LTS – Idina Menzel

Possibly the greatest Broadway performer of this generation, Idina Menzel has gone on to impress the world with her amazing performing skills. However, where did Idina Menzel start off before she became Frozen’s Elsa and sang the famous Let it Go?

Early Beginnings

Idina Menzel was born May, 30th 1971 in the Manhattan borough of New York City. Due to financial issues, Menzel began singing at weddings and bar mitzvahs to help her family. She continued doing this throughout her time at NYU Tisch School of the Art where she majored in Drama. After graduating, Idina Menzel debuted on Broadway for the musical Rent where she was nominated for a Tony Award For Best Featured Actress in a Musical.

Growing Fame

After her time on Rent, Menzel then released her first solo album titled Still I Can’t Be Friends. She also continued to play roles in different Broadway productions but it was in 2003 when her success would climb high. Menzel landed the role of Elphaba in the Broadway musical Wicked. For this role she went on to win a Tony Award for Best Leading Actress. Critics praised her and fans went crazy. The song Defying Gravity became an iconic performance.

Menzel’s career continued to grow with the release of more albums and more Broadway performances. Menzel even began to branch out to Television and Film. In 2013, she starred as the voice of Elsa in Disney’s movie Frozen where the song Let it Go won the Academy Award for Best Original Song.

Musical Styles

Menzel was classically trained as a child which helped to define her voice. As she grew up, she began to range to different genres such as R&B, jazz, and rock. Menzel also has a mezzo-soprano voice allowing her vocal range to span three octaves. Many critics compare her to Barbara Streisand, claiming Menzel to be the Streisand of her generation. Overall, Menzel’s style has become so vital to her success in landing her a place as a legendary Broadway star.

So here at INSPIRE, we value helping those discover their voice and style to help guide them to wherever their dreams aspire to go.