Biography

Idina Menzel is a Tony Award-winning, powerhouse multi-hyphenate: a singer, an actress in film and TV, a songwriter, a Broadway star, and a philanthropist. Menzel was among the recipients of the 2023 National Medal of Arts, the highest award given to artists and arts patrons by the federal government, which was presented by President Joe Biden.

She rose to fame for her role as Maureen in the popular Broadway musical Rent, and her career took off when she won a Tony Award for her role as Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, in the smash musical Wicked. Her voice can be heard as Elsa in Disney’s Oscar-winning Frozen and Disney’s Frozen 2.

In January 2017, Menzel was seen in Lifetime’s remake of Beaches, in which she portrays the role made famous by Bette Midler. Her other film credits include Disney’s Enchanted and its sequel Enchanted 2: Disenchanted, Netflix’s You’re So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah, Chris Columbus’s film version of Rent, and Robert Towne’s Ask the Dust.

On television, Menzel appeared in the recurring role of Shelby Corcoran on Fox’s Glee. In late 2022, Menzel released the personal Disney+ documentary Which Way to the Stage?

Menzel was seen on Broadway in the original production If/Then, for which she earned her third Tony nomination; appeared as Sheila in the Encores! production of Hair; and starred as Amneris in Broadway’s Aida. In 2025, she made her return to Broadway to star in Redwood, which she co-conceived with Tina Landau. In a true full-circle moment, the show played the Nederlander Theatre, where Menzel made her Broadway debut in Rent. She received a Distinguished Performance Award from the 2025 Drama League Awards for her performance.

A skillful songwriter, Menzel has a prolific recording career which includes multiple cast albums and the solo albums Still I Can’t Be Still; Here, I Stand; and idina, which landed in the Top 30 on Billboard’s Top 200 charts.

Outside of music, stage, and screen, Menzel has also authored two books, released a clothing line, and co-founded the A BroaderWay Foundation.