Header Image: Courtney Monsma and Sean Sinclair – Photo by Lisa Tomasetti
You thought that you had finally escaped the background noise of children and adults alike singing ‘Let It Go”? Well, you have not escaped just yet, with Frozen the Musical opening at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre yesterday for a multi-month season, and set to cover the entire autumn school holidays. But while a love of the animated feature film will bring many to the theatre based on name recognition alone, does it live up to the Disney musical adaptation standard? Will it be the next hit that you will want to see again and again? Will parents who have had the film on loop for years find much to enjoy? Read on to find out as I look at Disney Theatrical Productions Australia’s Australian Tour of Frozen the Musical.
Disney is best known for bringing animation magic to the silver screen in many feature-length films in the last century. In recent decades, they have had a knack for surpassing these high standards in their musical theatre adaptations of works from what is dubbed by the community as the ‘Disney Renaissance period’ (1989-1999). These included The Lion King – the original show it was nearly impossible to get tickets for, Aladdin, and the oh-so-underappreciated The Hunchback of Notre Dame, among others. Drawing from new elements from their source material and/or content initially left on the animation’s cutting room floor and adding new elements to the narrative, each proved to be timeless (and new) classics worthy of watching again and again.
Frozen was a unique animation for Disney compared to most of its predecessors. The show had a much broader appeal to audiences, supported by a catchy pop-themed soundtrack, lovable mascot characters, and a pretty setting, albeit one that screams ‘generic Disney kingdom’. In getting that mass appeal, I would argue that those after a rich narrative experience could find better elsewhere. It was, in my opinion, a film you could watch once or twice, but not feel compelled to return to watching regularly.
Frozen the Musical is much more faithful to its original film than other musical adaptations. There are no new major characters or locations to visit, and almost every song from the film makes an appearance once – if not multiple times. However, while faithful, some of the show’s finest moments come from the creative team embracing Arendelle’s Nordic-inspired elements, the recreation of the rock trolls into the humanoid hidden folk who have a much stronger role in the story, and an array of new songs which are arguably the best on offer. This brings the tone of the show to be a little darker and more serious, but also like it is set in a Nordic kingdom through traditional dancing, lore such as the huldufólk and more.
The focus of Frozen the Musical has not shifted from the lead protagonists, Queen Elsa and Princess Anna, and if anything, provides more context into their personalities, experiences and emotions. More time is directed towards the pair’s childhood, as we see their strong sisterly bond and affection cruelly ripped away. Due to her ice magic capabilities nearly killing her sister, Elsa is forced to hide away and isolate as she attempts to control her ever-growing powers.. which not even the death of her parents’ changes. On the day of her coronation as Queen, her sister’s actions falling into one too many Disney tropes around “true love” causes her to snap, no longer able to emotionally conceal her powers. Magic spreads throughout Arendelle, rendering its summer climate laden with blistering blizzards, slippery ice and deep snow. Similar to the film, the narrative deviates into three routes – the story of Elsa relishing her freedom but fearing the monster she has become, Anna trying to trek up the mountain to speak with her sister, and Anna’s newly-met partner, Hans, attempting to keep the peace in Arendelle. I bring up this element because I feel this is the show’s strongest element, and while perhaps a little slow-paced, does a much better job at prefacing the events to come.
Also like the film, when Frozen the Musical manages to focus on the narrative at hand, I think it is a nuanced narrative that is immersive and enjoyable. But the musical struggles to keep its attention on the plot at times; songs like ‘Fixer Upper’ and ‘Hygge’, while good pieces in their own right, are drawn out and break the flow of the plot to keep kids entertained seemingly. I say that despite the fact I still have the lyrics of Hygge still playing in my head as I write this. If you have watched the film, most events shall be predictable but are enriched by minor changes to character development. Additional elements subtly continue the messaging that female protagonists don’t need men to protect them were also sprinkled throughout, which was welcome.
On the note of the music, as mentioned before, I think the new music really shines in diversifying the soundtrack. Monster, a new song composed by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, is well situated to be the penultimate song, as the intensity of the trials facing each character reaches their peak. The songs ‘Let the Sun Shine On’ and ‘A Little Bit of You’ are both downright adorable, while the emotionally-charged ‘I Can’t Lose You‘ is also an amazing performance between Elsa and Anna. Many songs from the original film appear, some mostly unedited and some with a few twists.
Of course, ‘Let It Go’ serves as the big closing number of Act 1. Although this may be a controversial opinion, I think it was underwhelming given my personal expectations. Let me explain… Disney’s previous musicals have had one or two big showcase numbers. For The Lion King it is ‘The Circle of Life‘, for Aladdin it was ‘Friend Like Me‘ and ‘A Whole New World‘, and for Mary Poppins it was ‘Step in Time‘. These are when the creative team throw in so much creativity and staging/costuming techniques that the line between reality and stage magic is blurred. It is clear Let It Go was this for Frozen the Musical. However, outside of an (okay, downright incredible) staging unveil and a quick costume change that received notable cheering for the audience, there were arguably more impressive songs. But in saying this, Jemma Rix performed the song pitch-perfectly and deserved all the applause for her performance. HOWEVER, if I were to choose a standout performance of Frozen the Musical, it would easily be ‘Monster‘.
On the note of casting, Disney Theatrical Productions Australia made some great choices, and it is always refreshing to see a mix of established performers and younger talent gracing the stage together. The lead roles of Elsa and Anna are performed by Jemma Rix and (local Queensland Conservatorium graduate) Courtney Monsma, proving to be an incredible duo who complement their roles and each other well. Matt Lee as Olaf takes on the characters most memorable traits and brings them to life well on stage, Sean Sinclair is a perfect match for Kristoff and Thomas McGuane suits the personality of Hans. A big shout out needs to go to both Jonathan MacMillan and Lochie McIntyre in the role of Sven… I do not want to imagine how physically demanding that task is.
In terms of staging, while the darker tones of a wintery kingdom don’t always lend themselves to the most visually enriching experiences, Disney Theatrical Productions have many shining elements in the set design and analog props department. From the breathtakingly magical design of the ice castle, which is complemented by a window overlooking a picturesque forced-perspective landscape, to the creative lighting choices in Arrendale Castle to match the scene, to the adorable design of Oaken’s Shop – there is lots for the eyes to feast on throughout the production. However, a true highlight for me was the use of the ensemble in a few moments to represent the crashing waves of water or a heavy snowstorm. These were some of the most incredible moments occurring on stage, and added a layer of severity into the scene. I would recommend, if budget and capacity permits, sitting as central as possible and relatively close to the stage to fully appreciate the set design. My main issue, which I only noticed at first, is the use of digital ice effects in the proscenium arch and other staging elements. I felt they were just a little too low-res and pixelated, especially considering Frozen is considered one of the visual masterpieces of the 2010s.
Whether you are looking to bring your child to their first musical, searching for something to watch with your family/friends, or are even just after a show to attend by yourself – Frozen the Musical is a hot ticket, well deserving of its praise, that will leave you immersed from start to finish. While the musical could have stood a bit more rewriting to make it a more unique experience from its source material and refine its tone and pacing, the changes and new additions alike were welcome. Complemented by some great songs, wonderful set designs, and a fabulous Australian cast – the whole experience could be summarised as extraordinary. With COVID-19 keeping myself, and undoubtedly many others from performing arts venues over the last few months, this was a warm… or perhaps comfortably frozen welcome back to the wonderful world of musicals.
Tickets to see Frozen the Musical during its opening night were provided by Disney Theatrical Productions Australia and its local publicists, The Peach and Pineapple Co. for the purposes of this review.
Tickets to see Frozen the Musical can be booked by visiting the QPAC Website or by calling their QTIX Box Office on 136 246.
