Winter’s a good time to stay in and cuddle— but you’re going to have to LET IT GO. Because summer has arrived and with it blows the sparkly, dazzling, twinkly lights of Disney Broadway musical, blasting its way into Baltimore and ready to take Charm City by storm. We may not have seen any snow last winter, but fear now, with summer arriving— Frozen is here and ready to bring you all the snow you’ll ever need. The much-anticipated Disney-Broadway sensation slides into The Hippodrome Theatre for a two-week, freezifying experience that is simply fantastic! With music & lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, and book by Jennifer Lee (based on the Disney film written by Jennifer Lee), this wondrous winter fairytale will melt your heart from beginning to end. It’s perfect for everyone in the family. Directed by Michael Grandage, with Musical Supervision & Arrangements by Stephen Oremus, and Choreography by Robb Ashford, Frozen is a supercharged series of scintillating snowflakes that will have you gasping in wonder every step of the way.
In case you hadn’t heard or seen, there’s like a billion load-in trucks that rolled into town earlier this week (okay, maybe not a billion, but I was channeling my overly-exaggerating-Princess-Anna… I think it’s more like 26 or 27) with the stunning and exquisite scenery and costumes that only a Disney Broadway musical can bring to town. The incomparably talented Christopher Oram is responsible for both the scenic design and the costume design of this production and holy-wowza does it far-exceed the magical and wonderful expectations that accompany any Disney musical. Everything from the rustic charm laced intricately into the Nordic wooden scenery-frames that cover the palace of Arendelle to the awe-inspiring ice-crystals that twinkle and glisten inside of Elsa’s frozen palace; Oram has created spectacular magic that is nothing short of visually stunning. Several of Oram’s pieces are augmented further in their magical existence by Lighting Designer Natasha Katz and Special Effects Designer Jeremy Chernick. Without the extraordinary skill of Katz and Chernick, working together in their respective design-element specialties, you’d still have a wondrous set. Katz and Chernick elevate the show’s aesthetic to something that is truly out of this world.
Chernick deserves unyielding praise for all of the eye-popping magic that erupts throughout the production. Yes, a great deal of it is clever concealment and meticulous timing, but there is a finesse to Chernick’s work that achieves that excellent level of Disney-demanded-perfection that you can experience no where else when it comes to theatrical magic. The ‘freezing’ moment with Anna near the show’s end is extraordinary. Finn Ross deserves a nod of praise as well, as the show’s Video Designer, as some of these magical moments feature light-projection-video motion all across the backdrop. Literally everything from the Aurora Borealis to an unrelenting maelstrom of snow and a little bit of sparkly magical specialties in-between is what Chernick, Katz, Oram, and Ross fabricate together, resulting in the audience being completely and utterly ensorcelled.
And let’s talk about Oram’s costume creations. It’s definitely one thing when your source material (the original film from a decade ago) has exacting imagery which inspire these legendary characters, which of course, Frozen has. And Oram lives up to that— particularly with Princess Anna and Queen Elsa. (The true jaw-dropper here is that breakaway-bust-out moment where Elsa goes from Coronation Gown to Ice Queen Sensation and it’s astonishing. And flawless. Not to mention her cloak which whips up, up and away on the icy wind of the mountain prior to that sensational costume-sorcery.) But where Oram really shines (anyone can copy-paste what the movie had to offer into living, shimmery sartorial pieces) is in the creativity infused in the remaining costumes for the various and sundry players who are not Anna and Elsa. Transforming the film’s ‘boulder people’ into an actual tribe of the ancients is left in the capable and deft hands of Oram’s fabrications; it’s stellar. The ‘nudie-suits’ for Oaken’s crazy “Hygge” scene and routine are sensational. And the outrageous white-out costumes for the ensemble as they trudge through the ever-strengthening blizzard towards the show’s end, are wild. (Keep your eyes on Anna’s costume as it progressively freezes. It’s living, wearable magic done brilliantly.)
Speaking of wild, Disney does puppets like no other and Frozen is no exception. Puppet Design Master Michael Curry has not one but two tremendous undertakings for this production when it comes to creating characters in the realm of Arendelle. Olaf, the body-attached-singing and dancing snowman, and Sven, the full-costume-on-stilts reindeer. Curry’s design work falls in line with the rest of the show’s aesthetic— authentic magic that is dazzling, stunning, and to wondrous for mere words to do it any sort of real justice. (Of course it’s a 50/50 on Curry’s design and the two extremely talented performers who bring the puppets to life.) Both Sven and Olaf are integral parts of the story, but they’re magically enchanted through Curry’s design work, making you feel as if there really is a live, animated snowman and reindeer on stage interacting with the show as its happening.
What would a Disney show be without its splashy, flashy choreography? Rob Ashford has that one well in hand too, as the show’s choreographer. Energetic, enthusiastic, flawless, and funny. And you get a variety of styles featured in Ashford’s routines as well, everything from chaos-celebrations during “Fixer Upper” to a wild and crazy not-quite-kickline with meticulously timed fan-swish movements during “Hygge.” And there’s ballroom dancing, spinning and twirling, and a lot of choreographed movement for numbers like “Colder By The Minute” which seems to have the entire company on a rotating dervish that parallels the ferocity and intensity of the ever-growing storm that is the backdrop for that number.
The indefatigable ensemble (Belinda Allyn, Kate Bailey, Jack Brewer, Taylor Marie Daniel, Kristen Smith Davis, C.K. Edwards, Michael Everett, Natalie Goodin, Zach Hess, Tyler Jimenez, Hannah Jewel Kohn, Adrianna Rose Lyons, Kyle Lamar Mitchell, Gretel Scarlett, Nick Silverio, Daniel Switzer, Zach Trimmer, Peli Naomi Woods) brings radiant and resplendent joy throughout the performance. Their voices create strong, beautiful sounds during “Let the Sun Shine On” and “Colder By The Minute”, narrating the tale of Frozen as it happens. They add spunk and cheer to numbers like “Fixer Upper”, as the ‘hidden folk’ and are wonderous to watch as they sing, dance, and move all around the stage during the innumerable scenic transitions.
Young Anna (at this performance Avelyn Choi) and Young Elsa (at this performance Sydney Elise Russell) get the story of the princess-sisters swinging in motion. Choi is a fierce firecracker, loaded with precocious energy that just zings and zips as she throttles herself all around the stage, playing opposite the much more reserved Russell. The pair share an adorable duet, “A Little Bit Of You” and Choi gets another chance to showcase her enthusiasm during the iconic “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?” Too cute for words!
There are a lot of characters that pop up throughout the performance. Notables include Evan Duff as the somewhat erratic and spastic Weselton (but his dance moves are hilarious) as well as the more grounded Pabbie (Tyler Jimenez) and Bulda (Taylor Marie Daniel), with the latter two being the leaders of “The Hidden Folk.” Both Jimenez and Daniel get the chance to showcase glorious vocals that possess this ancient, secret quality during “Hidden Folk” and get a chance to showcase their vocal versatility later during “Fixer Upper.” There’s also the hilariously adorable Oaken (Jack Brewer) who has masterfully perfected that outrageous Norwegian accent and vocal affectation, which warms up the top of the second act (inviting the audience back with just a smidge of broken-fourth-wall-interaction.) Brewer is a hoot and he tickles your funny-bone all throughout the top of Act II, especially when he launches into one of the funnier musical numbers in the piece, “Hygge.” He’s pretty much Hygge incarnate.
Jeremy Davis, as the happy-go-lucky summer-loving snowman Olaf, is a singing, character sensation. Davis is the puppeteer and voice behind Olaf, and while he is visible, he give such vibrant and vivacious life to the snowman that you physically stop noticing him as a human being and you just see the fantastical snowman dancing in front of him. While Olaf only gets one official solo song, “In Summer”, Davis makes the most out of it and has the audience in stitches with his adorable cute and quirky feature number. Davis is so invested in the realness of Olaf that when the unmentionable ‘M’-word happens, you feel the tears coming. Davis’ comic timing is a beautiful hybrid of movie-Olaf and his own creation, making stage-musical-Olaf the best of both worlds.
The other puppet master in this show, tackling the fabulous reindeer companion of Kristoff, is Sven (at this performance Collin Baja.) And while Sven has no musical numbers, you get this sense that Sven is singing along, silently judging and responding to all the things that happen on the stage. Baja’s movements in the Sven-puppet-suit are extraordinary. He moves like a reindeer but with capable sentience and emotional intelligence. It’s really a remarkable thing to watch. (Very reminiscent of the puppet masters who worked with Joey and Topthorn in War Horse.) Baja has spirit and spunk and is a perfect fit for the reindeer character.
Will Savarese glides onto the scene as a charming, albeit awkward, and endearingly adorable oddball prince. Hans, of the Southern Isles, the 13th son of a king, blah blah blah. You fall for it, hook, line, and sinker because Savarese is just so gosh darn earnest and sweet and cloyingly chipper. He’s got that noble sincerity all rolled up into the perfect delivery. Savarese drifts through “Love is An Open Door”, the infamous movie-duet with Princess Anna, as if he’s one of the moving lights projected on the night-sky backdrop. His voice is warm and welcoming, all sweet and innocent. And Savarese has that humble pity-thing going too when he sings “Hans of the Southern Isles” (both it and its reprise.) The ability to flip in the blink of an eye, when he encounters Anna in the palace near the end of the show is jaw-dropping. (I’ve seen the film, I knew it was coming, and yet his authentic sweetness made me forget and I was gob smacked.) Savarese is a genius as Hans, despicably delightful only you don’t ever see it coming.
Truly charming in an even more awkward fashion is the delightfully brusque and rough-around-the-edges Kristoff (Dominic Dorset.) Goofy in that affable way that only Disney sidekick-turned-romantic-heroes can be, Dorset is really fun to watch, even if the character is a little bit frustrating in the overall approach to Anna. (But that’s what makes the story so beautiful, is it not?) Dorset has a great sense of spatial awareness, really filling his character’s presence, particularly when he’s climbing all over that ‘jungle-gym-style-ice-bridge’ with Anna during “What Do You Know About Love?” You get to hear Dorset’s really lovely voice during both that number and “Reindeer(s) Are Better Than People”, a dorky and quirky little solo that he’s singing at Sven before he encounters Anna out in the unending winter.
A radiant bubble of glistening brilliance, the enthusiasm and overall glee with which Lauren Nicole Chapman approaches the character of Princess Anna is as bright and dazzling as the fanciful snowflake scenery that populates a good half of the show. Chapman has found the master hybrid of cute and quirky, sincere and silly, dorky and delightful, and just parades that beautiful creation of a character with radiant pageantry all throughout the performance. Vocally, she’s astonishing. Everyone expects the powerhouse vocals in Frozen to come from Elsa (and believe me, they do, in spades) but when you hear Chapman belting her way through “For The First Time in Forever” and the ending “Love is an Open Door” its such a delightful and impressive surprise that you’ve got a grin bigger than Olaf when he’s dreaming about summer. Chapman delivers an emotionally discombobulated Anna, which is perfect for all of the crazy-feels that she’s feeling, at full-intensity, at all times. There’s nothing more lovely than the sororal bond that is more than palpable when she interacts with Elsa, whether it’s on good terms or frustrating ones. Chapman is a fantastical performer and lets Anna shine with the brightest of wonders in this production.
Tour du force, Caroline Bowman (a Howard County, Maryland native) is bringing Elsa and all the vocal prowess of a thousand Ice Queens to the stage and then some. Everyone knows Elsa is a belt-your-face-off musical masterpiece character and Bowman does not disappoint. If anything, she shocks, when she takes those moments of introspective pathos— like during “Monster”— and really expresses them to their fullest intent both musically and emotionally. There is a regal majesty that Bowman possesses whenever she’s walking across the stage as Princess-come-Queen Anna, before the storm unleashes, and it’s truly mesmerizing just watch her move. “Dangerous to Dream” is loaded with that same emotional turmoil, again expressed superbly through Bowman’s stunning voice, and really lands the fears and concerns of the character directly to the audiences’ hearts. “I Can’t Lose You”, a duet with Anna, is one of Bowman’s most versatile moments because you see and feel the struggle of what her character is going through during that number. Without question, Bowman slays “Let It Go.” That song gets blasted from the zenith of her vocal and emotional capacity, so much so that she could melt the set if her voice and feelings were fire. Caroline Bowman is the Elsa of a Disney legend, the stuff of fantastic dreams, and is blasting Baltimore with all of her extraordinary talent.
Do not let your chance to see this enchanting Disney miracle slip through your fingers. Do not pass up the opportunity to experience theatrical magic and splendor at its finest as Frozen visits Charm City for its limited two-week engagement. It’s one for the books and arguably the best way to kick off summer.
Running Time: Approximately 2 hours and 25 minutes with one intermission
Frozen plays through June 18th 2023 at The Hippodrome Theatre in The France-Merrick Performing Arts Center- 12 North Eutaw Street Baltimore, MD 21201. For tickets call (410) 837-7400 or purchase them online.
