As the vivacious and outspoken bisexual performance artist Maureen in the popular Broadway musical “Rent,” actress Idina Menzel has captivated audiences for years. Like many of her onstage castmates, she reprised her role for the big screen in director Chris Columbus’ 2004 adaptation.
Interesting in acting since she was a child, Menzel in the fifth grade played the part of Dorothy in an elementary school production of “The Wizard of Oz” (little did she know that an award-winning role in the "Oz"-inspired musical “Wicked" was in her future). After high school, she studied drama at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.
Her early stage roles include the part of Dorothy in the Goodspeed production of “The Summer of 42,” and Sheila in an Encores Production of “Hair.” But what jumpstarted her stage career were her performances in the original, off-Broadway productions of “The Vagina Monologues” and “Rent” – especially the latter. Created by Jonathan Larson in 1996, the Pulitzer-Prize-winning “Rent” was an explosive story of group of struggling artists trying to make do in New York City’s East Village, many of them afflicted with AIDS. The 1996 musical struck a chord, and soon appeared on Broadway, where Menzel, reprising her role, was nominated for a Tony Award. She also met and married co-star Taye Diggs.
Menzel proceeded to a film career from there, appearing in the 1999 Spike Lee film “Summer of Sam,” and the 2001 cult favorite, “Kissing Jessica Stein,” where she played a bridesmaid. She also took small parts in “Just a Kiss” in 2002 and “The Tollbooth” which appeared at film festivals but had not been released theatrically.
Menzel’s diverse talents have led to a burgeoning music career as well. Her song, “Follow If You Lead,” appeared in the 1999 movie “The Other Sister.” She has released two albums, Here, and Still I Can’t Be Still. But it is the stage where Menzel has continued to make the greatest strides. Her most prominent role was the lead in the hugely popular “Wicked,” where she played Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West. In 2004, she won the Tony award for best actress for her performance. On film after "Rent," Menzel next starred opposite Salma Hayak and Colin Farrell in director Robert Towne’s “Ask the Dust,” set for release in 2006.