"She's lived in LA for YEARS. Also the father of her child lives there."
Well, those are both only semi-true. For the past 2 years or so, both she and her child's father have resided mainly in NYC allowing Idina to do If/Then (and Taye is currently in Hedwig, of course). However, yes, the two did spend a few years in LA pre-Frozen and post-Wicked, during which time Idina had varying levels of exposure. To date (not including that Disney movie), her most successful venture in tv/film was the recurring role on Glee. It will be interesting to see what she does out there now that her profile has been raised so significantly.