Idina Menzel is someone that I've been a fan of since I became aware of Broadway. She is one of my favorite actresses and she deserves all the accolades that Frozen has brought her as she is a National Treasure. It's funny but she pops up in a lot of things, I like. For instance, she was in the Original Broadway Cast of two musicals, I greatly enjoy, RENT and Wicked. And she also had a recurring role on Glee, one of my favorite shows that isn't as good as it once was and they missed a golden opportunity by not having her on the 100th episode as Krisitn Chenoweth is also recurring character on Glee and they've never been on an episode together and they even sang "Defying Gravity". Come on, and then of course, she was made into a huge star with her turn as Elsa in Frozen. I came up with the idea for this list, after watching The Tony's and realizing, I love this woman's voice, I swear she could sing the phone book and make it sound pretty and that's why today, I'm counting down my Top 10 Idina Menzel Songs. With that out of the way, let's begin.
10. Over The Moon - RENT (Play)
Coming in at # 10, we have Over The Moon from RENT, now even though she was also in the movie and reprises her character of Maureen, I decided to go with the Original Performance and I'll be honest and say that is one of my less liked songs from RENT but in the context of the musical, it makes sense as a protest song against having this area tore down and just goes to show what kind of character, Maureen is and that's nuts. She's a performance artist that is dedicated to her cause but has wild and out and there ideas that really only make sense to her and this song perfectly captures the character of Maureen as being someone that is well-meaning, if a little flaky and off-kilter.
9. Take Me or Leave Me - RENT (Play)
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Okay, this is just proof that Idina is great in duets and as for the context of this number, this comes after a rehearsal for the wedding between Maureen and her fiancee, Joanne. And as you can hear the two are polar opposites and I just the song fighting between Maureen and Joanne as they are just so raw and hard on each other.
8. No Day But Today (Acoustic) - I Stand
I first discovered this take on "No Today But Today" thanks to Pandora. Yes, I have an Idina Menzel station on my Pandora and this is really pretty and she does a great job of bringing out the emotions of this song and pain. It's funny but normally in RENT, this song is usually sung as a group number but I first heard her solo version again on Pandora as a part of a concert, she was doing and surprisingly worked. I wasn't sure that it would but it really does.
7. I Dreamed A Dream - Glee
Idina Menzel singing one of the best songs from Les Miserables. Uhm , sold! And it totally works in the context of the show, Menzel played a woman that had given her child up for adoption to a gay couple and Rachel, her daughter had always wanted to meet her biological mother and this is the first step because she is given a tape that has her mother singing and even though, you see the mother and daughter pair onstage singing together, that is actually a dream sequence as they had not met each other yet but they do meet in time and this song is a great duet between the two of them.
6. Always Starting Over - If/Then
I first heard this song on this year's Tony's and OH MY GOD, this is why I LOVE HER!!!!!!!!! Sorry, but this song not only reflects the character of Elizabeth that she plays in If/Then, in which she plays a 40 something single woman who moves back to New York to try to find her way, this song also reflects an older and mature Idina Menzel returning to Broadway and claiming the stage again and showing that she still has it and she's my Queen of Broadway. (She's awesome) This type of song is a "Who Am I?" song and from what I've read of the plot of If/Then, that is what the musical about as Idina's character is trying to figure who she is and this song is asking the question, do I have always have to be someone new and not just have people accept me for who I am and perhaps I'm misreading the song but the way reading this song, presents this character as Idina's most vulnerable character that she has ever played.
5. Brave - I Stand
I found this one while looking up Idina Menzel songs for this list and this from third studio album and you know what, it's really good and continues a message that seems to be persistent throughout a lot of her songs that she is strong and well, Brave and can take whatever life throws at her. And she can take whatever life throws at her and isn't scared of the challenges that may face her.
4. For Good - Wicked
Yeah, the rest of this list is pretty much going to be Wicked heavy but it's her best work and her greatest role and I know people often cite this and my number 1 as the two best songs from Wicked and while "For Good" is fantastic and breaks my heart every time I listen to it as you hear these two friends that meant so much to each other saying goodbye as their paths in life has forced them away from each other but they will never forget the lessons, they taught one another and they were made better people for having known each other. I'm sorry, but I need a Kleenex. Just a great song with a great message of friendship and how strong, it can be.
3. No Good Deed - Wicked
This song is the turning point in Elphaba's life as she has given up on life and decides that she will no longer doing any good deeds and embraces the wickedness that Oz has thrust upon her, especially in part because she can't save the one she loves the most and it is in this moment that she goes from being Elphaba to becoming The Wicked Witch, she is basically telling Oz, if that's who you want me to be, if you'll get it. And again, just the raw emotion in her voice as she sings this number is chilling as you can hear the fear and anger that has been bottled up inside Elphaba as she lets it all out. That is one of the key factors of this song, it has to be able to sell the anger aspect because she's angry at the world , she lives in for mistreating her and gives up and gives into what, they think she is.
2. Let It Go - Frozen
Yeah, I'm sure you were all waiting for this one and I'll understand if some are you, are upset that this is only # 2, again as I pointed out, my # 1 is from Wicked and this song has a lot in common with that song as they are both about owning who you are and not caring what others think of you. And honestly, I don't know what else, I can say on this song after doing an entire Frozen Week on A Look at Disney. Everybody and their well in the case of this film, sister has had their say on this fantastic song that sends a great message of own you are but my # 1 song did that first and my # 1 song is...
1. Defying Gravity - Wicked
Whatever I say, cannot do this song justice. This is a song that you need to listen to truly appreciate it's greatness. Now as I said when talking about how "Let It Go" and "Defying Gravity" share a lot in common but this song was the original "Let It Go" because just like Elsa, Elphaba isn't going to let others say or the rules that they have set for her, bring her down and she will instead chart her own path and make her own rules. As she is going to accept who she is while trying to fight The Wizard and reveal his sinister plans. Honestly, it's not hard to see why, this is often regarded as the signature song of Wicked because it's just that good and the message behind it is extremely powerful and moving. She owns who she is and isn't scared to show all of Oz, who that is.
There you have it, my Top 10 Indina Menzel songs. Gosh, I love her. She is such a great talent and it was a treat getting to do this special Top 10 for you guys. Peace!
