Currently playing at the Kennedy Center through Jan. 21st, 2024, Disney’s musical Frozen, a wintry fairytale loosely based on Hans Christian Anderson’s The Snow Queen, is a fabulous theatrical spectacle for all ages, a celebration of love, family, and self-acceptance that is visually spellbinding (if a little light on characterization).
Based on the phenomenally successful 2013 animated Disney film, the stage version is delivered by the same artistic team, with music & lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, and book by Jennifer Lee. The show follows a nearly identical plot to the film: Born with unpredictable ice powers beyond her control, princess Elsa (Caroline Bowman) forcibly isolated from the world until her Coronation Day, when she accidentally reveals her magic and buries the kingdom in an endless winter. While she is hunted as a monster, her spunky younger sister Anna (Lauren Nicole Chapman) refuses to give up on her and their love for each other saves the day. Spoiler Alert! In an inspiring twist, the adapters shift the trope of an evil spell being broken by a true love’s kiss from a handsome prince to the true love of two sisters for each other.
Directed by Michael Grandage, the stage version dazzles with its scenic design, special effects, costumes, and technical genius. Christopher Oram is responsible for both the scenic design and the costume design of this production and likely fulfills any expectations that accompany fans of the animated musical. His costumes are carefully attuned to each character, and his intricate sets bring the Nordic kingdom of Arendelle to life, as well as the glorious ice-crystal palace conjured by Elsa. The production team delivers stage beauty, enhanced by special effects.
From the snowflakes that materialize whenever Elsa summons her powers to the dancing lights of the aurora borealis or Anna’s transformation into pure ice at the show’s end, there is a shimmering illusion in almost every scene. Perhaps the most blatant example of the show’s technical savvy is Elsa’s costume quick change at the end of “Let it Go,” which leaves audience members applauding. Grandage’s imagery and Oram’s designs are digitally enhanced expertly by Lighting Designer Natasha Katz and Special Effects Designer Jeremy Chernick. Their use of precise lighting choices — warm lighting to highlight Anna’s bubbly personality and cool lighting to capture Elsa’s repressed emotions — are just a few examples of the well-developed background elements that make the show truly spectacular.
What was most thrilling for us, however, were the moments that required imagination and a willing suspension of disbelief. At a climactic moment while Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff are trying to find each other, the scene is dependent on the chorus (fully dressed in white) becoming a choreographed snow storm with shifting snow banks, all the while assisting Anna in costume and wig changes until a final freeze leaves the audience not applauding but gasping for air. We are so swept up in the moment that we forget the art and effort and believe fully in the illusion of the moment, which is what live theatre can do at its best.
The film’s eight original songs by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez have been expanded to 21, with several attempting to provide important character development that may have landed more fully through dialogue in the film version. Of the new numbers, “Hygge,” a comic number based on the concept of Nordic sauna coziness, Grandage and his choreographer, Rob Ashford, manage to deliver a nude, high-kicking chorus line that is entirely family-friendly—a genuine theatrical coup, Indeed, the second act quickly captured the audience’s attention with Oaken (Jack Brewer) interacting directly with the audience. Brewer manages to pull off what many in the production fall slightly short of: he creates a character large enough for the Kennedy Center Opera House, the awe-inspiring set, and a stage version of an enormously popular animated movie. It is not an easy task to play a live version of a beloved animated character, but Brewer rises to the occasion with superb vocals and hysterical physicality.
Speaking of animated characters, in bringing Olaf the summer-loving snowman and Sven the reindeer to the stage, the adaptors made effective, theatrical choices: Jeremy Davis, in a white, elfin-like costume, visibly manipulates an Olaf puppet while Collin Baja (at the performance we saw) was completely convincing as a shaggy-haired, four-legged reindeer. It was striking how much Davis’ expressions added to the snowman character, while Baja, although silent, communicated expressively through the reindeer’s movements. Preston Perez as Hans and Dominic Dorset as Kristoff manage to provide their characters with some nuance, but the evening belongs to the sisters.
As Anna, Chapman brings an effervescent warmth to the role, and it is possible that she has the lion’s share of the show on her shoulders. Maryland native Caroline Bowman’s vocal prowess adds conviction and emotional poignancy to Elsa’s journey from frigid reserve to self-acceptance and liberation. Bowman especially shines in some of the show’s most dramatic numbers: a new addition, “Monster,” and film favorite “Let it Go,” which scores with just as much impact as it did in the movie. “Let it Go” is the act one closer, and the final half of the act occasionally feels like a waiting game for the song that lifts you out of reality into musical elation, but when we get there it’s clear that it was worth the wait. The audience roars.
The most discerning of theatre goers may lament the unfulfilled hope for a psychologically rich fairytale: we admit that we were not quite as moved emotionally by the plot as we were by appreciation of the production itself, yet for fans of the animated classic, there is enough stage “magic” for all ages to enchant and bring you to your feet at the end.
Running Time: Approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes with one intermission
Disney’s Frozen plays through January 21st 2024 in in The Opera House of The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F Street NW, Washington, DC. For tickets call the box office at (202) 467-4600 or purchase them online.
