Let It Snow! Idina Menzel Talks Frozen 2 and How the Musical Changed Her Life
About seven years ago, actress and singer Idina Menzel walked into a recording booth and started voice work on an original animated musical. It was called Frozen. “I knew when I got the job that it was a big milestone for me and my career just because it was a Disney film,” she recalls.
Menzel, who originated the role of Maureen in the groundbreaking Broadway production of Rent in 1996 and won a Tony for Wicked in 2004, hoped the movie would be a hit. But she never could have predicted that Frozen—in which two royal sisters unite to save their kingdom—would be a $1 billion-grossing, Oscar-winning phenomenon. Not only did fans love her Elsa the Snow Queen character, they used her show-stopping number, “Let it Go,” as a life anthem.
“For the movie to resonate so profoundly with young people with such an important message makes it exponentially gratifying for me,” she says. “Every time I’m on stage and every time I sing music from the film, it reinforces that for me.”
Now things are twice as ice. In Frozen 2 (in theaters Friday, November 22), Elsa and her sister Anna (Kristen Bell) embark on an adventure far away from the kingdom of Arendelle. Once again, they’re joined by friends Kristoff (Jonathan Groff), Olaf the snowman (Josh Gad) and Sven the reindeer. And of course, there will be singing along the way.
The 48-year-old New York native, who’s married to actor Aaron Lohr and has a 10-year-old son (with ex Taye Diggs), sat down with Parade.com.
Aside from the story itself, how is Frozen 2 different from the original?
In the first one, Elsa feared her powers. Now it’s more about whether her powers will be enough to remedy the conflict that’s going on. She has to rise to the occasion to be everything she’s meant to be. I’m very excited about it because I find this to be a very spiritual journey and another empowering story.
Is there any concern on your part that the sequel can’t live up to expectations?
I don’t worry about that because I’ve never worked with more talented, brilliant and creative people in my life. I know we’re in good hands. For lack of a better use of the word, you just have to let it go and enjoy the process. I think it’s wonderful that the younger people who grew up on the movie have matured and the movie reflects that. We can take it in multiple generations and appeal to a wide demographic. The movie is really good, by the way.
What can you reveal about the music?
Yes! I know it’s hard for lightning to strike twice but I do think the music is exquisite and [Robert and Kristin Anderson-Lopez] did a beautiful job, and I love the two songs I have in the movie. They’re powerful and profound. I can see little girls and boys performing them in their bedrooms. But you never know. I’m just happy to be a part of this process and work with the animators and directors and writers.
What is the recording process like? Are you and Kristen in a booth together?
Most of the time, we’re on our own because our schedules are crazy. Then there are times when we do get in the same room and feed off each other. Because there are so many incarnations of the story and the script and they have to put the music in, it’s actually better for us to go in and put our voices down first. Then once things start to stick, we can work together and finesse the dialogue.
Looking back over the past several years, how much has Frozen changed your life?
Oh my gosh, it changed my life drastically. I consider it a huge gift. It’s brought a lot of love into my life. And the magic is not lost on me. The more I realize how fleeting things are and how the business ebbs and flows, the more I have learned to take it all in and bask in these moments and enjoy them because they won’t come all the time. When you’re in something successful, you have to be grateful. And for this movie is especially wonderful. I love that we’re asking young people to embrace who they are and not be afraid of their powers and go out in the world and harness that and to make good in the world. We all need to be reminded of that as grown-ups.
Do you think that’s why the film caught on so quickly?
Well, there’s also something special about it being two sisters not focused on a man at the heart of the story. The love story is between the two women. That’s refreshing and similar to Wicked in that way. It’s funny how we always hear about how female-centric stories don’t sell enough, are not as commercial as a man-centric movie. Frozen didn’t seem to have a hard time.
The original Frozen was released in December, but the sequel is timed to Thanksgiving. Your thoughts on the holiday?
Thanksgiving was always a bit conflicted for me because my parents had sort-of announced their divorce right on Thanksgiving day. It took a long time to rewrite the way I felt about it. But now that I’m remarried and I have a child, there is a way to reprogram yourself into experiencing these things that aren’t triggered by your childhood and recreate it.
How does your son feel about his mom being the snow queen?
Oh, he likes to rebel against Frozen because it’s too princess for him. But he has been known to slide up to a third grader and use the connection!
Are you at least the most popular parent at your son’s school?
I don’t think so at all. At my son’s school, there are moms who have their own practices and helping women who are abused in Africa. My little Frozen thing pales in comparison.