Idina Menzel on Stage- From RENT to WICKED and More

Idina Menzel has returned to Broadway in Redwood, now playing at the Nederlander Theatre! Menzel famously got her start in Rent on Broadway, and has gone on to star in iconic productions including Wicked, Hair, Aida, The Wild Party, and more.

Take a walk down memory lane with us as we revisit some of Idina Menzel's best stage roles.

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Rent

Rent was Idina Menzel's first professional theatre job and her Broadway debut. Rent opened Off-Broadway at the New York Theatre Workshop on January 26, 1996, before moving to Broadway's Nederlander Theatre.

For her performance as Maureen Johnson in the original cast of the musical, Menzel received a Tony nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. Her final performance in the musical was on July 1, 1997.

Menzel then went on to star in the film adaptation of Rent in 2005, reprising her role of Maureen.

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The Wild Party

Menzel appeared in the Off-Broadway cast of The Wild Party, a musical with book, lyrics, and music by Andrew Lippa based on Joseph Moncure March's 1928 narrative poem of the same name.

The musical opened Off-Broadway on February 24, 2000, at the Manhattan Theatre Club and ran for 54 performances.

Menzel took on the role of Kate. Directed by Gabriel Barre, choreographed by Mark Dendy, the cast also included Julia Murney as Queenie, Brian d'Arcy James as Burrs, Taye Diggs as Mr. Black, and Alix Korey as Madelaine True.

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 Hair

Another notable off-Broadway credit for Menzel was her turn as Sheila in the New York City Center Encores! production of Hair. The production ran from May 3-7, 2001.

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Aida

Idina Menzel appeared next on Broadway in Aida, a musical based on the opera of the same name written by Antonio Ghislanzoni with music by Giuseppe Verdi. It has music by Elton John, lyrics by Tim Rice, and book by Linda Woolverton, Robert Falls, and David Henry Hwang.

Aida premiered on Broadway on March 23, 2000, running for 1,852 performances until September 5, 2004. Menzel joined the cast in Septemebr 2001.

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The Vagina Monologues

Menzel joined the Off-Broadway cast of The Vagina Monologues in March 2002, appearing for a six-week stint. 

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Wicked

Perhaps most notably, Idina Menzel originated the role of Elphaba in the Broadway production of Wicked. 

Following a San Francisco try-out, Wicked began previews on October 8, 2003 and opened on October 30 at the Gershwin Theatre. Menzel's performance as Elphaba, the misunderstood Wicked Witch of the West, earned her the 2004 Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical. She performed in the show until January 2005.

Menzel then went on to reprise her role as Elphaba in the West End production of Wicked when it opened at London's Apollo Victoria Theatre on September 27, 2006. 

In 2024, alongside her Wicked co-star Kristin Chenoweth, Menzel made a cameo appearance during the "One Short Day" sequence in the film adaptation of Wicked.

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See What I Wanna See

Following Wicked, Menzel appeared Off-Broadway in the Public Theater's production of See What I Wanna See, a musical by Michael John LaChiusa. For her performance in this musical, Menzel received Drama Desk Award and Drama League Award nominations. 

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Chess Concert

In another notable London production, Idina Menzel played the role of Florence in the 21st-anniversary concert of the musical Chess at London's Royal Albert Hall, from May 12 to 13, 2008.

The cast also included Kerry Ellis, Adam Pascal, and Josh Groban.

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If/Then

Making a long-awaited return to Broadway, Menzel starred as Elizabeth in the new Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey Broadway musical If/Then in 2014. Directed by Michael Greif, the musical had its world premiere at the National Theatre in Washington, D.C. in November 2013, before moving to the Richard Rodgers Theatre on Broadway on March 4, 2014.

For her performance, Menzel received her second Tony Award nomination for Best Leading Actress in a Musical.

If/Then closed on Broadway on March 22, 2015, but Menzel went on to reprise her role of Elizabeth (along with original Broadway cast members LaChanze, James Snyder, and Anthony Rapp) on the first seven stops of the show's national tour from October 2015 to January 2016. 

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Skintight

In 2018, Idina Menzel appeared as Jodi in Roundabout Theatre Company's World Premiere production of Joshua Harmon's new play Skintight. The show premiered Off-Broadway at the Laura Pels Theatre at the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre. It began previews on May 31, 2018, opened on June 21, 2018, and ran for strictly limited engagement till August 26, 2018.

A year later, Menzel reprised her performance in Skintight marking its debut on the West Coast. The production played the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles, California running from September 3 – October 6, 2019.

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Wild: A Musical Becoming

Menzel's next project was Wild: A Musical Becoming, a new musical by V (formerly Eve Ensler), Justin Tranter and Caroline Pennell, with contributions by Eren Cannata. Menzel played the role of Bea and also contributed to writing the lyrics.

The musical premiered at American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, MA in December 2021. The run was set to continue through January 2022 but was cut short due to COVID-19.

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Gutenberg! The Musical

Menzel's most recent appearance on Broadway was a cameo, appearing as a producer in Gutenberg! The Musical. The musical famously featured stars in the small role, with someone different taking the stage for each performance. Menzel appeared on November 19, 2023.