Idina Menzel has been in show business for 20 years. But it wasn't until she voiced the character of Nordic queen Elsa in the animated smash hit Frozen - which spawned the popular song Let It Go - that she has become a household name. And as she told People, all that attention has been so 'overwhelming,' the 42-year-old has been burying herself in her new project, If/Then.
On Thursday the ex-wife of actor Taye Diggs belted out a song from that new Broadway musical on the Today show. After a brief chat about how she was heavily involved with the development of the character Elsa - who blossoms once she stops hiding her superpowers of being able to freeze anything in her path - the looker took to the stage. The NYU graduate chose the title song from If/Then as she stood in front of a dozen musicians and a conductor.
The Frozen phenomenon (the film has made over $1 billion since its November US release) has put her in the spotlight in a big way, causing her to perform Let It Go at the Academy Awards - where John Travolta memorably flubbed her name by calling the Broadway vet 'Adele Dazeem.' 'I was so excited,' she said of singing at the Oscars. 'I wanted to sing to my son, picture him out there,' the brunette, who has a four-year-old with Diggs, revealed to the magazine.
The beauty, who looks a bit like fellow singer Lea Michele, is still taking it all in. It's been 'overwhelming at times,' the Wicked star told People. 'It's been crazy. So I've just focused on the show. 'More people know me. But having a four-year-old keeps me grounded no matter what else is happening.' And returning to Broadway - her first big hit was Rent - has been helpful. 'It's like being back home,' she said.
A December divorce from Taye wasn't easy either. 'I'm doing okay,' she said. 'We're doing good. Our focus will always be on our son. We were together for a long time and grew apart, but we're still close.' As far as being a single woman, Menzel admits she has 'self doubt' but is learning to be okay with who she is. 'As I've grown older, I want to be the kind of person who is courageous, who takes risks. And I want to give back.'
