‘Frozen’ wish, granted: Menzel to sing ‘Let It Go’ at Oscars

MANILA, Philippines – Idina Menzel, the voice of snow queen Elsa is slated to perform animated film Frozen’s theme song “Let It Go” at the Academy Awards on March 2.

The news was announced in the film’s Facebook, much to the delight of fans whose comments on the post showed them rooting for the film in the coming awards night.

This, however, will not be the first time Menzel performs the song live. She, along with other cast members Kristen Bell (Anna), Josh Gad (Olaf), and Santino Fontana (Hans) sang the film’s songs live in an intimate gathering on February 9.

During a recent Reddit Ask Me Anything, directors Chris Beck and Jennifer Lee, and producer Peter Del Vecho said they knew they wanted to cast Menzel even before they had an idea of who her character Elsa was going to be like. 

“We knew we wanted her but we didn’t know who Elsa was just yet. She didn’t come on officially until we figured out Elsa. We wished it would fit her,” they said.

After Menzel and Kristen Bell, who voiced Elsa’s sister Anna, sang “Wind Beneath My Wings” during an early table read, song writers Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez decided they had to write something emotional just for the two. (Read: 6 tidbits about Frozen revealed at the Reddit AMA)

Menzel has been lauded for her performances in Broadway musicals Rent and Wicked, for which she won a Tony Award. Menzel also guested in television musical Glee, where she played the long-lost mother of main character Rachel Berry (Lea Michele).

“Let It Go,” nominated for Best Original Song in the upcoming Academy Awards, was written by Filipino-American Robert Lopez and his wife, Kristen Anderson-Lopez. Should they take home the Oscar, Robert will be joining the EGOT circle, exclusive to those who have won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony.

A pop version, performed by Demi Lovato has also been released, as well as a multilingual version sung in 25 languages such as Russian, Thai, Japanese, and Cantonese.

Frozen is also nominated for Best Animated Film.

Listen to “Let It Go” here:

– Rappler.com