FROZEN - Theater Magic

 

When a show like “Disney’s Frozen” comes to town, it’s a true theatrical event for the entire region.  Not every theater is large enough to house this musical that takes 23 semi-trailers to move it from place to place.

Ever since “Frozen” the movie hit the screens back in 2013, it became a part of our culture.  “Let it Go” and “Do You Want to Build a Snowman” were songs that every kid in the neighborhood was singing.

It took a while for Disney to transform the beloved show from a movie to a stage play, but in 2018 it finally stormed Broadway and never left. Now there are productions in the UK, Australia, Japan, Germany and the North American Tour.

Currently it is playing at Michigan State University’s Wharton Center until February 6. 2022 (whartoncenter.com).

From beginning to end, “Frozen” is a first class, Broadway caliber, production. No pickup orchestra here, “Frozen” travels with its own musicians and enough sparkles and snow to fill the entire theater.

Many Disney shows play well for audiences of all ages. After all, “Lion King” is the highest grossing Broadway musical ever ($8.2 bil in sales). “Frozen” plays best for girls ages 5-15, I’m guessing, but many boys were enjoying it as well.

It’s a warm heartfelt story about sisterly love told with likeable music and two delightful, cartoon-type, characters – one a snowman by the name of Olaf and Sven the reindeer.

The big selling point here is the spectacle of it all. Between lighting, technology, glittering costumes, sound, projections, massive set pieces, and other special effects “Frozen” is an eye-popping production. 

The big number at the end of first act is the favorite tune of the musical, “Let it Go”.  It features Caroline Bowman as Elsa, alone on the stage – but what happens on the stage during the song is nothing short of stage magic.  I kept on thinking “How did they do that”? It’s all amazing and perfectly executed.

I would estimate that 25% of the audience were children, which added to the delight of the theater-going experience for me.  “Frozen” is the perfect first musical experience for children.  All the kids around me were spellbound, excited and sang along with the actors. It was wonderful to see.

Although Elsa has the “big” song to sing, her character is not particularly interesting. 

Her sister, Anna (Caroline Innerbichler), is a different story.  She’s full of spunk, fun, personality and the young actress played her to the hilt. Anna’s really the heart of the show and Innerbichler displayed a strong voice and expressive acting to bring it off.

Olaf the snowman was transformed into a huge puppet, controlled and voiced by F. Michael Haynie. Olaf added much needed humor to the story and the puppet/actor link reminded me of “The Lion King”.

Another successful puppet actor combination was Sven the reindeer, with Collin Baja inside the intricate costume.  Sven became a true character and the physical demands on the actor are so difficult, that two actors tour with the company, with each actor only doing four of the eight shows per week.

“Frozen” is plenty entertaining but musically, it doesn’t have much to offer besides the two big tunes everyone knows. One thing is for sure: after watching this huge, colorful show you won’t wonder where all the money went that you spent on tickets. It’s up there on the huge Wharton stage for all to see.