Before I dive into my thoughts, I think it’s important to discuss to my own relationship with Frozen The Musical. I saw the Broadway production in 2018 while studying in New York which I thought was OK for the most part (more explained below) and then the West End production during previews last year after my booking was delayed due to the COVID-19 lockdowns. After a year since I last saw the show, I decided to have a go on Disney Day Seats and nabbed a £25 ticket for this Sunday’s performance. What did I think of it?
Frozen The Musical
Cast
Elsa: Samantha Barks
Anna: Stephanie McKeon
Kristoff: Obioma Ugoala
Olaf: Craig Gallivan
Hans: Oliver Ormson
Sven: Justin Lee-Jones
Young Anna: Asanda Abbie Masike
Young Elsa: Ellie Shenker
Venue: Theatre Royal Drury Lane
Rating: ★★★★
What did I think of Frozen the Musical?
If I was just judging the original Broadway production of Frozen The Musical, I would have given it an easy three stars out of five. When you learn what that version had to go through behind the scenes including three choreographers, two Elsas and two directors, it makes the underwhelming and rushed final product I saw more understandable. Something the creatives themselves acknowledged, the West End production gave the crew the opportunity to fine tune the clunky book and inject a more fun tone whereas the Broadway version tried for a darker take that made the lighthearted moments feel jarring. Without neglecting the psychological undertones of two sisters separated for years, for the most part I think they succeeded.
I may as well get any negatives out of the way as I had a few issues that prevented this still fantastic version of Frozen The Musical from getting a five-star rating. While more slickly executed than Broadway, my main issues lie in the second act. With the most iconic songs and moments taking place in act one, it left act two to pad its scenes out with a series of unmemorable songs that stuck out like a sore thumb compared to the film’s songs. Some new ones including I Can’t Lose You and the No Good Deed-esque Monster are welcome additions, but other songs like Hygge slowed the pacing down and/or overstayed their welcome for me.
What makes up for the aforementioned issues in the Frozen The Musical pacing is its visuals, and to say they were dazzling would be an understatement. This is where more changes come from Broadway and you could tell they went bigger than before. Bright colours inspired by the aurora borealis replace a gloomier palette with plenty of spectacle from Neil Austin’s lighting, Christopher Oram’s lavish sets and costumes, video projections and special effects. The show has nothing short of impressive technical feats including projection mapping with Elsa freezing the proscenium and the iconic Let It Go quick change that made the audience go wild.
What was the cast like?
Children will want to go into Frozen The Musical seeing the literal characters onstage, and this cast was nothing short of phenomenal. Samantha Barks, a West End actress I’ve loved since seeing her breakthrough in Les Miserables, is the perfect Elsa. Never succumbing to the pressure of imitating Idina Menzel, her take on Elsa felt so emotionally raw even during the times she had to be more restrained, making her yearning to be with her sister feel more compelling. Thanks to Jennifer Lee’s script and Bark’s performance (and insane voice), the show opened more opportunities to dive into Elsa’s psyche, making her Let It Go so cathartic to watch.
Stephanie McKeon’s oddball goofiness made her version of Anna feel so endearing while you still understand her desperation to connect with her sister, never feeling like a gross caricature. You’d honestly see a woman like her naive to the point of wanting to marry a man she just met. I also really enjoyed Obioma Ugoala’s more pessismistic Kristoff, adding his own charm to the character as he grows from exasperated curmudgeon to falling for Anna. On the other hand, Oliver Ormson as Hans serves as a good foil as charming prince turned surprise villain (is it really a spoiler anymore?) even with the audible gasps I heard in the theatre.
My praise to the Frozen the Musical cast also extends to the non-human characters brought to life by Michael Curry’s incredible puppetry. Craig Gallivan brings familiar elements of Josh Gad as Olaf while making the character his own, adding a more dry sense of humour that will make the kids laugh (Yes, I spotted that Easter egg from Frozen 2). Swing Justin Lee-Jones brings personality to reindeer Sven in an incredible puppet that requires him to plank on on his tiptoes with the grace of a ballerina and abs of steel. When you take into account that Sven nearly didn’t appear in the show, the lengths the creatives took to get him onstage was definitely worth it.
I feel it’s important to discuss the diversity of the company in Frozen the Musical because I saw so many children with different skin colours watching the show in awe and it’s heartwarming to think that they will be able to see themselves onstage. I was happy to see it on full display in the performance I saw as it featured the adorable Asanda Abbie Masike as Young Anna who perfectly captured her high energy and rambunctiousness. So to anyone saying a black actor can’t play a traditionally white character in a show featuring a talking snowman, magical folk and a queen with ice powers, get your priorities straight.
What was the venue like?
The decision to stage Frozen The Musical in the renovated Theatre Royal Drury Lane was honestly a perfect one. A theatre as grand as the show itself, the environment was so welcoming as you could have a relax around the foyer, browse the gift shop (where you can some of the show’s gorgeous costumes on display) and have a drink at the bar where you can sit on the terrace overlooking Covent Garden. Given that the last time I visited the Theatre Royal Drury Lane prior to Frozen was over a decade ago seeing Shrek The Musical, this was a massive upgrade.
What are my overall thoughts on Frozen The Musical?
Frozen the Musical will make a great first West End experience for families. A vast improvement from the Broadway production that worked most of its kinks out, it embraces the lighter tone while remembering its heart. Unlike New York’s production’s surprise closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic and concern over the Broadway scene being oversaturated with Disney musicals (ironic as at the time of writing this review, the West End has four running simultaneously and they’re doing just fine), I don’t think London will be letting Frozen go any time soon.
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