New in 2018 A new musical stage adaptation of the hit animated Disney film, based on the Hans Christian Andersen story of a princess who freezes everything she touches.
From the producers: A family. A secret. An unforgettable journey. This is the timeless tale of two sisters, pulled apart by a mysterious secret. As one young woman struggles to find her voice and harness her powers within, the other embarks on an epic adventure to bring her family together once and for all. Both are searching for love. They just don't know where to find it.
Disney's "Frozen" premiered in 2013 as a computer-animated musical film, winning two Academy Awards for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song ("Let It Go"), the Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film, and two Grammy Awards for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media and Best Song Written for Visual Media ("Let It Go"). It is the ninth-highest-grossing film (and was the fifth-highest at its peak) and the highest-grossing animated film of all time. The new stage adaptation of "Frozen" premiered at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts in August 2017 prior to its Broadway arrival.
Leading the cast are two Broadway alums as Arendelle's royal sisters: Caissie Levy ("Wicked," "Hair") as Elsa and Patti Murin ("Lysistrata Jones") as Anna. The musical features a score by husband-and-wife team Robert Lopez ("Avenue Q," "The Book of Mormon") and Kristen Anderson-Lopez; joining the film's popular tunes (including the Oscar-winning "Let It Go") are a number of new songs written specifically for the stage. The movie’s screenwriter and co-director Jennifer Lee has returned to pen the book. Tony winner Rob Ashford ("Evita") choreographs, and Tony winner Michael Grandage ("Frost/Nixon") directs the stage adaptation.
The family-friendly musical...is bound to enchant young fans. On the other hand, adults, with or without tots, may not be as thrilled by this polished but predictable and wow-free adaptation. The production is as old-fashioned as it is short on surprises. Thank goodness for [the] projections and lighting...[they] go a long way to create the illusion of a world trapped in permafrost. The show's two bright stars also deserve shout-outs. When all is said and sung, "Frozen" ends on just the right note by upending a fairy-tale cliche.
Entertainment Weekly
If the musical seems at times to be pulled between its elegant virtues and its cartoon instincts, that split is at least mirrored in the sisters at the heart of the story. New ballads delve further into [Elsa's] state of mind...and the story is richer for it. A few uneven elements sneak in, mainly in the form of side characters. Director Grandage refines the tale by putting the focus on the emotion first. Fans of the movie will be pleased...and doubters may just find their hearts thawed.
