NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Idina Menzel

Idina Menzel (born Idina Kim Mentzel on May 30, 1971 in New York City) is a Tony Award-winning American actress, singer and songwriter who is best known for her performances in Wicked and Rent.^[1] Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... is the 150th day of the year (151st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... This article is about the state. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Taye Diggs (born Scott Diggs on January 2, 1971 in Rochester, New York[1]) is an American theatre, film and television actor. ... What is popularly called the Tony Award® but is formally the Antoinette Perry Award is an annual American award celebrating achievements in theater, including musical theater. ... The Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical is awarded to the actress who was voted as the best actress in a musical, whether a new production or a revival. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Wicked may refer to: Look up wicked in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... is the 150th day of the year (151st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... What is popularly called the Tony Award (formally, the Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre) is an annual award celebrating achievements in live American theater, including musical theater, primarily honoring productions on Broadway in New York. ... Actors in period costume sharing a joke whilst waiting between takes during location filming. ... For other uses, see Singer (disambiguation). ... A songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics to songs, the musical composition or melody to songs, or both. ... Wicked is a Tony award-winning American musical produced by Universal Pictures with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, and a book by Winnie Holzman. ... Rent is a rock musical, with music and lyrics by Jonathan Larson[1] based on Giacomo Puccinis opera La bohÃ¨me. ...

Personal life

Idina Menzel was born in Queens, New York to Stuart and Helene Mentzel in 1971. [She has since removed the "t" from her last name because of constant mispronunciation.] She grew up in Syosset, New York and earned a Bachelors of Fine Arts degree in Drama from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. She has a younger sister named Cara as well as two nephews.^[1] The Bachelor of Fine Arts, usually abbreviated BFA, is the standard undergraduate degree for students seeking a professional education in the visual or performing arts. ... New York University (NYU) is a private, nonsectarian, coeducational research university in New York City. ... Tisch School of the Arts (known more commonly as Tisch or TSOA) is one of the 15 schools that make up New York University (NYU). ...

Menzel started working as a wedding singer when she was 15 years old. At NYU she enrolled as a music major, later switching to the Drama program.

She is married to actor Taye Diggs, her co-star from the original Broadway production of Rent. Taye Diggs (born Scott Diggs on January 2, 1971 in Rochester, New York[1]) is an American theatre, film and television actor. ... Rent is a rock musical, with music and lyrics by Jonathan Larson[1] based on Giacomo Puccinis opera La bohÃ¨me. ...

Theatre career

In 1996, Menzel auditioned for rock musical Rent, which became her Broadway debut. For her performance as Maureen Johnson in the original cast of the musical, she received a Tony nomination as Best Featured Actress in a Musical. She left the show on July 1, 1997. The Whos Tommy, the first album explicitly billed as a rock opera A rock opera is a rock music album or stage production that resembles the form of an opera. ... Rent is a rock musical, with music and lyrics by Jonathan Larson[1] based on Giacomo Puccinis opera La bohÃ¨me. ... For other uses of Broadway, see Broadway. ... What is popularly called the Tony Award (formally, the Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre) is an annual award celebrating achievements in live American theater, including musical theater, primarily honoring productions on Broadway in New York. ... The Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical is awarded to the actress who is voted the best non-starring actress in a musical, whether a new production or a revival. ... is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the band, see 1997 (band). ...

Following the success of Rent, Idina 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.^[2] In 1959 an organization, the Goodspeed Musicals, was formed to restore the old Goodspeed Opera House, located in East Haddam, Connecticut, to its original Victorian appearance and elegance. ... Official language(s) English Capital Hartford Largest city Bridgeport[3] Largest metro area Hartford Metro Area[2] Area Ranked 48th - Total 5,543[4] sq mi (14,356 kmÂ²) - Width 70 miles (113 km) - Length 110 miles (177 km) - % water 12. ... New York City Centers Encores!Â® Great American Musicals in Concert has been performing since 1994. ... This article is about the musical. ... Aida is a musical drama in two acts based on Giuseppe Verdis Italian-language opera by the same name, which is in turn based on a story by Auguste Mariette. ... Created in 1955, the Drama Desk Award was created to recognize Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway shows in addition to Broadway shows. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full 2000 Gregorian calendar). ... Off-Broadway plays or musicals are performed in New York City in smaller theatres than Broadway, but larger than Off-Off-Broadway, productions. ... Andrew Lippa is an American composer, lyricist, book writer, performer, and producer, and the resident artist at the Ars Nova Theater in New York City. ... // Original Text The Wild Party, a classic epic poem, is Joseph Moncure Marchs first published work. ... Off-Broadway plays or musicals are performed in New York City in smaller theatres than Broadway, but larger than Off-Off-Broadway, productions. ... The Vagina Monologues is an Obie Award-winning episodic play written by Eve Ensler which ran at the off-Broadway Westside Theatre after a limited run at HERE Arts Center in 1996. ...

In 2003 Menzel starred alongside fellow 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. She received the 2004 Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical for her portrayal of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West. On her third to last 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 the January 9 show. Menzel did, however, make a special out-of-costume appearance at that performance, performed her final song, and received a standing ovation.^[3] Kristin Chenoweth (born Kristi Dawn Chenoweth on July 24, 1968) is an American singer and Tony Award-winning American musical theatre, film, and television actress. ... Wicked is a Tony award-winning American musical produced by Universal Pictures with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, and a book by Winnie Holzman. ... Stephen Lawrence Schwartz (born March 6, 1948) is an American musical theater lyricist and composer. ... Winnie Holzman is the creator of several American TV-series, including My So-Called Life which originally aired on ABC. She wrote the book for the Broadway musical Wicked and received a Tony nomination in 2004 for Best Book of a Musical. External links Winnie Holzman at the Internet Movie... Gregory Maguire (born June 9, 1954 in Albany, New York) is an American author. ... Wicked, or Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, is a parallel novel by Gregory Maguire. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical is awarded to the actress who was voted as the best actress in a musical, whether a new production or a revival. ... Elphaba is the name given to the Wicked Witch of the West in Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire, as well as in the Broadway adaptation, Wicked. ... The Wicked Witch, as portrayed by Margaret Hamilton in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz The Wicked Witch of the West (or simply The Wicked Witch) is a character in the fictional Land of Oz created by American author L. Frank Baum in his childrens books. ... is the 8th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 9th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ...

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 her role as various characters, she received Drama Desk Award and Drama League Award nominations. Off-Broadway plays or musicals are performed in New York City in smaller theatres than Broadway, but larger than Off-Off-Broadway, productions. ... The Public Theater is a New York City arts organization. ... See What I Wanna See is a musical by Michael John LaChiusa based on several short stories by Ryunosuke Akutagawa: Kesa and Morito, Rashomon, In the Grove and The Dragon. An early version of the show was mounted at the Williamstown Theater Festival in the summer of 2004. ... Michael John LaChiusa (born 1962) is a musical theatre composer and lyricist best known for his unusual sounding compositions for shows in the post-modern school. ... Created in 1955, the Drama Desk Award was created to recognize Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway shows in addition to Broadway shows. ... Created in 1935, the Drama League Awards honor distinguished productions and performances both on Broadway and Off-Broadway, in addition to recognizing exemplary career achievements in theatre, musical theatre, and directing. ...

She reprised her Tony Award-winning role as Elphaba in the West End production of Wicked when it opened at the Apollo Victoria Theatre, London, 7 September 2006, and finished her run on December 30, 2006. Elphaba is the name given to the Wicked Witch of the West in Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire, as well as in the Broadway adaptation, Wicked. ... West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre in London, England, or sometimes more specifically for shows staged in the large theatres of Londons Theatreland. Along with New Yorks Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre... The Apollo Victoria Theatre is a theatre on Wilton Road near Victoria station in London. ...

Film and singing career

Menzel's film roles include appearances in Just a Kiss, Kissing Jessica Stein, Tollbooth, Water, Ask the Dust, and Rent, in which she and eleven other original cast members reprised their stage roles. Kissing Jessica Stein (2001) is a U.S. independent romantic comedy starring and written by Jennifer Westfeldt and Heather Juergensen, and directed by Charles Herman-Wurmfeld. ... Rent is a 2005 film adaptation of the Broadway musical of the same name. ...

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 (1). Her second album, Here, was released 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. Lilith Fair was a concert tour and traveling music festival, founded by musician Sarah McLachlan, that featured female musicians; it ran from 1997 to 1999. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... Hollywood Records is a record label owned by Disney. ... Radio and Records (R&R) is a weekly trade magazine that tracks radio airplay from the various genres including Pop, Country, R&B and many others. ... The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) operates television and radio networks in the United States and is also shown on basic cable in Canada. ... Desperate Housewives is an American television comedy-drama series, created by Marc Cherry, who also serves as show runner, and produced by ABC Studios - The Walt Disney Companys main television studio - and Cherry Productions. ...

Singer Ray Charles invited Menzel to duet with him on one of the tracks of his album Genius & Friends. The tracks were recorded in 1998 but were never produced, and it was one of his dying wishes that the album be made, a wish which was fulfilled posthumously. For the composer and conductor of the Ray Charles Singers, see Ray Charles (composer). ... Genius & Friends is a 2005 tribute album by Ray Charles, consisting of duets between Charles and other famous musicians. ...

Menzel has appeared on the cast recordings of Rent and Wicked, two of the best-selling cast recordings, as well as the recordings of Lippa's The Wild Party, LaChiusa's See What I Wanna See, and the soundtrack of the film Rent. She recently signed a record deal with Warner Bros. Records. A cast recording is a recording of a musical that is intended to document the songs as they were performed in the show and experienced by the audience. ... Warner Bros. ...

In 2006, she filmed the movie Enchanted, due in theatres in November 2007. Enchanted is a Disney comedy-fantasy-musical film currently completed. ...

Her third solo album, I Stand, is due out in early 2008. A new studio version of Defying Gravity was released in May 2007 on iTunes. This article is about the iTunes application. ...

Theatre

Image File history File links Fiyero. ... Image File history File links Fiyero. ... Elphaba is the name given to the Wicked Witch of the West in Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire, as well as in the Broadway adaptation, Wicked. ... Wicked is a Tony award-winning American musical produced by Universal Pictures with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, and a book by Winnie Holzman. ... Norbert Leo Butz is an American stage actor. ... Norbert Leo Butz as Fiyero in the Original Broadway Cast of the musical Wicked, with Idina Menzel as Elphaba. ... Rent can refer to: Renting, a system of payment for the temporary use of something owned by someone else. ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... For the musical of the same name by Michael John LaChiusa, see The Wild Party The Wild Party is a musical with book, lyrics, and music by Andrew Lippa. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full 2000 Gregorian calendar). ... Summer of 42 is a 1971 American coming-of-age motion picture drama based on the memoirs of screenwriter Herman Raucher. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full 2000 Gregorian calendar). ... Aida is a musical drama in two acts based on Giuseppe Verdis Italian-language opera by the same name, which is in turn based on a story by Auguste Mariette. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... This article is about the musical. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... The Vagina Monologues is an Obie Award-winning episodic play written by Eve Ensler which ran at the off-Broadway Westside Theatre after a limited run at HERE Arts Center in 1996. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... Wicked is a Tony award-winning American musical produced by Universal Pictures with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, and a book by Winnie Holzman. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... See What I Wanna See is a musical by Michael John LaChiusa based on several short stories by Ryunosuke Akutagawa: Kesa and Morito, Rashomon, In the Grove and The Dragon. An early version of the show was mounted at the Williamstown Theater Festival in the summer of 2004. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Wicked is a Tony award-winning American musical produced by Universal Pictures with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, and a book by Winnie Holzman. ... West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre in London, England, or sometimes more specifically for shows staged in the large theatres of Londons Theatreland. Along with New Yorks Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Filmography

Kissing Jessica Stein (2001) is a U.S. independent romantic comedy starring and written by Jennifer Westfeldt and Heather Juergensen, and directed by Charles Herman-Wurmfeld. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Rent is a 2005 film adaptation of the Broadway musical of the same name. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Ask the Dust is a 1939 novel by Italian-American author John Fante set in Depression-Era California. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Enchanted is a Disney comedy-fantasy-musical film currently completed. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ...

TV Roles

Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... Rescue Me is a critically-praised American television drama that premiered on the FX Network in 2004. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The cast of Kevin Hill Kevin Hill was the title of an American law drama television series that aired on UPN during the 2004-2005 TV season. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Ask the Dust is a 1939 novel by Italian-American author John Fante set in Depression-Era California. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Discography

Image File history File linksMetadata Idinamenhere. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Idinamenhere. ...

Cast Recordings

Solo Albums

Track Listing Minuet (4:17) Larissas Lagoon (4:17) Follow If You Lead (4:08) All of the Above (4:47) Still I Cant Be Still (4:58) Think Too Much (4:40) Planet Z (3:57) Fool Out of Me (4:26) Reach (5:33) Straw Into... Here is the title of several albums: Here, released by a British rock and roll singer/songwriter Leo Sayer in 1979. ...

Soundtracks

To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Nominations & Awards

See What I Wanna See

Created in 1955, the Drama Desk Award was created to recognize Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway shows in addition to Broadway shows. ... Created in 1935, the Drama League Awards honor distinguished productions and performances both on Broadway and Off-Broadway, in addition to recognizing exemplary career achievements in theatre, musical theatre, and directing. ...

Rent: The Movie

Wicked

What is popularly called the Tony Award (formally, the Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre) is an annual award celebrating achievements in live American theater, including musical theater, primarily honoring productions on Broadway in New York. ... Created in 1955, the Drama Desk Award was created to recognize Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway shows in addition to Broadway shows. ... Begun during the 1949-1950 theater season, the Outer Critics Circle Awards are presented annually for theatrical achievements both on and Off-Broadway. ... Created in 1935, the Drama League Awards honor distinguished productions and performances both on Broadway and Off-Broadway, in addition to recognizing exemplary career achievements in theatre, musical theatre, and directing. ... Kristin Chenoweth (born Kristi Dawn Chenoweth on July 24, 1968) is an American singer and Tony Award-winning American musical theatre, film, and television actress. ...

The Wild Party

Created in 1955, the Drama Desk Award was created to recognize Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway shows in addition to Broadway shows. ...

Rent

References

Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 163rd day of the year (164th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

Categories: 1971 births | American actor-singers | American film actors | American Jews | American musical theatre actors | American singers | American voice actors | Jewish actors | Jewish American musicians | Living people | New York actors | New York musicians | New York University alumni | People from Long Island | People from Nassau County, New York | People from Queens | Tony Award winners Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... Internet Broadway Database The Internet Broadway Database (IBDb) is an online database of Broadway theatre productions and their personnel. ... The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) is an online database of information about movies, actors, television shows, production crew personnel, and video games. ... Marissa Jaret Winokur in Stacked Marissa Jaret Winokur, born February 2, 1973 in New York, is a American actress best known for her performance as Tracy Turnblad in the highly successful Broadway musical, Hairspray. ... Hairspray is a Tony-winning musical, based on the 1988 John Waters movie Hairspray. ... The Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical is awarded to the actress who was voted as the best actress in a musical, whether a new production or a revival. ... Wicked is a Tony award-winning American musical produced by Universal Pictures with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, and a book by Winnie Holzman. ... Soprano Victoria Clark won the Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical in 2005 for her performance in Adam Guettels The Light in the Piazza. ... The Light in the Piazza is a musical drama by Adam Guettel (music and lyrics) and Craig Lucas (book). ...

Contents

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