Frozen: The Musical, the long-awaited stage adaptation of Disney's 2013 animated megahit Frozen, is finally about to arrive on Broadway. Previews begin at the St. James Theatre on Thursday, and the show officially opens there on 22nd March. Frozen: The Musical was greenlit shortly after the original film became a major pop-cultural phenomenon, and its arrival on Broadway represents the culmination of months of hard work from the cast and crew. Audiences of all ages are incredibly interested in seeing the adventures of Anna and Elsa brought to life on stage, and during a seven-week tryout in Denver last summer, Frozen: The Musical attracted audiences of almost 126,000 people. Reviews of the Denver performances provided plenty of constructive criticism, and the show has undergone some substantial alterations (around 30% of the musical - approximately 40 minutes worth of material - has apparently been changed since the end of the Denver tryout) in order to get it ready for Broadway. Hopefully, it will prove a major critical and commercial success and appeal to both fans of Frozen and casual audiences...
Here, we will showcase a variety of articles about Frozen: The Musical, including interviews with key members of the cast and crew, and previews of some of the new songs created for this version of Anna and Elsa's story.
(Note: This post contains spoilers, as it assumes that most of us are familiar with the story of Frozen by now. If you aren't, be careful...)
Interviews with Michael Grandage
Frozen: The Musical will be brought to life by the British director Michael Grandage. Although best known for directing acclaimed plays such as Red and Frost/Nixon, he has also overseen major revivals of the grand and glitzy musicals Evita and Guys and Dolls. Grandage has talked extensively about his aims of making Frozen: The Musical deeper and more dramatic without losing the entertainment value and spectacle of the source material...
‘Frozen’ Director Michael Grandage On How the Show Took Shape - In September 2016, Michael Grandage was appointed director of Frozen: The Musical after Disney Theatrical's initial choice, Alex Timbers, left the production. In this interview with Broadway News, Grandage explains why he joined the project, and reveals how he developed his vision for the project in the ten months before the Denver tryouts began. He also talks about the need to make Frozen: The Musical feel like a unique work independent from the original film...
Frozen Musical: First Look at the Stars in Costume - This article from Entertainment Weekly was unveiled on the day Frozen: The Musical began its run in Denver, and it provided us with our first look at the lead actors in costume. It also features Grandage promoting the advantages of theatrical productions, including the increased length and the opportunity to make constant alterations every night. He also discusses the changes made to the characters and the need to provide new surprises for the audience. Meanwhile, Christopher Oram, who designed the sets and costumes for the musical, reveals how he was inspired by his trips to Norway and explains how he provided detailed and elaborate costumes which could also be suitable for the demands of a spectacular stage musical....
Frozen on Broadway: Inside Disney’s Latest Stage Adaptation - In this short but interesting article from Vanity Fair, Grandage explains how Frozen resembles Shakespeare's comedy As You Like It, and reveals how he has made Frozen: The Musical more mysterious and magical, with the comedic trolls from the original movie re-imagined as 'Hidden Folk' based on Scandinavian forest spirits. We also get a pretty photo of protagonists Anna, Elsa and Kristoff interacting with each other against a snowy mountain backdrop...
Michael Grandage Finds Shakespeare in “Frozen” - In a directing career lasting over two decades, Michael Grandage has supervised productions of a number of iconic Shakespeare plays. In this article from The New Yorker, Grandage explains how has been inspired by Shakespeare's comedies Twelfth Night and As You Like It. He also reveals that wintry themes and settings have been used frequently in his Shakespeare productions, and explains the parallels between Elsa and Shakespeare's iconic tragic protagonist Hamlet, as both are defined by their existential journeys...
Michael Grandage on 'Frozen on Broadway': I'll Never Grow Tired of 'Let it Go' - In this article from The Daily Telegraph, Michael Grandage discusses his career as a director, producer and head of the Michael Grandage Company. Although the article is focused on Grandage's British work, with very little about Frozen: The Musical, he gets to explain why 'Let it Go' is such a popular and iconic song, and demonstrates his knowledge of Frozen through a mini pop quiz...
Why Broadway’s Frozen Will Be a Different Story From the Disney Animated Musical - The original Frozen was such a huge success because its subversions of the traditional Disney Princess formula felt unique and exciting. As Frozen: The Musical will stick very closely to the storyline of the movie, it will not be easy to capture the surprise value of these iconic moments. However, in this interview with Playbill, Grandage claims that Frozen: The Musical will feel like an entirely unique story, and the possibility that things may develop differently ensures that the memorable twists from the movie will seem fresh and exciting again. He points to the success of Frost/Nixon (his play about David Frost's interviews with Richard Nixon in 1977) as proof that a retelling of a familiar story can engage audiences and feel completely new to them...
Interviews with Kristen and Robert Anderson-Lopez
One of the biggest selling point of Disney's stage musicals is the opportunity to hear numerous new songs alongside the old favourites, and Kristen and Robert Anderson-Lopez who wrote the songs for Frozen, have added a variety of new tunes for the Broadway version. The songs from the original movie, such as "Do You Want to Build A Snowman?", "For the First Time in Forever" and "Let It Go", will be joined by new songs like "What Do You Know About Love?", "Dangerous to Dream" and "Monster". Based on the interviews which the Lopez's have conducted to discuss the additions to the soundtrack, it seems like a few of them could be incredibly popular with Frozen fans...
5 Things We Learned At BroadwayCon’s ‘Frozen’ Show Spotlight - In January, the Lopez's promoted Frozen: The Musical at the major musical theatre festival BroadwayCon. This article from StageBuddy explains five of the most interesting facts revealed by the Lopez's at this event, as they told audiences how they used 'Let It Go' to develop Elsa's character, explained how their daughter helped them create lyrics for 'For the First Time in Forever' and discussed the Japanese puppetry used to bring Anna's snowman sidekick Olaf to life on stage. The most exciting comment from the Lopez's was their reveal that four of the songs they created for Frozen: The Musical ('Dangerous to Dream', 'What Do You Know About Love?, 'Monster' and 'True Love') will be released on consecutive 'Frozen Fridays' during the four weeks leading up to opening night...
8 Things You Need to Know About Frozen‘s New Show on Broadway - Another article about the Lopez's BroadwayCon appearance, this report from Clevver provides a bit more information. In this article, we get to hear the Lopez's discuss the new songs for each major character, talk about the ability to revisit material which they could not use in the original Frozen, and reveal how they listened to audience feedback when editing Frozen: The Musical following the Denver tryouts...
Robert Lopez On How Star Wars Influenced Frozen the Broadway Musical - In Frozen: The Musical, all the major characters (and a couple of minor ones) from the original movie will get their own signature songs. One of the hardest characters to write for is Hans, the seemingly perfect prince who eventually becomes Frozen's primary villain. Facing the challenge of trying to trick fans of Frozen into trusting Hans a second time, Robert Lopez turned to John Williams' iconic score for Star Wars movies in order to find inspiration. In this article, he reveals to Nerdist how he used Williams' leitmotif for Luke Skywalker as as a model for Hans' new theme song, 'Hans of the Southern Isles'...
She was ‘Frozen.’ Now ex-Charlottean Kristen Anderson-Lopez is On Fire.- This article from Charlotte Observer was written to promote the 2016 Broadway production of Kristen Anderson-Lopez's a capella musical In Transit, but it provided an excellent opportunity for her and Robert to talk about the new music which they were creating for Frozen: The Musical. They reveal that it took 9 months to create enough new songs to fill a stage musical, and explain how they will use these additional songs to develop the characters and overcome the constraints of the stage...
The Challenges in Adapting Frozen for the Broadway Stage - This article from Playbill was written in 2016, when Frozen: The Musical was at a relatively early stage in development (Alex Timbers was still attached to direct at this point). Here, Robert Lopez talks about the need to radically expand the score and story for Frozen: The Musical, and discusses the challenges faced when adapting a film like Frozen for the stage, as a story which was previously told through action sequences and close-ups now needs to be driven by the music...
Interviews with Caissie Levy
Given her status as Frozen's most iconic and interesting character, it is little surprise that promotional material for Frozen: The Musical has focused primarily on Elsa. In Frozen: The Musical, Elsa will be played by Caissie Levy, who has starred in hit musicals such as Wicked, Les Miserables and Ghost: The Musical. In these interviews, she explains what it's like to bring Elsa to life, and discusses the songs which she will get to perform, including a certain Oscar-winning power ballad...
A New Frozen For Every Age - Unsurprisingly, many interviews with Caissie Levy have paired her with Patti Murin, who plays Elsa's sister Anna. In this article, Levy and Murin discuss Frozen: The Musical, promising a deeper version of the familiar story which deals with more mature themes. Furthermore, Levy also explains what it's like to develop Elsa and her internal struggles...
Caissie Levy & Patti Murin Redefine the Disney Princess in Broadway's Frozen - In this interview with Broadway.com, Caissie Levy and Patti Murin discuss their relationship, revealing how well they get on and explaining what they love most about Anna and Elsa. They also share a couple of personal secrets and talk about their friendships with some of the stars of the original Frozen, such as Elsa's original voice actress, Idina Menzel...
Caissie Levy Breaks the Ice in 'Frozen' on Broadway - In this article from TodayTix, Levy praises the fact that Elsa is not defined by her relationship with a man (most of the characters she has played on stage have been in romantic relationships with the male protagonists), reveals why Elsa's character arc resonates with so many people, and talks about performing Elsa's iconic signature song, 'Let it Go', which is being used to conclude Act 1 of Frozen: The Musical. Michael Grandage and Patti Murin also appear in this article, explaining why Levy is the ideal choice to play Elsa...
Canadian Caissie Levy is Warming Up to Be Broadway’s Elsa in Frozen - In this interview with the Toronto Star, Levy reveals how being a mother has inspired her interpretation of Elsa. She also reveals the endorsement Idina Menzel gave her in a recent meeting, and explains why the narrative of Frozen: The Musical has been simplified since the Denver tryouts...
“Frozen” Star Caissie Levy On Elsa: “She’s Been Taught The Thing That Makes Her Special Needs To Be Denied” - In this interview with NewNowNext, Levy reveals how she gained the role of Elsa, and tells us how she is preparing for belting out numerous power ballads every night on Broadway. She also discusses Elsa's anxieties and her love for Anna...
‘Frozen’ Stars Look Forward to Performing New Songs in Broadway Show - In this article from Newsday, Levy promotes Elsa's new song 'Monster', which she describes as "badass". She also discusses what it's like to sing 'Let it Go', and reveals how focusing on the lyrics and story of that song will allow audiences to rediscover what made that song so iconic in the first place...
Videos
Murin and Levy will be joined by a large cast of talented actors, with Frozen's three other main characters, Kristoff, Hans and Olaf, being played by Jelani Alladin, John Riddle and Greg Hildreth respectively. All five of the lead performers have appeared together in numerous videos to promote Frozen: The Musical, as they talk about their characters and reveal what it is like to portray them on stage. Michael Grandage and Kristen and Robert Anderson-Lopez have also appeared frequently in these videos, along with several key members of the creative team...
7 Reasons to Get Excited for Broadway's Frozen - In this interview with Playbill, the lead stars and key creatives of Frozen: The Musical discuss the aspects of the musical which excite them the most. Michael Grandage and Caissie Levy promote the new version of 'Let it Go', Jelani Alladin praises the sophisticated puppetry used to bring Kristoff's reindeer sidekick Sven to life, Kristen Anderson-Lopez reveals that the ending has been changed since the Denver tryout, and Greg Hildreth teases a new song for Olaf...
BWW TV: Bundle Up and Watch the Frozen Team Preview New Songs for Broadway! - In this video from BroadwayWorld, Michael Grandage, Kristen and Robert Anderson-Lopez and the five lead actors tell reporter Richard Ridge about Frozen: The Musical. Patti Murin explains how working with the Lopez's inspired her to continue acting, John Riddle talks about his childhood love of Disney villains, and Greg Hildreth places Olaf in the Shakespearean tradition of silly but wise comic fools. Meanwhile, Kristen Anderson-Lopez talks about the changes made to the story, and sings the new songs 'Dangerous to Dream' and 'What Do You Know About Love?' with Robert accompanying her on piano...
Frozen Fridays - In this Instagram video released to promote the 'Frozen Fridays' which begin this Friday, the Lopez's reveal that 'Monster', a second-act power ballad for Elsa, will be the first new song released during the promotion. They also reveal their excitement at unveiling four of the new songs early...
Frozen The Musical: Official Trailer - This video was released shortly before the Denver tryouts began and provided Frozen fans with their first proper look at Frozen: The Musical. It shows us footage of the cast rehearsing for the show and gives us information about the large creative team, headed by director Michael Grandage, writer Jennifer Lee and executive producer Thomas Schumacher...
Frozen The Musical: The Countdown to Broadway - In this video, Michael Grandage talks about his excitement at sharing Frozen: The Musical with audiences and critics for the first time at Denver, and explains how this influenced the development of the project. He also teases some of the changes made to the musical since the Denver tryout, with a new opening and conclusion, several changes to the songs, and a more streamlined narrative...
Frozen The Musical: The Sitzprobe - In the world of musical theatre, the 'Sitzprobe' is the first full runthrough of the songs with an orchestra. In this video, we see the 'Sitzprobe' for Frozen: The Musical, which took place before the Denver tryouts. We get to hear snippets of 'For the First Time in Forever; 'What Do You Know About Love?' and 'Dangerous to Dream', as sung by the cast, whilst the Lopez's and other figures involved in bringing the songs and score to life (such as Dave Metzger, who is in charge of the orchestrations) discuss the diversity of the soundtrack and the new songs given to the characters...
Introducing Caissie Levy and Patti Murin of Broadway's Frozen - In this video, Caissie Levy and Patti Murin reveal what it's like to play Elsa and Anna, and explain the journey which their characters undertake as they come of age. Meanwhile, Jennifer Lee, who co-directed the original Frozen and wrote the book for the stage version, explains how the two actresses bring Anna and Elsa to life and put their own distinct spin on the characters...
What is at the Core of Your Character? - In this Instagram video, our five leads provide some brief but interesting comments on their characters, as Patti Murin talks about Anna's optimism, Jelani Alladin discusses Kristoff's relationship with Sven, and John Riddle explains his take on the slippery Prince Hans...
Summary
All the interviews and articles listed above indicate that Frozen: The Musical is going to provide something new and different whilst staying true to the iconic source material. The promotional campaign for Frozen: The Musical has focused on the more elaborate story, the increased levels of character development, and the wide range of new songs, creating anticipation amongst Frozen fans whilst also winning the attention of those less interested in the 2013 Disney megahit. Particularly welcome is the emphasis on Caissie Levy, whose comments indicate that Elsa and Anna's sisterly relationship (which has made Frozen into such an iconic and successful franchise) will be expanded upon in this version. Overall, it seems like Frozen: The Musical will be able to emulate the success of Disney Theatrical's stage adaptations of The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin, and it will eventually enjoy long runs in major theatres all over the world...
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