Idina Menzel reflects on Broadway debut as she returns for ‘Redwood’

Idina Menzel, the American actress and singer, looks back on her Broadway debut as she has returned to her roots starring in new Broadway musical Redwood.

While speaking with The New York Times, the Frozen voice actress said that returning to the venue has been 'very emotional' given her history with the place.

"Honestly, it’s been very emotional, like a homecoming," Menzel said while adding, "and it’s causing me to reflect a lot on who I am and where I’ve come from," she added.

Menzel debut in Jonathan Larson’s 1996 rock musical Rent that earned her a Tony award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a musical.

She then went to perform on stage productions, like The Wild Party and Aida, before originating the role of Elphaba in Wicked. The latter earned a Tony Award for Best Actress in a musical in 2004.

The 53-year-old actress also starred in several on-screen productions, including Glee, Enchanted and Uncut Gems. She also made cameo with her former co-star Kristin Chenoweth in the 2024 movie, Wicked.

Menzel has now decided that Broadway is where she belongs as she told the outlet, that "the theater will always welcome me," noting "there are better roles for older women in theater, as opposed to worrying about your beauty and your age in Hollywood."

"I think of it as my home, and where I feel closest to my truest self."

The play will open at the Nederlander Theatre in New York City on February 13th.

Idina Menzel plays Jesse, a successful woman whose life is changed by a major event that "drives her far from everyone and everything she knows," according to the synopsis.