Idina Menzel

Idina Kim Menzel (née Mentzel) is an American actress, singer, and songwriter. She is widely recognized for her work in musical theater on Broadway and in the West End, as well as for her subsequent roles in film, television, and music.

Born on May 30, 1971, in Manhattan, Menzel spent her early childhood in New Jersey before moving with her family to Syosset, New York. She attended local public schools, including Syosset High School. Following her parents' divorce when she was 15, she worked as a wedding and bar/bat mitzvah singer. She pursued higher education at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in drama in 1992.

Menzel made her professional theater and Broadway debut in 1996 originating the role of Maureen Johnson in the rock musical Rent, which earned her a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. In 2003, she starred as Elphaba in the Broadway musical Wicked, winning the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical. She later reprised the role in London's West End in 2006, where she became the highest-paid female performer in West End history at the time. She earned a third Tony nomination after returning to Broadway in the 2014 production of If/Then.

In addition to her stage credits—which include roles in Aida, Skintight, Wild: A Musical Becoming, and Redwood—Menzel expanded into screen acting. After appearing in the 2005 film adaptation of Rent, she played supporting roles in Enchanted (2007), Uncut Gems (2019), Cinderella (2021), American Murderer (2022), and You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah (2023). On television, she portrayed Shelby Corcoran in Glee between 2010 and 2013. Since 2013, she has voiced Elsa in Disney's Frozen franchise; her performance of the song "Let It Go" reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and won the Academy Award for Best Original Song.

As a solo recording artist, Menzel released her debut album, Still I Can't Be Still, in 1998. She went on to release several more studio albums, including I Stand (2008) and Holiday Wishes (2014), the latter of which peaked at number six on the Billboard 200 chart. She has toured extensively, frequently performing alongside major symphony orchestras.