Idina Menzel Is Returning to Theater Where She Made Broadway Debut in ‘Rent’ 30 Years Ago
Idina Menzel is going back to where it all started.
The Tony Award-winning actress is set to return to the Nederlander Theatre in January 2025, the same theater where she made her Broadway debut in RENT almost three decades earlier. Menzel’s return comes with her latest leading role in the new musical Redwood.
The new Broadway show follows the journey of Jesse (Menzel) as she endures a life-altering event, losing her family and career. Left alone in the redwoods of Northern California, she sets out to “find strength, resilience and healing.”
“I made my Broadway debut at the Nederlander Theatre in RENT almost thirty years ago, so to be returning there with Redwood is very emotional for me as it feels like a real homecoming,” said Menzel.
The Frozen actress teased plot details on Instagram, posting a video which cuts out just before the actress reveals the location of the play. A warning then comes on screen saying “call failed,” a joke teased in the caption.
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“Service in the redwoods is pretty spotty,” Menzel said. “We’ll try again soon.”
Ahead of the show's Broadway opening on February 13, 2025, Menzel will embark on a “career-spanning” North American tour where she will meet fans and perform music across her expansive discography. The actress’ success spans from Broadway to film, most notably on stage as Elphaba in Wicked and on screen as Elsa in Disney’s Frozen.
Menzel’s role as Elphaba, for which she won a Tony for Best Actress, will be reinterpreted in the upcoming live adaptation of Wicked, starring Ariana Grande (Gilinda) and Cynthia Erivo (Elphaba). Menzel opened up about her struggle to pass on the role she originated in conversation with The Broadway Show.
“I'm a little sad that I'm just older and can't play the role,” she explained. "It's the aging and the proprietorship of the role and what it means to me and how it changed my life. I just love it, and I miss her, I guess, is what I'm trying to say."
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Menzel is a strong supporter of young composers and new original musicals, her latest of which is Redwood. She developed the musical alongside Tina Landau (book, lyrics and direction) and Kate Diaz (music and lyrics), and they premiered the new production earlier this year in a sold-out run at La Jolla Playhouse. Redwood previews start on January 24, 2025 and the show officially premieres on Broadway on February 13, 2025.
