get your skates on
10 marvellous Frozen moments.
FROZEN became a worldwide phenomenon when it was released three years ago.
Cinema audiences became enthralled by the adventures of royal sisters, Anna and Elsa, and it has become the number one animated film of all time.
Now the Oscar-winning story has been brought to life in Disney On Ice Presents Frozen, which comes to Glasgow this month and Aberdeen in December.
Featuring much-loved songs from the film such as Let It Go and appearances by other Disney characters, the spectacular production has been all across America and is now ready to mesmerise Scottish audiences.
We spoke to 10 members of the cast and crew to find out how the story is brought to life.
TAYLOR FIRTH (skater)
Taylor, from New York, plays Anna in the show and has been with the company for seven years. She has previously been in the ice versions of Toy Story 3 and Brave.
“I played Merida in Brave, so I had to learn the Scottish accent,” she smiled. “I came to Scotland to prepare for the role and attended the premiere here and got to tour all around.
“It was my first time in Scotland and, while it took a little time, I got the accent eventually.
“I was really sheltered when I first came on the road but it’s been great and we have such a wide variety of cultures involved, including people from Mexico, Brazil, Canada, Ukraine and Belarus.”
JONO PARTRIDGE (skater)
The former competitive skater, from England, auditioned for the company at Wembley Arena and has been with Frozen since it started on the east coast of America two years ago. He plays Kristof.
“Sometimes we do 12 or 13 shows a week but every crowd reacts differently,” Jono said. “There is nothing better than looking into the audience and seeing the kids with big smiles on their faces.”
Jono had the honour of being asked to conduct the wedding of fellow skaters Will and Adriene.
“It’s easy to be ordained in America, even if you’re not a citizen,” he smiled.
“I will never forget that day for the rest of my life.”
WILL OTT & ADRIENE PETRILLO
(skaters)
Will and Adriene are part of the ensemble cast.
They met on the ice, work on the ice and, in March, were married on the ice after a Frozen show in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
“I was a figure skater and Will was a hockey player when we met in
Pennsylvania three years ago,” Adriene said. Will continued: “We wanted to join the show together. That was our goal – to skate together and be able to travel the world. “The ice plays such a big part in our lives, so it seemed natural to have our wedding there.
“Our family was only four hours from the venue and we had our tour family there, so it seemed like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
The couple try to bring home comforts to the cast and crew by setting up a little snack counter at each venue they perform in.
“A lot of the crew don’t have time to go out for a meal, so we go into the kitchen and prepare snacks and coffee,” Adriene added. “The days are long, so it’s a morale booster and like a little piece of home.”
TRACY TAYLOR (assistant wardrobe manager)
“We have 400 costumes, costume pieces, wigs and hair pieces that we have to maintain, clean and prepare,” said Tracy, who has been doing the job for 21 years.
“Three of us are in the department and we travel with a full costume shop including sewing machines and washing machines.
“If something unfortunate was to happen on the ice with a costume, we would do a temporary fix and get them back on.”
LYNNLEE JEWELL (tour co-ordinator)
From Maryland, Washington, Lynlee describes her job as “a dream come true”, having gone straight on the road with the show after graduating from college. “It’s such a great opportunity and I love it.
“I book all of the transportation and hotels and organise PR for the cast and crew, of which there are around 100, as well as organising visas and completing the office paperwork.
“It has its stressful days but I have a terrific support team and the cast and crew are great, so travelling the world with them is fun.”
JEREMIE BOISIER (skater, training line captain)
Jeremie is not only an ensemble skater, but also has two off-rink roles.
“Figure skating has always been a passion, so getting to do this and travel has been amazing,” he said.
“As training line captain, I have to know all the steps in the show. It’s a lot of work but I’ve had three years to learn them all.
“We go through the numbers to make sure everyone is on the same programme.
“I’ve also just started as media mentor, which is what I want to do after my skating career.
“I talk to the skaters about how to speak with the media... what to say and how to be comfortable.”
DAVE SUTTON (company manager)
“I oversee everything,” Dave explained. “I make sure everyone knows their responsibilities and I let head office know what’s happening.
“I’ve been with Disney for six years, but worked with other shows for 40.
“I’ve always enjoyed being on the road and never wanted to sit in an office and having to drive to and from work in rush-hour traffic.”
He added: “A lot of the skaters were just turning 18 or 19 when Frozen started, so it’s been fun to see them growing up on the road.
“They don’t know what to expect, so we try to steer them in the right direction.”
GIG SIRUNO (performance director)
“I’ve been here since they started building the show, which seemed like a no-brainer to take on to the ice.
“I get to sit and watch each performance in order to critique it and see what we might want to enhance.
“I also look at the technical aspects – lighting, effects and so on.
“This is now my 10th season as performance director, but I began in 1997 as a performer in Starlight Express On Ice.
“I’ve been able to travel the world and meet so many people.”
CHRIS KOURY (production and stage manager)
“I’m in charge of the crew and all of the logistics, making sure all the equipment goes from one city to another and on time,” Chris explained.
“Seventeen crew work and travel with the show and in each city we hire local labour for the set up and tear down. We probably operate with 50 people at those stages.
“It’s a separate department based out of our Florida HQ which takes care of the ice for any venues we’re going to that doesn’t have a rink installed.
“All in, that takes about 30 hours to set up. They build the floor, which takes five or six hours, and then it’s time for the water, which they apply by spraying it, letting it freeze and repeating, until it builds up.”
And when it comes to getting rid of the ice afterwards? Good old brute force.
There’s nothing better than looking into the audience and seeing the big smiles on faces