It's time for my review of Frozen.I viewed the movie of Frozen in 2013 when it was first released and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I have been following this show's progress since it was first announced to be in early development in January 2014, up until its opening on Broadway in February 2018. In regards to previous Disney Theatrical Productions, I adored The Lion King, whereas Aladdin was not my cup of tea. I am pleased to say that I was pleasantly surprised with Frozen; this is yet another hit for Disney Theatrical Productions.
Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale The Snow Queen, Frozen tells the story of fearless princess Anna who embarks on an epic journey, alongside a rugged iceman, his loyal pet reindeer and a naive snowman, to find her estranged sister Elsa, whose icy powers have inadvertently tapped the kingdom in an eternal winter. The storyline of Frozen combines everything needed for the prefect fairytale; there is good and evil, royalty and poverty, and finally, magic and enchantments. The book, written by Jennifer Lee, has adapted the story for the stage well, ensuring that none of the magic is lost in the transition from the big screen to Broadway. Additionally, I felt that the book, in certain ways, makes a larger effort than the movie to explain the character's motivations throughout the piece. An example of this would be the newly added song 'Monster', where the character of Princess Elsa's thoughts and feelings are truly made crystal clear; a certain clarity that was not as prominent in the original film. I also admired the way in which the book cleverly includes jokes for both younger and more mature audience members, fully ensuring that frozen is a show for the entirety of the family.
The score of Frozen, with music and lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, is equally impressive. There are some truly both wonderful and powerful ballads within the score, as well as some highly memorable and catchy tunes. The gripping lyrics compliment the music nicely, which is clearly evidenced during 'Let It Go', which is a particular favourite of mine. Other favourites of mine include 'Love Is an Open Door' and 'Monster'.
At the performance that I was was attending, principal cast members Patti Murin and Caissie Levy, who usually perform the roles of Anna and Elsa respectively, were absent and in their places were Aisha Jackson and Alyssa Fox. Jackson, in the role of Anna, had a tremendous energy, providing a fun-filled performance. By being so energetic, she perfectly captures the bubbly nature of Anna's personality. Alyssa Fox also provided a stunning performance as Elsa, performing stunning renditions of 'Let It Go' and 'Monster'. As the individualistic, resourceful and selfless ice-seller Kristof, Jelani Alladin is full of charisma. Alladin appears to be completely at ease in this role, having the necessary talents for the character. John Riddle, in the role of Prince Hans, also gives yet another outstanding performance. Riddle has a delightful stage presence and portrays the different personalities of his character effectively. In order to bring joyful snowman Olaf to life in this production, a puppet is used by an actor, Greg Hildreth, who performs in the role whilst still manoeuvring the puppet. Hildreth skilfully created the same facial expression as those on the puppet, allowing both the performer and the puppet to transition into the same character. Hildreth gives an exceedingly lively performance and expertly brings to life this beloved snowman.
Creatively, Frozen is spectacular. The sets, created by Christopher Orm along with Finn Ross who provides the video design, are truly something special. They successfully carry out the difficult task of bringing the village of Arrendale to life, helping to transport Frozen's audience to this snow-filled kingdom. The costumes, which were also designed by Christopher Orm, are are also stunning and perfectly recreate the outfits worn by the characters in the original movie. The lighting, designed by Natasha Katz, worked exceptionally well. The effectiveness of the lighting can be seen during the Act One Finale, where Elsa is able to make a dazzling costume change as a result of a clever change in the lighting. The choreography, by Rob Ashford, is also yet another wonderful aspect of Frozen, with all of the dance numbers being flawlessly carried out by an ensemble of very gifted dancers. Now, last but not least, the puppetry design, by Michael Curry, is undoubtedly one of the best features of this production. The puppet used for Sven the reindeer allows the character to truly come to life onstage; I had not seen such convincing puppetry since War Horse.
The featured star of Frozen is, drum roll please... JELANI ALLADIN!
From the moment Jelani Alladin appears on stage, he steals the show. He's highly charismatic and gives a very engaging performance. This is Aladdin's Broadway debut and I hope that this will be the first show of many!
Now for my final verdict on Frozen. I give Frozen...
The decision to give Frozen four stars was easy for me. This production is full of Disney magic and everyone of all ages will be able to enjoy this spectacular musical!
Think it should have got a higher rating? Agree with my rating? Think it should have got a lower rating? If so comment below.
Thanks for reading!
-The Reviewer
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