Idina Menzel Bio (Biography)
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Biography
Idina Menzel is a Tony Award winning actress, singer and songwriter. She is best known for her Tony Award winning performance in Wicked and Tony nominated performance in Rent.
Idina Menzel, born Idina Mentzel, was born in New York City on May 30, 1971. She changed her last name because people were mispronouncing it. Idina Menzel was raised in Syosset, New York where she graduated from Syosset High School. She showed an early interest in acting and starred in small productions of The Wizard of Oz. Through high school and college she continued to perform on stage and also began singing at weddings. Menzel graduated from the New York University, Tisch School of the Arts.
Her first big break came when Idina was cast in the Broadway production of Rent, the role became her Broadway debut. In 1996 she received a Tony nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for the performance. She left the show in 1997. After Rent, she starred in Summer of '42, Hair and Aida. In 2000 she earned a Drama Desk Award for her role in The Wild Party. In addition to Broadway productions, she has starred in The Vagina Monologues and the pre-Broadway run of Rent.
In 2004, Idina Menzel received her first Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical for her role in the Broadway production of Wicked. She played the Wicked Witch of the West in the show. In 2005, while performing, she fell through a trap door on the stage and cracked a rib. This ended her run in the role. She would go on to appear in the off-Broadway production of See What I Wanna See, for which she was nominated for a Drama Desk Award and Drama League Award. Late in 2006, she reprised her Wicked role in the West End production of the play.
In addition to stage acting, Idina Menzel has appeared in movies such as Kissing Jessica Stein, Tollbooth, Ask the Dust and the film Rent. In 2007, the film Enchanted will be released.
In 1998, she performed at the Lilith Fair. She continues to write and perform original music. Her debut album Still I Can't Be Still was released in 1998, and the follow up Here was released in 2004. She has also contributed to soundtracks for Desperate Housewives and The Other Sister. She has also performed on the cast recordings of Rent and Wicked.
In 2000, Indina Menzel won a Drama Desk Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her role in The Wild Party. In 2004 for her performance in Wicked, she won four Broadway.com Awards (Best Diva Performance, Best Onstage Pair and 2 awards for Best Lead Actress in a Musical), a Drama Desk Award (Best Lead Actress in a Musical) and a Tony Award (Best Lead Actress in a Musical). She also won a WhatsOnStage.com award for her 2007 performance in Wicked. In 2005, she won awards four awards for her performance in Rent: The Movie. In 2006 for her performance in See What I Wanna See, she was awarded a Drama Desk Award (Best Lead Actress in a Musical) and a Drama League Award (Distinguished Performance).
In 2003, Idina Menzel married Taye Diggs, who acted alongside her in Rent.
Idina Menzel, born Idina Mentzel, was born in New York City on May 30, 1971. She changed her last name because people were mispronouncing it. Idina Menzel was raised in Syosset, New York where she graduated from Syosset High School. She showed an early interest in acting and starred in small productions of The Wizard of Oz. Through high school and college she continued to perform on stage and also began singing at weddings. Menzel graduated from the New York University, Tisch School of the Arts.
Her first big break came when Idina was cast in the Broadway production of Rent, the role became her Broadway debut. In 1996 she received a Tony nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for the performance. She left the show in 1997. After Rent, she starred in Summer of '42, Hair and Aida. In 2000 she earned a Drama Desk Award for her role in The Wild Party. In addition to Broadway productions, she has starred in The Vagina Monologues and the pre-Broadway run of Rent.
In 2004, Idina Menzel received her first Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical for her role in the Broadway production of Wicked. She played the Wicked Witch of the West in the show. In 2005, while performing, she fell through a trap door on the stage and cracked a rib. This ended her run in the role. She would go on to appear in the off-Broadway production of See What I Wanna See, for which she was nominated for a Drama Desk Award and Drama League Award. Late in 2006, she reprised her Wicked role in the West End production of the play.
In addition to stage acting, Idina Menzel has appeared in movies such as Kissing Jessica Stein, Tollbooth, Ask the Dust and the film Rent. In 2007, the film Enchanted will be released.
In 1998, she performed at the Lilith Fair. She continues to write and perform original music. Her debut album Still I Can't Be Still was released in 1998, and the follow up Here was released in 2004. She has also contributed to soundtracks for Desperate Housewives and The Other Sister. She has also performed on the cast recordings of Rent and Wicked.
In 2000, Indina Menzel won a Drama Desk Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her role in The Wild Party. In 2004 for her performance in Wicked, she won four Broadway.com Awards (Best Diva Performance, Best Onstage Pair and 2 awards for Best Lead Actress in a Musical), a Drama Desk Award (Best Lead Actress in a Musical) and a Tony Award (Best Lead Actress in a Musical). She also won a WhatsOnStage.com award for her 2007 performance in Wicked. In 2005, she won awards four awards for her performance in Rent: The Movie. In 2006 for her performance in See What I Wanna See, she was awarded a Drama Desk Award (Best Lead Actress in a Musical) and a Drama League Award (Distinguished Performance).
In 2003, Idina Menzel married Taye Diggs, who acted alongside her in Rent.