Magic zinged off the stage – a review of Frozen: The Musical

Photo courtesy of Hennepin Theatre Trust

If you're seeking family fun in October, head on over to the Orpheum to see Disney’s Frozen. This Broadway musical is directed by Michael Grandage and features songs from the original film plus a dozen new musical numbers.

On opening night, I had the fleeting notion of scooping up someone else's daughter to bring with me to see Disney’s Frozen, certain that there’d be dozens of children in attendance. And my predictions were right. There were more young girls in gowns than I remembered ever seeing in October.

Disney outdid themselves with this production. It was so powerful it felt like magic zinged off the stage with one wave of Elsa’s hand. Light cascaded across the frame of the set and icicles jutted the moment Elsa (Caroline Bowman) flew into a fiery rage. I never saw such a traumatic change to a setting. One moment the characters were preparing themselves for a Victorian-era coronation in the castle, complete with hanging chandeliers and bedrooms suited for a princess,and the next the backdrop transformed into a wintry storm with holographic snow and icicles. The set seemed to grow along with the climax and when Elsa unleashed her powers, it was like a rock star had shown up in a shimmery, glittery gown and said, “Are you ready to rumble?”

Caroline Innerbichler, as Anna, invited laughter with her lighted-hearted banter.  Her side kick Olaf reminded kids that frozen friends can save the day or a play, at any rate. Sound effects emanated from the aisles so that children were twisting in their seats to unravel a mystery.  But the real mystery was handled on stage with tricks of light by Natasha Katz (light design) and special effects by Jeremy Chernick.

The balance of humor with nostalgic moments from the film are sure to make a kid’s heart soar with delight. Come see Frozen through October 20th.  Tickets at https://frozenthemusical.com/tickets/