Reasons Why Idina Menzel Is The Same Character In Frozen And Wicked

For all you musical theatre lovers who made it to see the new Disney movie, Frozen, this month, you’ve undoubtedly noticed that Queen Elsa is voiced by the flawless Idina Menzel (otherwise known as Elphaba in the Original Broadway Cast of Wicked). Seriously, you’d have to be either deaf or asleep not to recognize those killer vocals. But have you really thought about just how similar these two characters are? Let’s take a look.

Meet Elphaba. She's smart, powerful, green, and all around bad-ass.

But she’s completely misunderstood despite her (mostly) positive intentions to use her powers for good.

And then there's Queen Elsa. She's also bad-ass.

However, like Elphaba, her powers are mistaken for evil (or even wicked, you could say) and she lives in isolation to protect her sister, Anna. (Speaking of which, should we do an Anna and Nessa comparison next??)

They both eventually abandon their "good girl" personas and sing strikingly similar power ballads about it

youtube.com / Via youtube.com

Can we even count how many theatre kids we've heard audition with Defying Gravity?

Now compare that to "Let it Go." It's legitimately the same song.

youtube.com

That voice, though. *sigh*

Don't believe me yet? Let's do a lyric comparison.

"AND IF I'M FLYING SOLO, AT LEAST I'M FLYING FREE"

"YES, I'M ALONE, BUT I'M ALONE AND FREE"

So, if you're looking for Elphaba or Elsa (hmm... any significance in alliterating names?)

look to the western sky.

Or to the North Mountain. They’re both completely isolated, free from human contact, and have names that include a compass-related reference.

And wait a minute... doesn't Idina play opposite an actress named Kristin in both productions??

In Wicked, Kristin Chenoweth plays Glinda (or as her character would call herself, "Galinda, with a Ga")

And in Frozen, Kristin Bell voices Elsa's younger sister, Anna.

Both blondes, too. hmm...

Even Idina admits there are some similarities. She knows it. We know she knows it.

youtube.com / Via youtube.com

Interviewer: "Is it more fun to play the misunderstood outcast than the traditional heroine?"

Idina: "Well, I've never played the traditional heroine. I'll tell you when I get that role."

So there you have it, folks.

Idina is playing the same character twice, one on stage and the other in a cartoon Disney movie. And she does it flawlessly, don't you agree?