WICKED STARS: Idina Menzel on Her Journey from ‘Wicked’ to ‘Frozen’ and Beyond

Summary

Podcast Summary: Sunday Sitdown with Willie Geist

Episode: WICKED STARS: Idina Menzel on Her Journey from ‘Wicked’ to ‘Frozen’ and Beyond
Host: Willie Geist
Guest: Idina Menzel
Date: November 8, 2025

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Overview

In this engaging episode recorded at NYC’s legendary music venue The Bitter End, Willie Geist sits down with Tony-winning actress and singer Idina Menzel. Together, they explore Idina’s remarkable journey from humble beginnings singing at bar mitzvahs to originating iconic Broadway roles in “Rent” and “Wicked,” to voicing Elsa in Disney’s “Frozen.” The conversation also dives into deeply personal territory, including her recent Disney+ documentary “Which Way to the Stage?”, her experience with IVF, balancing motherhood and fame, and reflecting on moments that defined her both personally and professionally.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Returning to Roots at The Bitter End

[03:56–06:10]

• Idina reflects on her early career, performing at The Bitter End, hustling to draw audiences, creating flyers at Kinko’s, and literally begging friends to attend so she could be booked again.

• Memorable anecdote: Running out of money and asking her dad for $40 to pay the drummer.

  “I would gig here...and then as I’m sitting here, I was remembering how many times I would run out of money and I’d ask my dad for 40 bucks to pay the drummer.” – Idina Menzel [04:11]

• She notes the difference between striving at the start and having achieved success, emphasizing the importance of maintaining ambition.

Early Dreams, Family Influence & Self-Discovery

[06:24–12:31]

• Inspired by trips to see Broadway shows as a child: "The overture would start, lights would go down, you’d get the goosebumps."

• Early performances for family, her grandfather’s encouragement, and push-pull from her practical father:

  “You don’t believe in me, Dad. Mommy believes in me. You don’t believe in me.”
  – Idina Menzel [09:09]

• Parental divorce became a bittersweet, formative experience, even affecting her feelings about certain venues.

• Songwriting as self-exploration: Starting with “really bad” songs like “Too Late for Love” at 15.

The Break: Landing “Rent”

[07:34–08:27, 23:16–25:33]

• Initially, she auditioned for “Rent” as a way to fill winter months with no wedding gigs; had no inkling it would become a phenomenon.
• The cast’s first rehearsal, singing “Seasons of Love,” felt significant:

  “That’s when I felt… something special was in the air.” [23:16]

• Jonathan Larson’s tragic death before opening night gave the work a deeper meaning.

  “It was like art imitating life in a way… we were so committed to showing up and making sure we were getting his message across.” [25:33]

Fame Isn’t Linear: Hurdles & Recalibration

[27:27–29:26]

• After Rent’s success, Idina struggled to find her place—attempting a solo rock career, being dropped by her label, feeling “between worlds.”

• She was perceived as “too Broadway” for pop, “too dramatic” for music industry standards.

  “Sondheim wouldn’t put me in a show on this side, and then some big producer wouldn’t make an album with me on that side.” [28:20]

“Wicked”: Finding Her Power

[29:33–32:13]

• Auditioned for and originated the role of Elphaba, coming in with green lipstick and Doc Martens.

• Deep personal identification with Elphaba’s sense of “not being accepted,” struggle to express power, and learning unapologetic self-expression.

  “I worried about… wanting to contain my anger. And her being afraid of what made her really special." [30:42]

• Drawing a line from Elphaba to Elsa in “Frozen”—characters grappling with self-acceptance and empowerment.

The Disney+ Documentary: “Which Way to the Stage?”

[14:15–17:59, 19:45–22:39]

• The film follows her as she pushes toward her long-held dream of headlining Madison Square Garden, while balancing motherhood and undergoing IVF.

• She embraces vulnerability as a necessity for authentic connection with audiences.

• Shares intimate, challenging moments—missing her son’s basketball game, IVF appointments on tour, and the emotional realities of trying to “do it all.”

  “I want people to see themselves in my experience and feel, you know, that sort of empathic reciprocity.” [15:55]

IVF and Life on the Road

[19:45–22:39]

• Open discussion about the grueling realities of IVF, especially while touring.

• Balancing emotional and physical tolls, striving to meet the demands of professional life and motherhood.

  “You underestimate it, especially as women. We’re just like, we can do it all, you know? And then all of a sudden, I’d find myself just crying, not knowing why.” [21:44]

“Wicked” Endurance & Sisterhood

[34:52–36:16]

• Reflecting with Kristen Chenoweth on the show’s legacy:

  “We built this together. And another moment where you just take a step back and, and you say… wow.” [35:14]

• On childhood self-confidence adapting to adult scrutiny:

  "As you get older and more successful, you’re actually harder on yourself because there’s further to fall..." [35:40]

“Frozen”: Creating Elsa & “Let It Go”

[36:58–43:45]

• Auditioning with Kristen Bell (singing “Wind Beneath My Wings" as a duet).

• Input into the character’s development; Elsa’s depth and vulnerability grew during production.

• On seeing “Let It Go” become a global anthem—from kids in blue dresses to Ukrainian children singing for comfort in bomb shelters:

  “That’s the real gift from the project for me. And I don’t get sick of singing it every night... it always is new for me.” [41:02]

  “To see it playing some part in a healing, survival context is just... so, so sad and moving for me.” [43:58]

The “Adele Dazeem” Oscar Moment

[44:27–46:49]

• Candid account of being introduced as “Adele Dazeem” by John Travolta at the Oscars and how she managed to pull herself together for the performance:

  “I had a world, a lifetime of things go through my mind. It was first, like, damn it. I’ve come from the Bitter End and now this... Get your shit together!” [45:39]

• Credits humor and perspective for turning a potential disaster into a career boost and bonding moment with fans. Travolta’s heartfelt apology the following year.

Owning Her Process and Growth

[47:13–49:51]

• On stage, she learned it’s not all about belting or technical perfection—it’s about storytelling and connecting deeply, even on imperfect nights.
• “It’s not just about those high notes, it’s about storytelling, you know, and even on nights where I had a bad cold… nobody notices half the time, but also they feel just as much. So I took that pressure off myself.” [49:22]

Madison Square Garden: Dream Fulfilled

[50:07–52:19]

• Emotionally describes standing onstage at Madison Square Garden, taking it all in, appreciating both the connection with her audience and band.

  “Those are things I really took in... you have that footage to show literally how much this has mattered to you...” [51:57]

What’s Next?

[52:39–54:29]

• Focused on being a present, self-accepting mother and on creating more original musicals with young composers.
• Desires to do more TV and film, showing her comedic side—not just the “heavy” roles.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “I want my son to grow up watching a woman that… was there for him and loved him unconditionally, but also chose to do what makes her happy in the world.” – Idina Menzel [17:14]
• On “Let It Go”’s cultural impact:
  “What makes you different is the thing that’s going to make you extraordinary in the world.” [41:02]
• On perseverance:
  “I’ve worked hard. That I can say.” [52:23]

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Important Timestamps

• [03:56] – Sitting at The Bitter End and early gig memories
• [07:34] – Auditioning for “Rent” and the unexpected breakthrough
• [09:53] – Family’s influence and parental divorce
• [14:32] – Saying yes to documentary vulnerability
• [19:45] – Opening up about IVF
• [23:16] – First rehearsal for “Rent” and Jonathan Larson’s legacy
• [29:33] – Auditioning for and relating to Elphaba in “Wicked”
• [36:58] – The birth of “Frozen” and Elsa’s character arc
• [44:27] – The “Adele Dazeem” Oscar moment and aftermath
• [50:07] – Achieving her dream at Madison Square Garden
• [52:39] – Looking forward: motherhood and new artistic challenges

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Tone & Style

The conversation is sharp, warm, deeply self-aware, and often funny. Idina is candid about both hardships and triumphs, her ambition and her doubt, and her ongoing efforts to balance artistry, fame, vulnerability, and motherhood. Willie Geist brings encouragement, context, and humor, making the interview accessible and relatable for fans and newcomers alike.

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Recommended For

• Fans of Broadway, “Wicked,” “Rent,” or Disney’s “Frozen”
• Anyone interested in the reality behind show business success stories
• Parents and working mothers seeking inspiration and solidarity
• Those drawn to stories of perseverance, identity, and overcoming setbacks

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For more on Idina’s journey, watch her documentary “Which Way to the Stage?” on Disney+.

Transcript

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[Willie Geist]

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[Idina Menzel]

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[Idina Menzel]

Or turn it down.

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[Idina Menzel]

Spicy but not too spicy.

[Willie Geist]

Hey guys, Willie Geist here with another episode of the Sunday Sit down podcast. My thanks as always for clicking and listening along. Got a really good one for you this week with Tony winning actress and singer Idina Menzel. Many of you may have picked up Adina in 2013 when a little movie.

Called Frozen came out.

She of course played Elsa, the big sister to Kristen Bell's little sister in that film that was one of the highest grossing animated films in the history of movies. And of course spun off the song Let It Go sung by Idina Menzel. But she had a long successful career before that. She grew up in New York's Long island, dreaming of being a singer all she wanted to be. She sang at bar mitzvahs, she sang at weddings, she did whatever she could. And then started coming into New York City, often to a little spot down in the village called the Bitter End. And that's where we got together for our sit down. That's where you hear us talking. Small stage, small room. But a lot of big names have come in there and played. It's where she started hust and learning how to sing to a crowd and trying to make a name for herself. She eventually auditioned for and won a role in a new musical at the time in the 90s called rent. Seasons of Change, all of it. She was nominated for a Tony and that show became huge from there. She got a part in Wicked for that role as Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West. She won the Tony Award and she became, many people believe, the Queen of Broadway. She is a goddess on Broadway. But her life expanded well beyond that after Wicked. She did television, she did movies, and of course, it all culminated with Frozen. Now you might Recall at the height of her frozen fame at the 2014 Oscars, she sang Let It Go. She was introduced by John Travolta as the wickedly talented Adele Dazeem. An infamous moment in Oscar's history that we get into and talk about quite a bit, I will say she said Mr. Travolta was lovely about it. He was mortified, he felt terrible. They went on stage the next year.

And fixed the whole thing and made a joke about it.

But man, it's fun to sit down and talk to her about it. We got together to talk about her Disney documentary out now. It's called which Way to the Stage? Which documents her rise from those little clubs and from growing up on Long island, dreaming of playing at Madison Square Garden with cameras following her on a tour that culminates with a show at the Garden. Also while she's trying to be mom to her now 13 year old son Walker, whose father is Adina's ex husband, Tay Diggs, the actor. And also as she's going through ivf, trying to have another child. So there's a lot going on in this documentary. She's had a fascinating life and career. I think you'll enjoy sitting down and getting to know her a little bit. Idina Menzel right now on the Sunday Sit down podcast from the Bitter End.

In New York City.

[Idina Menzel]

I'm so honored to be here.

[Willie Geist]

I'm so excited to be here with you, particularly here because of what this place means to you.

[Idina Menzel]

Yes.

[Willie Geist]

What is it like all these years later to sit here and look up at that stage where you kind of made your name in New York?

[Idina Menzel]

I would gig here, you know, with my band where they count how many people actually show up. So if you didn't have enough people in the audience, you wouldn't get the next gig, you know, so then you. And then we were put putting out flyers. We didn't have a way with social media inviting people. So I had this really cool artist out there that just did some nice artwork and I remember I would take that to Kinko's and then I would give them out. But mostly I would just beg my friends and family to show up so they'd have me back. And then as I'm sitting here, I was remembering how many times I would run out of money and I'd ask my dad for 40 bucks to pay the drummer, you know, so it was just, you know, I was pounding the pavement and just going through the struggle.

[Willie Geist]

What were the crowds like? Let's say you're standing up there you're looking out here, over there.

[Idina Menzel]

Well, it depended. If they gave you a Friday night, you were good. If they gave you a Tuesday at 7, it was kind of crickets, but it was great. I was so proud to kind of. When I got to that point, you know, I started Weddings and Bar Mitzvahs. Your repertoire has to be so expansive because for those weddings, people want songs like jazz standards or Motown or the newest pop songs. You know, you have to learn so many genres of music, and then you start to realize, oh, I'm good at this kind of music. I want to write songs for that. And then to actually be able to put a band together and be up there and then start inviting, you know, record label people down. And I was so ambitious then, and I feel like I worked so hard that now I'm kind of chilling a little bit more. I don't want to lose that, you know, that fight in me. But maybe just having kids, maybe having a little bit more money in my bank account, I'm just. There are certain things I really want to do, and we can talk about that.

[Willie Geist]

But you've sort of done it, too. I mean, from here to, I guess, and frozen. Everything you've done, you've done it with more road in front of you, of course. But you definitely have things ahead of you.

[Idina Menzel]

Yeah, I feel sorry. Go ahead.

[Willie Geist]

No, I was just gonna say when you were standing up here, let's call it, I don't know, 1992 or 3, early 90s. What was the dream at that point? Was it Broadway? Was it to have your own album and a career?

[Idina Menzel]

So when I was really little, a little girl, my parents would bring me in from Long island to see theater. I saw, like, Peter Pan and Annie and Dreamgirls were, like, the first three things that I saw. And that was. The overture would start, lights would go down, you'd get the goosebumps. And I remember singing, so seeing Jennifer Holiday sing, and I'm telling you, I'm not going, and I was like, I want to play that role. And then I realized I'm not going to get that role. But it was just. That was a moment. So I wanted to be on Broadway, and I would listen to Barbra Streisand. And then when I did the Weddings and Bar Mitzvahs and I started singing more R and B and rock, I realized, like, I kind of could do that. And so then I wanted to write songs, and I wanted to be a rock star. And so that was when I would come in here and Start to find my. Find my style and my identity as a. As a singer. And what was the.

[Willie Geist]

No, that's. I was asking what the dream was, and clearly.

[Idina Menzel]

Yeah, so I wanted to start, and then it evolved a little bit. Yeah, it evolved. And then. And then I wanted to have. And then I wanted a record deal, and then I got rent. That was my first professional job. I only went in for the job and auditioned because it was like a January, February gig. And no one got married during those months on the east coast because the weather's so bad. I didn't know it was going to take off and be this thing. And I remember my very last wedding job was in December of 95. Yeah, 95. And we were in rehearsals at the New York Theater Workshop. And I remember my girlfriend picking me up and we drove up to Boston for a New Year's gig. And that was. That was the last.

[Willie Geist]

That was it.

[Idina Menzel]

Yeah.

[Willie Geist]

Wow. What is 27 years?

[Idina Menzel]

And then years later, I was asked to come sing, like a corporate gig to sing for someone's graduation. And I got paid a lot more money for that one.

[Willie Geist]

I bet you did. I bet you did. So I want to come back to Rent in a minute, but I. I gotta go back to Syosset and see where's the birth of this voice. Watching the documentary which Way to the Stage on Disney, which is amazing. And we'll talk about that. Thank you. It sounds like at a very early age your parents saw something. I'm talking like three years old. There was something coming out of that mouth.

[Idina Menzel]

That voice.

[Willie Geist]

What was it? When did you realize you had a talent?

[Idina Menzel]

My grandfather, Grandpa Nat, he would just tell stories and sing songs with me. And I had this little wooden microphone. And he'd say, ladies and germs. I don't know why he said that. I just guess it was like a Yiddish thing to do that I don't know. Ladies and germs, please welcome from behind the couch, Gina Menzel. And I jump up and we. So I think it was him and my mom. My dad was a little bit. He hates when I say this, but my dad say, why don't you minor in business? You know, it's a hard industry and the probability of somebody doing well, you know, just in case. And I'd say, you don't believe in me, dad. Mommy believes in me. You don't believe in me.

[Willie Geist]

So he's a salesman.

[Idina Menzel]

So he was a pajama salesman. You know, just take the straight road.

[Willie Geist]

Right. A little more practical.

[Idina Menzel]

Yes.

[Willie Geist]

While you were dreaming and your mom was encouraging the dream.

[Idina Menzel]

Yes, but he was always supportive. And like I said, he gave me those 40 bucks for the drummer.

[Willie Geist]

Yeah, no drummer, no show.

[Idina Menzel]

You gotta have the 40 bucks. Exactly.

[Willie Geist]

So. And when did you start performing that? So that's behind the couch. That's one thing. That's just in front of a small.

[Idina Menzel]

There was a time where we went up to one of those, like, dirty dancing resorts up in the Catskills. It was called the Brickman's Resort, of course. And. And I was. They put the parents all. While they were probably partying on God knows what, put the kids into a day camp, and we had a talent show. And I remember we. And then we performed for all the parents. And I was singing. The Way we Were with a really bad Long island accent. Was like memoir, like the corners of my mind. And apparently all the parents were like, you have to get a voice lesson. She's really good. Helene, that's my mom's name. So I think that was when they kind of saw something in me.

[Willie Geist]

So the Catskills gets a lot of credit for that. Yeah, they deserve credit for that. And then the bar mitzvah start.

[Idina Menzel]

Yeah, my mom. My parents got divorced. My mom started dating this wonderful man who really pushed me to start. I'm not a good piano player, but he said, go play, you know, work on your piano playing and write songs. So I started writing songs that were really bad, which in the documentary, I start pulling out old lyrics which are like, as though I'm a 35 year old woman at the age of 50. One of those lyrics is Too Late for Love was the title at 15. It's too late. Too Late for Love. But yeah, where was I going with that?

[Willie Geist]

You just talking about how you got to bar mitzvah. Oh, yeah.

[Idina Menzel]

So he said, you know, songwriting is the way to go. And it was true. It really helps you figure out, you know, who you are. And so I started doing that. It was the very first demo that I made, and I went in the recording studio and had that experience.

[Willie Geist]

That's a lot of focus for a teenager. Like, this is what I'm gonna do with my. Remember having that in high school, growing up in New Jersey, was that always where your mind was music, music, music? Or was there.

[Idina Menzel]

It was. It was too myopic, you know, now I look back and I wish that I was. When I was in college, instead of just theater and music that I had, you know, majored in English lit or something. I think I would have been just a better Artist, a better writer. You know, all of that.

[Willie Geist]

Well, there's another scene in the doc where you go. I think it's the Fox Hollow Inn. That right?

[Idina Menzel]

Yeah. Jericho turned Fox Hollow Inn.

[Willie Geist]

Yeah. Which was a significant place for you for many reasons, not the least of which was it was a wild and devastating Thanksgiving.

[Idina Menzel]

Yes. Another shameful parents. Another shameful moment for my parents when they hear it back. But my parents, they announced that they wanted to get divorced on the morning of Thanksgiving. I was like, couldn't you wait a day so that every Thanksgiving, I didn't think of this, but we were supposed to have all these people over a family. And I remember they just tossed the turkey in the garbage and the mashed potatoes down the drain. But they wanted my sister Kara and I to know that it was gonna be amicable still, that they were gonna, you know, get along and it was gonna be in a loving way. And so, with that in mind, let's go out now that we don't have food, and to a catering hall to, like, a prefix, at the Fox Hollow Inn, which is on Jericho Turnpike out in Woodbury, Long Island. And then soon after that, I had to play on that stage every two weeks or something. I would do these weddings and look out there and just see, you know, the bride and grooms and think about my parents. So it's funny in the documentary because I. I go back there and I visit and then I call my dad and totally guilt him about it.

[Willie Geist]

You're able to laugh about it now, but then it's an amazing scene. But guess where I am, dad? He goes, oh, no. Why? Thanks. He's like, I don't remember.

[Idina Menzel]

Yeah, he doesn't remember.

[Willie Geist]

Sit out in public, devastated.

[Idina Menzel]

He conveniently doesn't remember.

[Willie Geist]

Yeah, exactly. Right, right. He blocked that out. So when they came to you, maybe somewhat Disney called you up and said, we think a documentary would be a cool idea. And you say, even in the documentary, when I took this on, I gotta just show it all. I gotta be open.

And you do.

You really do. Was that a difficult decision to say, I'm gonna let cameras be with me all the time and show what people don't always see behind the scenes?

[Idina Menzel]

You know, I didn't think about that as much. You know, I didn't think about that as much because I really wanted to just document. I didn't even know if it would be a documentary. I just wanted to capture this dream come true for myself. You know, I knew that having grown up Long Island, I was a New York City Girl, I went to New York University. I had always aspired, not that I didn't love the Bitter End, but to play at Madison Square Garden. That's the place that you want to play. And then I realized as we were filming that it was going to be even more than just a tour documentary, going from city to city, that it was becoming this story about a mother trying to keep her sanity with traveling back and forth and being present for my family, but also pursuing this passion of mine and how to prioritize all of that and compartmentalize and be able to get up on stage and do a great job, but get home from trick or treating with my son or a basketball game and do IVF at the same time, try to have a baby with my husband.

[Willie Geist]

I mean, it really is people. It's a revealing documentary. It is like you're. You're in the doctor's office with you, and you're on the phone and you're upset because you are missing Walker's basketball game.

[Idina Menzel]

It was an awesome basketball game. So I realized I didn't totally thank.

[Willie Geist]

You from everything I hear.

[Idina Menzel]

I realized I didn't totally answer your question in that. The vulnerability, I think it's kind of par for the course with artists and creative people. For me, I've learned it's the only way I really connect well with an audience. And so I also produced this. So, you know, I knew that I could just be myself and worse things, worse comes to worse, I just cut it out and leave it on the cutting room floor. But I really do feel that that vulnerability and trying to be as authentic as you can is my job. And as long as I protect the people's privacy around me, I'm comfortable with it. I want people to see themselves in my experience and feel, you know, that sort of empathic reciprocity. So it's okay. And I just want parents, mothers, but even dads, anyone, to feel like they're seen and they're heard and we're not all, you know, crazy.

[Willie Geist]

I think people. Parents will relate. We're not all flying around the country selling out arenas.

You are.

But there are moments where we can't be there for the game or we've got. Were tied professionally and personally. And that's. I think you provide a really.

[Idina Menzel]

I don't. I want people to. That's the thing is I. I feel strongly that you don't have to be a singer and performer on a stage in front of thousands of people to relate to it, because we're all. We're all playing our roles. You know, we're all, it could be a stay at home mom or a working mom. We're all just working our butts off, you know, and trying to just be present in our lives and also trying not to compromise who we are. And I think that what I tell myself is just I want my son to grow up watching a woman that, that was there for him and loved him unconditionally, but also chose to do what makes her happy in the world. And hopefully he will attract people to him like that.

[Willie Geist]

That's such a great example to set for him and for people who, who will watch this.

Hey guys, thanks for listening to the Sunday Sit down podcast. Stick around to hear more from Idina Menzel right after the break.

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[Willie Geist]

Welcome back. Now more of my conversation with Idina Menzel.

Another thing that's relatable for many, many families across the country, including people we all know is the IVF process that you go through and you really do open the door to that. Yes. Was that something. Did you have any second thoughts about, like, do I really want to show this part of it? You know, do I want people in the.

[Idina Menzel]

I wasn't sure. I also didn't want to make people squeamish about it because my legs were, like, in stirrups.

[Willie Geist]

It's at a safe distance.

[Idina Menzel]

I wasn't sure, but it was happening at that time. As people know, women know that go through ivf, as people know, couples know that are experiencing and going through ivf. You have to catch these cycles with your body, and some months are good, and your body's giving you good count with your follicles and your eggs and all that. And some months aren't, or if it didn't work, and then you're pumping yourself with these hormones, sometimes you have to let your body recalibrate. But for me, I was doing it at such a late age, and the doctors were saying, though you might be one of the rarer ones that, you know, your body seems like almost like you might be one of those rare women that it works for at this age. So I kept. The competitive person in me was like, I'm gonna do it. And then I was out on the road doing these shows and thought, but I don't want to miss this. What if it gets too late? So then I find myself traveling back and forth, but then shooting myself up with hormones and then having to do the retrievals. And there I am saying, are we going to get this done before I get to the garden?

[Willie Geist]

Yeah. Well, that's also that I was thinking, watching that not only going through the grind of a tour where you have to protect your voice and take care of your body and all those things, but now you're shuttling back and forth.

[Idina Menzel]

Doctor'S appointments, emotionally and physically. It's so taxing.

[Willie Geist]

I was going to ask you how grueling that whole process was to be on tour and going through that.

[Idina Menzel]

It was a lot. You know, I think that you underestimate it, especially as women. We're just like, we can do it all, you know? And then all of a sudden, I'd find myself just crying, not. Not knowing why I was making a big deal about something and just having a hard time with. With reconciling. Certain things were upsetting, but not the way my body was feeling, you know? And like you said, as a singer, I'm very in tune to all the little things, you know, flying airplanes and the air pressure Affect how you sing, sleep. What if Walker, you know, has a fever one night? I'm not going to get in the bed and cuddle with him and be. I'm not going to at that time. Certainly wouldn't put on a mask while I'm with my kid and he's sick, you know, so then it's like, well, I might be sick for this show and all of that stuff, but it's.

[Willie Geist]

A lot to power through under the best of circumstances. And you add in. Yeah, that really is. That really is a lot. The. The beautiful journey of this doc is you start singing behind that couch, popping up at home, and then you do end up at Madison Square Garden. And one of the huge steps along the way, which you touched on a minute ago, was from this stage to Rent. Rent. Wasn't Rent when it started. People go, oh, my God. Became Rent once people saw it. But when you auditioned for that and won that part, did you have some sense that it was special, that it was going to be something?

[Idina Menzel]

No, not until we rehearsed. The first thing we rehearsed was Seasons of Love. That's the first thing we did. We sort of stood in a semicircle, and Jonathan Larson was there, and our music director, Tim and Michael Greif, our director. And we just learned notes and harmonies. We started singing it. I remember Anthony Rapper kind of was our leader. And that's when I felt. I didn't know there would be anything big, but I felt this camaraderie and that something special was in the air.

[Willie Geist]

Did you feel like this is it? This is the thing I've been dreaming of?

[Idina Menzel]

No, not yet. I didn't know. Yeah, actually, I kept doing. I kept my gigs here on Mondays on an eight show a week with Rent. And then I. Cause I didn't know. So it's like, I can't. I gotta keep going. I gotta have those record industry people coming down. Yeah, who knows? It was just a little off Broadway show.

[Willie Geist]

And at what point did you realize, okay, we're onto something here. The crowds are coming. There's a lot of talk about it.

[Idina Menzel]

Well, Jonathan passed away unexpectedly. For anyone that doesn't know, on our first preview down at the New York Theater workshop on East 4th street on that day, on the first preview, our first show in front of an audience. What was to be our first show front of an audience? Yeah, he passed away from an aortic aneurysm. And that was just. It was just beyond. You know, we didn't know. We were just so sad and I remember that we weren't sure how to handle it. His family was in town, everybody was there. You know, we didn't want to go on stage and do this. That would felt tone deaf. But then Michael said, well, Jonathan wouldn't want us not to do this. So we sat. We had already staged it, ready to go costumes, but we sat, we sat at those metal tables that we use in La Vie Boheme and we just did a reading of it and then everybody was enjoying it so much and it was so cathartic that then by the second act we got up and we just started doing our actual blocking and it became this beautiful evening that I think sort of was just. Was really cathartic for all of us. Healing for all of us. Yeah.

[Willie Geist]

And Rent takes off.

[Idina Menzel]

It does become so then it starts to take off because it was like art imitating life in a way, you know, and like this man, 34 year old man who had this dream of being a composer and having the show come to life and then he's not there anymore. And then we obviously tackle AIDS in that and artists and community trying to do what they love to do before it's too late. You know, there was so much meta stuff going on in it and I just remember that. And this really plays into why I wanted to do the documentary. It's that whole experience set the tone and a precedent for all of us, I think, to not take things for granted, you know, and that every night that we're on that stage and in that line singing seasons of love, he wasn't there. And so we were so committed to, to showing up and making sure we were getting his message across in as beautiful and as passionate way as possible. And so I just felt like from then on, you know, try to be present, try to appreciate the moment, don't let things just pass you by. And that's why. And there's been several things like that in my life where I do take a minute and. And I did that on the Madison Square Garden stage because nerves and adrenaline, you can get off stage and say, what just happened? I can't even remember. And that's a beautiful thing too because that's sort of when you're transported and you feel like you're in your euphoric ultimate moment. But this one I wanted to be able to say I could look back and remember. And so that's why I filmed it.

[Willie Geist]

And it was. Rent was so groundbreaking that you all came out of that people knew who you were now, now you've got this reputation, as you say in the documentary, okay, rocket ship to the moon. What's my next move? I'm gonna make an album. The world knows me now. Here we go. I'm gonna get that starter. My expected. And it didn't quite happen.

[Idina Menzel]

No. I got dropped from my record deal. I sold like, three albums. And then because I sort of had band in the TV film angle, because I was trying to be the next Alanis Morissette or something, I had to. The momentum was gone. I had to kind of, you know, get back into it and find my way again.

[Willie Geist]

So did you at some point say, okay, maybe the rock star thing's not going to happen? Let's recalibrate here?

[Idina Menzel]

Well, the thing about Rent was that it really straddled this line because. So it wasn't like it was the classic Broadway show. It was a show that was rock and pop and R and B music in this Broadway context. So. And yet. So I've always felt like I talk about in the documentary. I never was sure where I really fit, because in the Broadway world, Rent was this raw, edgy rock musical. But in the stage, the songwriting world, I'd walk into these sessions with the songwriters and they think, oh, she's so Broadway. Like, she's too dramatic. Too much vibrato in her voice, you know, So I was always trying to prove myself in one area or the other. Like, Sondheim wouldn't put me in a show on this side, and then some big producer wouldn't make an album with me on that side. And so. And it's a little. It's still a little bit elusive. Like, Let It Go is the only song I've ever had that really plays on the radio. A very theatrical song.

[Willie Geist]

Right.

[Idina Menzel]

You know.

[Willie Geist]

Right.

I know.

It's like they didn't know quite know what to do with you.

[Idina Menzel]

Yeah.

[Willie Geist]

Like, you're great, but I don't know what to do with you.

[Idina Menzel]

Yeah, yeah. But I. Sorry.

[Willie Geist]

No, I. So at some point. So it's. It's, you know, I think you Left rent in 97, I would say. And then it's several years before Wicked comes and knocks on the door. How did that come about? And were you just at that point, like, relieved? Like, okay, I'm back in the game.

[Commercial Announcer]

Yeah.

[Idina Menzel]

I was busting my butt. I did a bunch of cool shows in between that didn't see the light of day. And I auditioned for Wicked. I remember I wore green lipstick and I sort of came in kind of goth with my Doc Martens and some smoky Black makeup. And I remember singing Defying Gravity, having to learn that song. And I wanted so much to tell myself I didn't care if I got it. But then the more callbacks that came, the more it's just like. And I just felt something about this character, and I feel even emotional thinking about it now, talking to you, because I just. I felt like I understood her. You know, I felt like the music fit my voice.

[Willie Geist]

What was it about her that you understood?

[Idina Menzel]

The not being accepted, the being the power that she had, but not being sure how much was okay to kind of express the. I think I really. If I'm being honest, I don't talk about this that much, but I worried about I could. You know, in a Jewish family, you know, we're loud, we fight loud, we make up loud. And I related to wanting to contain my anger and that and being too much, you know, and her being afraid of what made her really special. And I think as women, we're. We. I'm still, you know, I still grapple with that, you know, as, like, I'm powerful. I'm. I can maybe even be angry. I'm passionate, you know, Is that going to put you off? As I'm getting older, I'm like, I'm not going to apologize for that anymore. But back then, it was about saying, no, I deserve to be here.

[Willie Geist]

You know, it feels like a through line, definitely from Wicked, but also through many of your characters, doesn't it? And I think it sounds like watching the doc, you've learned that, like, stop trying to live for other people. Show your power. Be in your power. Do all the things that you're capable of.

[Idina Menzel]

The same thing with Elsa.

[Willie Geist]

Yeah.

[Idina Menzel]

Yeah. I don't know why there's that pattern, because I had to audition for that, too. So it's not. People always go, oh, do you take all this work? And you took these characters? I'm like, I didn't take anything. I had to fight for these roles and audition. I will say maybe there's some magnetic thing that for some reason, the universe connects me to these characters or these characters have formed who I am and how I see the world. So I don't know about talent or not, but, yeah, there's something about that message that I need to learn at that age and also to speak to a young audience about that, but also that I need to hear as an adult as well, Just get out of my own way, you know, and let it rip.

[Willie Geist]

You definitely do that.

Stick around for more of my conversation with Idina Menzel right after a quick break.

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[Willie Geist]

Welcome back now to the rest of my conversation with Idina Menzel.

So you originated that role in Wicked almost 20 years ago. Is it, is it amazing to you the endurance of that show, the popularity of that show almost two decades later where I drove past the Gershwin today and there's, you know, there's gonna be lines outside and people waiting to get in tonight. Is it amazing to you that the thing you started with Kristen has become what it's become?

[Idina Menzel]

Yeah, we've had a couple moments together. We sang for good at the Tonys a couple years ago and there was another anniversary special we did where we felt really emotional. We were able to really look at it together and say, wow, we built this together. And another moment where you just take a step back and, and you say and you look at your life.

[Willie Geist]

And.

[Idina Menzel]

You think about these times and how far you've come and, and, you know, I believed in myself. I. I still believe in myself. I think when I look back in the documentary and the archival footage when I was a little girl, I actually feel like I believed in myself more than I just. I felt deep in my soul that I had something to share with the world. I think as you get older and more successful, you're actually harder on yourself because there's further to fall and there's more scrutiny and all of that.

[Willie Geist]

Yeah. When you're that age, you feel like anything's possible. Nothing to lose, right? Yeah. When you're that little girl singing edelweiss in that one scene right there, or.

[Idina Menzel]

Even at the weddings, I'd stand up there and when people weren't listening or some old lady would come up and be like, turn it down. You know, I just knew I was like, I'm gonna get out of here. Go sing for a bigger audience that actually pays attention. It's not doing the electric slide and.

[Willie Geist]

Asking you to turn it down. Things obviously went to another level when you auditioned, as you said, for Frozen. Is it true that the song. They wanted to see the chemistry with you and Kristen and the song was Wind beneath my wings, which is this incredibly fateful thing given that that was one of your big songs on the wedding in bar mitzvah circle.

[Idina Menzel]

Yes. I have to give Kristen Bell the credit for that because they wanted us to come up with some kind of duet that could be for sisters, and she thought, I feel like we could do a good duet here, even though it's not meant to be a duet. So we had a music director come to my house, and we sat at my piano at my house, and we came up with these harmonies and stuff because they hadn't written a lot of the music yet. He just wanted us to sit around a table at Disney and read through this and then show that the two of us had this chemistry, and that was really an amazing time. And actually, Elsa was written more as the typical nemesis, antagonist, witchy kind of, you know, icy character without a lot of inner warmth, you know, and dynamics. And then it was. I think it was more when Bobby and Kristen Lopez came in that they started saying, that's too cliche, you know? And so she just kept growing and growing and becoming this sensitive, heroic. You know, I'm just so. I just love her so much, this woman that's just misunderstood.

[Willie Geist]

It's amazing that people I've talked to who've done a lot of animation, you kind of stand in a room sometimes in your sweatpants, and you voice the character and you sing the songs. You don't quite know exactly what it's gonna look like. What was it like for you the first time you saw the Performance up on screen, all put together.

[Idina Menzel]

Well, you see it in these stages. The best thing about. One of the best things about working with the Disney creatives is that they allow you to be part of the process and they teach you. So when you walk in to do your lines for one of the first 20 times you do it, because they're always cutting and editing and changing things. And you have to do most of the voiceovers before they commit to doing all the animation. So they'll show you the storyboards. They'll show you. So you see all the drawings before it's computer generated, and they'll show you what you're actually acting. That day, they brought me in to sit in front of 80 animators at Disney. They wanted to hear about singing and sort of techniques and logistics and how I move and how I breathe. They really care about all the specifics of that. That's why it's so good, you know.

[Willie Geist]

That's amazing to get that kind of input.

[Idina Menzel]

Yeah. So I sang and I moved kind of. And I think she has a little bit of my sway in the hips there. They were watching, but I love it. I love being a fly on the wall. I love their process. I've gone in and just sat and they've showed me how their computer programs do it now. And so it's not as much. It's incremental by the time you get there, because you keep seeing it in its different incarnations. You see it in black in a drawing, then you see it when it's starting to move, then you see it. You see Elsa and Anna in these, like, see through skirts because they don't assume the gait of how you'd walk. They really want to get that first before putting costume or wardrobe on them, which always felt weird. It's like we're at Disney, but the girls are naked.

[Willie Geist]

Yeah. People don't realize that.

[Idina Menzel]

Yeah.

[Willie Geist]

My kids were 6 and 4 when frozen came out.

[Idina Menzel]

I apologize. That means that you were sick to death of me.

[Willie Geist]

I remember at one point they were leaving the house with my wife. I said, where are you going? And they said, we're going to see Frozen. I said, didn't you already see that today? Like, yeah, we're going again with some other people. So, I mean, it became something none of you could have ever, ever, ever, ever in your wildest dreams, imagined it would become. What was it like to just be an observer of this cultural phenomenon as it just grew and grew and grew? And your song became the most popular song in the world for A long time.

[Idina Menzel]

It's one thing to have these great jobs and these roles. It's another thing to have a sort of zeitgeist project that speaks. That the themes and the messaging speak so profoundly to a young audience especially. That speaks to empowerment and accepting who you are and your uniqueness and what makes you different is the thing that's going to make you extraordinary in the world, you know. And so that was the, that's the real gift from the project for me. And I don't get sick of. People always think you're, you're BSing when you say, like you don't get sick of singing a song over and over. But being the Broadway creature of eight shows a week and having to do it over and over and having to try to find fresh new things in every performance, I just, I love it. I love singing it every night. Whether I'm singing it to a kid in a blue dress or singing it to my gay community out there, or just the moms and dads in the audience. Although I don't usually have a lot of straight people in my demographic, but straight men, I mean, there's always two. And I just so excited to see them. But yeah, it's just, it always is new for me. Either I find a melodic change that I really love or I hear the band playing a part that I've never noticed before or the actual message I need to hear personally for myself because I've had a bad day. So, you know, it's just the gift that keeps on giving.

[Willie Geist]

That movie and that song touched so many people, but what did it do to your life? Obviously you were very well known. The Queen of Broadway, all the titles that you were given, the Tony winner, you're very well known in that way. And all of a sudden you are now this international star who sang the song that everyone's singing.

[Idina Menzel]

I think social media helped too because there's been a lot of incredible Disney princess voices and actors. But somehow, because with a lot of social media stuff, the little kids would see my face juxtaposed with Elsa. That probably traumatized them because they were like, who's this old lady with brown hair playing this little blonde girl? But they also really associated my voice with the character and so more people got to know me and that was exciting. So that exposed me to a wider audience.

[Willie Geist]

Did you see? I'm sure you did. I think it was earlier this year. The little girl in Ukraine, the seven year old girl in a bomb shelter singing your song.

[Idina Menzel]

Yes.

[Willie Geist]

Can you even conceive of the reach of.

[Idina Menzel]

That's what I'm saying. I just. That's a one in a million thing, you know? Even my little girl didn't expect that in all my dreams, you know, and to see it being some. Playing some part in a healing, survival context is just. Yeah, it's just so, so sad and moving for me.

[Willie Geist]

Yeah, it was incredibly inspiring for the world. One of the big gigs you had because of Frozen was singing at the Oscars 2014, which I cannot imagine on the stress meter, standing alone on the stage with all those people.

[Idina Menzel]

Well, Meryl Streep was right there.

[Willie Geist]

Most importantly, Meryl Streep was right there.

[Idina Menzel]

I didn't want to screw up in front of Meryl.

[Willie Geist]

You nailed it, I'm happy to report. But it was made a little bit more difficult by your introduction.

[Idina Menzel]

Yeah, well, I had done so much meditation about it. Once again, the theme, like, enjoy the moment. Don't let it all, you know, be dissipated. Let it all. Don't let it dissipate in your nerves and adrenaline, you know? So what I did was I had a lot of little tools I'd given myself. I was gonna wear. I didn't wanna wear real spiky heels because it makes me feel like I'm teetering and I can't be grounded and support, I had thought about. So I wore these huge. If you saw what I was wearing under that dress, there were these huge boots with big platform heels. So I could just be like, boom, Boom.

[Willie Geist]

Solid.

[Idina Menzel]

Yeah. And then I also told myself, just sing it to your son, you know? So I was getting ready to just like, tell a story and pretend Walker's right there and sing it to him. And then. Yeah, and then John Travolta got up there and screwed up my name. And for about the 10 seconds that that intro starts, I don't. I think I had a world, a lifetime of things go through my mind. It was first like, damn it. I've come from the bitter end and now this. I'm finally here and this guy screwed up my. And then it was like, stop feeling sorry for yourself. Stop feeling sorry for yourself. Get your shit together. You know, you gotta get ready to sing this note. And so all of that, in about 10 seconds happened, went through my mind.

[Willie Geist]

It's hard enough without that. I can't imagine the curve ball that came. But you did. You pulled it back.

[Idina Menzel]

It ended up being one of the best things that happened for my career. Because all the people that knew me from the theater were like, how could they mess up A name like that. We love you, Idina. And then all the people that had no idea who I was were like, why is everybody making a. Who is this girl?

[Willie Geist]

Google her.

[Idina Menzel]

Yeah, yeah.

[Willie Geist]

But I think part of why it was a great moment for you is because of the way you handled it, too. You had such good humor about it. You returned the next year with him.

[Idina Menzel]

Yes, I know.

[Willie Geist]

He was very apologetic.

[Idina Menzel]

He sent me flowers and wrote a whole apology letter. Yeah, I was just happy to be in the conversation, you know, I really. I really was. It's just. I just feel so grateful, you know?

[Willie Geist]

And what's that moment like when you nail that song? Forget the Travolta part of it, but you're at the.

[Idina Menzel]

I don't know if I thought I nailed it. I'm already thinking, did I hit that note? Was that in tune? How is that? I'm pretty hard on myself, you know, I still haven't gone back and really listened to it. And then there was a time. Why am I telling you this? Then there was a time, couple months later, where I had to sing it New Year's Eve at the apple dropping thing, the ball dropping. And those are freezing cold nights. And you can opt to kind of lip sync and just play the track. And I was like, no, I'm a real singer here. I'm gonna do this. So I wore those, like, heating things that you wear when you're skiing. I had them all, like, here in my boobs, under my thing, like in my arms. And I layered up, and there were other people there that were in their midriffs and, like, you know, showing skin. But they were.

[Willie Geist]

They.

[Idina Menzel]

They knew to, you know. I also had told myself, I'm going to sing it in the regular key. And then I got to the end, and I totally botched that. That note. This thing goes on, whatever it was, the thing. I can't think of the lyric right now, but. Oh, it came out so raspy. And the cold had just, like, dried up my whole voice. And then people wrote all about it, how I sucked and everything.

[Willie Geist]

Yeah.

[Idina Menzel]

And that's the last time I read things about myself.

[Willie Geist]

Yeah. I was gonna say, stay off the Internet.

[Idina Menzel]

And then I learned. I started to learn things about myself where, you know, you're not just about all the acrobatic notes you sing. You know, I've been on stage. Maybe it's becoming a mom has helped me as well, to sort of become less self absorbed. You know, you have this little person that's the most important person in your life. And so my rigidity of, like, warming up every single night, having to get enough sleep, make sure I steam in the shower, you know, have to sing those big notes.

[Willie Geist]

Notes.

[Idina Menzel]

I'd get on stage and realize, I'm gonna do what I can do. I'll do the best that I can do. And I'd actually felt liberated. And I had so many shows that were even better than I could have expected. But learning that it's not just about those high notes, it's about storytelling, you know, and even on nights where I had a bad cold or I had to change something or do it in a lower key, nobody notices half the time, but also they feel just as much. So I took that pressure off myself.

[Willie Geist]

It looked like it on the tour that we see in the doc, you're telling stories and you are having fun and you're loose up there. So what was it like ultimately to stand on the stage at Madison Square Garden, the place you'd been dreaming about since you were playing back on Long island as a kid?

[Idina Menzel]

It was. It was great. I just stood up there and I looked out and I saw those people. And I felt the connection to my band as well, because I always. I don't like the solitary experience. I like the connection of a bunch of musicians playing together. Maybe it's because of how I've grown up and my experience, but. Or even just being in a Broadway show and being a part of a cast in a community. So I felt it with my family on stage, too. And they've also seen. They played with me for years. And we've grown up together through different venues and sizes of audiences and stuff. So I just stood there and took it in. And when I sing, I usually sing for good because I don't always have a duet partner. So sometimes I sing it as though the audience is Mike Linda, you know, and that they've changed me for good. And I do it acapella, and I try to do it off the mic, or if it's like the Garden, I keep the mic there. That's a little too far for me to sing. But I remember doing that song and felt really emotional about that. But those are things that I really took in. And as you'll see in the documentary, there's some archival footage that I did at Provincetown. I remember I was working on sort of some of my, like, one woman show kind of stuff. And it was all about how that was my dream and how I wanted to hear people saying my name and that I talk about the song that I Had on my very first album that nobody knew and how I got dropped from the label. And then I do this whole monologue about dreaming that Lenny Kravitz is going to come on the stage when I'm at Madison Square Garden, and he's going to do, well, are you gonna go my way with me? And we're gonna. And then. And then I bring everybody back to reality. I'm like, well, I just sold three albums, and I never got there. And so that's kind of what I thought about, too. When I thought of doing the documentary was like, you have that. That footage to show literally how much this has mattered to you, you know, and then to be standing up there has come full circle.

[Willie Geist]

And you stayed with it. You stayed with it. I do.

[Idina Menzel]

I've worked hard. That I can say. Worked hard.

[Willie Geist]

You earned your spot at the Garden.

[Idina Menzel]

Thanks. Yeah.

[Willie Geist]

So that felt like the pinnacle. You still got a lot left to do. So what else is out there for Idina Menzel? What are you cooking up? What are you thinking about? What do you want to do besides hanging out?

[Idina Menzel]

I want to do more besides hang out with my son. Yeah. Because I do. I want to be a good mom, and. And I want to get over myself. You know, it's like, as parents, we just. We have so much to overcome from what we've grown up with, and I don't want to project all that stuff, you know, onto him. So that's. I find that I focus on that a lot. We can tell our kids you're special, you're beautiful, you're talented, but if we don't feel it inside, they see that, too, and they internalize that. So that's what I'm really working on as a parent. And then professionally, I want to do more original musicals. I feel it's really important to support new young composers. So I've been working on a couple things that are in their embryonic stages, which is something I really love. I love the workshopping process. The idea of, like, getting in there with a loose leaf of a script, or standing at the piano where a composer has just written a new song with your voice in mind and the character. That's like, a process I love. And I miss. I miss that. I miss being in a rehearsal room. It's like first day of play practice with an amazing cast of talented people. So that's something I want to do. I also just want to do more film and TV with actors that I always wanted to work with or directors, like uncut gems.

[Willie Geist]

You've done. All these great roles that are gonna lead to your next big one.

[Idina Menzel]

And I want people to see that I can be funny. They always think I'm serious. You know, I don't know if it's the Elphaba and the Elsa thing, but I'm, you know, I'm not that heavy all the time.

[Willie Geist]

You seen a rom com, then?

[Idina Menzel]

Yeah.

[Willie Geist]

Do it. Thank you so much for the time, Medina.

[Idina Menzel]

This was so much fun. This is such a milestone to be on your show.

[Willie Geist]

I'm so lucky to have you at the table and to be in the place. Kind of where it all started.

[Idina Menzel]

Yes. Amazing. Let's get home and get to our kids basketball games.

[Willie Geist]

Good call. Good idea.

My big thanks again to Adina for a great conversation. You can check out which Way to the Stage? Streaming now on Disney. And my thanks to all of you.

For listening again this week.

If you want to hear our conversations with my guests every week, be sure to say follow so you never miss an episode. And don't forget to tune in to Sunday Today every weekend on NBC. I'm Willie Geist. We'll see you right back here next week on the Sunday Sit down podcast.

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