Episode description

From Broadway to Frozen, Idina Menzel has captivated young and old audiences alike. A new documentary about her journey as a performer reveals how she worked to land her dream gig.

Actor and singer Idina Menzel has played a series of roles that inspire empowerment and a quest for identity. Her critically acclaimed turns on Broadway in Rent and Wicked and her voice work as Elsa in Disney’s Frozen have made her an intergenerational star.  Now, a new Disney Plus documentary called “Idina Menzel: Which Way to the Stage” unveils the person behind such iconic characters and shares her devotion to entertaining audiences. Ahead of the film’s release, Host Kai Wright speaks with Menzel about balancing work and life, and realizing her dream of performing at Madison Square Garden. 

Companion listening for this episode:

David Byrne on Musical Democracy (2/10/2022)

The former Talking Heads frontman explores the challenges – and beauties – of human connection while breaking down his hit Broadway show, American Utopia. 

“Notes from America” airs live on Sunday evenings at 6pm ET. The podcast episodes are lightly edited from our live broadcasts. To catch all the action, tune into the show on Sunday nights via the stream on notesfromamerica.org or on WNYC’s YouTube channel.

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Notes from America airs live on Sundays at 6 p.m. ET. The podcast episodes are lightly edited from our live broadcasts.