Broadway Baby

Whether you know her as the green-hued Elphaba from the musical Wicked or as the voice of Elsa in Disney’s Frozen, Idina Menzel has achieved star status thanks to her powerful pipes.

   As part of her world tour, Menzel will make a stop in Boca Raton at the Mizner Park Amphitheater on Sunday, July 26 at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $70.

   Before you head to what is bound to be a gravity-defying show, get to know the woman behind the voice with our look at Menzel’s top five roles.

Idina Menzel performs in the Broadway musical If/Then. Image via idinamenzel.com

1. Menzel became a Broadway superstar with her Tony Award–winning performance as the original Elphaba, the misunderstood Wicked Witch of the West, in the blockbuster musical Wicked (2003). Starring opposite the plucky Kristin Chenoweth, Menzel proved that while it isn’t easy being green, it sure doesn’t stop you from stealing the show.
2. As the voice behind Queen Elsa in Disney’s global hit film Frozen (2013), Menzel showed off her booming voice in the multiplatinum song “Let It Go,” freezing the catchy ballad in the minds and hearts of audiences worldwide. At the Eighty-Sixth Annual Academy Awards, she performed the song, which went on to win the Oscar for Best Original Song. In March 2014, Menzel became the first Tony Award winner to have a top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart thanks to this charming earworm.
3. Menzel made her Broadway debut as Maureen in the Jonathan Larson musical Rent (1996). Despite it being her first professional theater job, she received a Tony nomination for her performance as the outrageous bisexual who is so tantalizing she even has a tango named after her. Taking her talents to the silver screen, Menzel fittingly reprised her role as Mauren in the 2005 film adaptation.
4. Glee fans became even more gleeful when Menzel joined the cast as a recurring guest star in 2010. She quickly became a fan favorite in her role as Shelby Corcoran, actress Lea Michele’s onscreen biological mother. Menzel starred in several songs throughout her 12-episode arc, including Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face.”
5. Menzel returned to the Broadway stage to play Elizabeth in If/Then by Pulitzer Prize–winning duo Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey. She received her third Tony nomination for the role and performed “Always Starting Over” from the critically acclaimed musical at the 2014 Tony Awards. Menzel inhabited the role for a year, from March 2014 to March 2015, and will revive it for If/Then‘s national tour from October 2015 to January 2016.