Biography
Idina Menzel — actress and singer with roots in the Russian Empire
Idina Menzel (born Idina Kim Mentzel, 30 May 1971, Manhattan) is an American actress and singer who grew up in Syosset, Long Island. She won the 2004 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical as Elphaba in Wicked and voices Elsa in Disney's Frozen (2013) and its sequel.
Russian Connection
Tracing the roots — Eastern Europe
Menzel grew up in a Jewish family; her grandparents emigrated from Eastern Europe. The specific towns, and whether they lay in the Russian Empire, have not been confirmed by a reliable source.
Family Tree
Subject
Idina Menzel🇺🇸 USA
↑
Grandparents
Stuart Mentzel
Helene Goldberg
↑
Origin
Eastern Europe🇷🇺 Russian Empire
Historical context
Russian Empire · c. 1721–1917
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Eastern Europe. At the time, this region lay within the Russian Empire, which spanned from Poland to the Pacific.
Map: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA)
Key Achievements
A career defined by ambition
01
Originated Elphaba in Wicked (Broadway, 2003) — Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical (2004)
02
Voice of Elsa in Frozen (2013) and Frozen II (2019)
03
Performed Let It Go, which won the Academy Award for Best Original Song (2014)
04
Maureen Johnson in Rent — Tony nomination (1996) and the 2005 film
05
Tony nomination for If/Then (2014)
"I'm a little bit broken, and that's okay."
Idina Menzel
Sources