee Cast Album & Song Chart History - Hot 100". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved October 1, 2011.
49. "Idina Menzel Album & Song Chart History - Adult Contemporary". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved October 1, 2011.
50. "Idina Menzel Album & Song Chart History - Dance/Club Play Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved October 1, 2011.
51. "austriancharts.at - Austria Top 40". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 1, 2011.
52. "Glee Cast Album & Song Chart History - Canadian Hot 100". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved October 1, 2011.

External links

• Official website
• Idina Menzel at the Internet Broadway Database
• Idina Menzel at IMDb
• Interview with Idina Menzel at TonyAwards.com

Template:Persondata

• 1971 births
• Actresses from New York
• American film actresses
• American musical theatre actresses
• American television actresses
• American female singers
• American people of Russian-Jewish descent
• Jewish American actresses
• Jewish singers
• Living people
• Musicians from New York
• Tisch School of the Arts alumni
• People from Marlboro Township, New Jersey
• People from Oyster Bay, New York
• People from Queens, New York
• Tony Award winners
• Circle in the Square Theatre School alumni
• 20th-century American actresses
• 21st-century American actresses
• Hollywood Records artists
• Warner Bros. Records artists