Frozen on Broadway

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DEEN VAN MEER

Caissie Levy as Elsa in Frozen on Broadway.

Stephen Serrano, Section Editor

The movie that has taken the film industry by storm is now going to have its own show on Broadway. Disney’s Frozen is now being reprised on Broadway as a new musical. On March 22, it debuted to the public at St. James Theatre in New York City. Originally performed in Denver, the show was a critical hit so it was promoted to the New York stage. Being rebranded as Frozen: The Broadway Musical, the show has attracted numerous fans back to musical. With all new songs and cast, Frozen: The Broadway Musical is a breath of fresh air to Broadway.

In the original movie, songs such as “Let it Go”, “Love is an Open Door”, and “For the First Time in Forever” brought the film to life. The lyrics written by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez were youthful, but not to the point where the sings became annoying. Their songwriting talents were included in the production with “almost a dozen new songs alongside the classics from the film” (frozenthemusical.com). Some of the original songs include “Monster”, “What Do You Know About Love?”, “Dangerous to Dream”, and “True Love” were crowd favorites and can be downloaded online. The current songs definitely brought the show to life.

The new main cast includes Patti Murin as Anna, Caissie Levy as Elsa, John Riddle as Hans, Jelani Alladin as Kristoff, and Greg Hildreth as Olaf. Some critics believe that this “star-studded cast” was bland and boring, with many of the performers not doing the film justice (NR). To others, the cast did a sufficient job of playing the famous roles. Although portraying the characters well, it is a very tough feat to outperform the original cast, who made the characters the ones that we remember.

As for the stage itself, the lighting and projectors lit up the vicinity and added the little Disney magic that they are known for. The script was created by Jennifer Lee, the original writer, and director of Frozen. She had to add a little spin to the storyline because of the new songs and dance numbers included in the show. Her reputation did uphold her and the writing was not bland whatsoever.

Frozen: The Broadway Musical is the most anticipated Broadway show this year. Like many Disney films like Lion King and Beauty and the Beast, the musical adaptations had critical acclaim. When asked about what she thought about the transition from the movie industry, Sarah Frazier (10) responded that “it will take a little getting used to, but I have high hopes for the Broadway remake.” With Frozen: The Broadway Musical still fresh on Broadway, it is interesting to see the show grow and blossom into a musical powerhouse.