Love is a force of nature. 

 

Frozen is an enchanting Broadway musical, an adaptation of the beloved Disney movie Frozen. The audience was served with few new twists in the familiar story and charmed everyone with the mesmerising stage production. Honestly, this was my first ever Broadway show; hence, my excitement was on another level.

 

The entire theatre was filled with families excited about the show—little kids dressed as Elsa, Anna, and Olaf, holding dolls of their favourite characters. Sitting beside me was a family of four, including grandparents and two kids. It was so sweet to hear them sing along with every song from the musical. 

 

In the beginning, the viewers are greeted by young Elsa and Anna singing, dancing (and jumping on the bed) and making the magic snowman. The snowman was dancing and shining (can you believe it?). It was only the outset of the special effects that dazzled everyone throughout the show. Aria Kane played young Anna; she was cuter than the character in the movie. Her acting skills made the character look more relatable and fun. 

 

The show's first half revealed more about the Oldenburg family dynamics than in the movies, where the parents' death was the prominent detail. The viewers also learned an extra piece: the mother, Queen Iduna, dealt with magic and the hidden people (the mysterious magical tribe around Arendelle). No doubt, It was one of the memorable moments when this group appeared on the stage for the first time with glowing eyes. They appeared in the show more than once, effortlessly creating a mystical vibe (special thanks to the sound and the lights). 

 

One can expect an outstanding level of stagecraft from this show. The musical not only has the most amazing special effects, such as snow coming out of Elsa’s hands, but it also has seamless and wondrously quick transitions throughout the show. (Well, that can be expected from a broadway show, right?) I was left astounded when I saw the ‘blink of an eye' dress change for Elsa in the song “Let it go”. It made the audience even more curious and eager to see what would come next in the show's second half.

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Along with all the main (human) character and their fantastic delivery on the stage, I would like to take a moment and share how impressive Olaf (A snowman obsessed with summer) and Sevn’s (A reindeer with the heart of a Labrador, Kristoff's loyal friend, sleigh-puller and conscience) characters were. I eagerly waited for Olaf to appear, and I had no idea what to expect. F. Michael Haynie, who played (with - all pun intended) Olaf, was flawless at the art of Puppetry. Even though he was standing right behind, he was so brilliant that all I could see was Olaf, the puppet. My eyes couldn’t move from him.

 

Similarly, Sevn (played by Collin Baja and Evan Strand) did a great job captivating the audience with their fantastic frolicking on the stage. However, it is much more challenging than we think. In an interview, Collin Baja shared, “For Sven to look at the other person on the stage, the actors inside the puppet need to see at the waist or knees of the person opposite.” He added that the actors had to control the eye blinking (very realistic) from one hand and head movement from another. I must say that Michael Curry's Design (The brains behind the entire stage production of the musical) and the actors outdid themselves on every level with such amazing puppetry.