Frozen the Broadway-Bound Disney Musical is both nothing and everything like you would expect it to be. With creative uses of lighting and staging as well as a dynamic cast, the musical lives up to the hype of the movie while veering from the original enough for it to be a unique experience for those both familiar and new to the Disney tale.
The storyline of the play is the same as in the movie, with two sisters making difficult choices while searching for acceptance and love. The protagonists face obstacles in the form of a lackluster prince charming and an inconvenient summer blizzard, but they come together to discover that true love is found in family and selfless sacrifice.
The most prominent difference between the film and the play is the soundtrack. Songs such as “Do You Want to Build a Snowman” are adapted, while songs such as “Hans of the Southern Isles” (and its two reprisals), “Dangerous to Dream” and “Colder by the Minute,” introduce new themes and expand upon ideas.
The result is something almost disjointed, as the intentions of the movie come together with the choices of the stage director. As one theatregoer commented, there was not a prevailing theme amongst the songs as is seen in other productions. While there were different reprisals of songs and lyrics, the whole did not come together seamlessly.
The original songs, however, were done flawlessly. Caissie Levy delivers a fierce performance as Elsa, inspiring cheers with her much anticipated rendition of “Let it Go,” a dramatic number that served as the production’s Act One closer. With shimmering special effects and a well-timed quick change, the number is truly fabulous.
The special effects surrounding Elsa’s ice powers were consistently impressive throughout the show. Lighting and staging came together with Levy’s well-timed choreography to make her magic truly, well, magical. The shimmering stage invokes a nostalgic winter wonderland sensation. There was even a chill that filled the air as the snow swept Arendelle.
Puppetry was used to invoke some of the more cartoon-like characters, and while their performance was well done, their presence in what is predominantly a human show felt out of place. No matter how skilled the dancer may be, it is difficult to replicate the motions of a reindeer.
Costuming was a hit and miss throughout the show. Tails were an unwelcome addition to the folksy healers of the forest. Others seemed more deliberate, like the different dresses Elsa dons throughout the production (more than in the movie) that seem to mirror the evolution of her character.
The show is fun and lighthearted, and delivers that which Disney has created a legacy upon–love, magic and princesses in pretty dresses. By retelling the story and bringing it to life on the stage in a new and interesting way, a new audience can be welcomed to Arendelle.
