“FROZEN” IS A WONDROUS FAMILY-FRIENDLY SPECTACLE
is a crowd-pleaser; just don’t overthink it
The Broadway-bound Disney musical “Frozen,” now playing at Denver’s Buell Theatre, is a technically polished adaptation of the animated hit. It does justice to the 2013 movie as a wondrous familyfriendly spectacle.
But if you were hoping for an artistic achievement on the order of “Lion King,” let it go.
Complete with a life-like reindeer (a dancer with prosthetic hooves) and a talking, tap-dancing snowman (a puppet/actor combo), it is every bit the crowd-pleaser it feels calculated to be. Just don’t overthink it.
“Frozen” seems constructed by algorithm to meet precise Disney theatrical standards. It superficially embraces the idea of female empowerment. It is lightly preachy, gently scary, timidly bawdy and tepidly funny, mildly updating the Brothers Grimm with mythic features and admirable special effects.
The highest-grossing animated feature film in history has been reworked for the stage nimbly, with fine voices and clever choreography, although the story remains a problem.
Like the film, a loose adaptation of a dark Hans Christian Andersen
tale, “Frozen” eschews the prince-and-princess tradition in favor of a quasi-feminist tale of sisterhood. Nordic sisters Elsa and Anna, orphaned early, lose each other as well when Elsa’s magic becomes so potent she must withdraw from the world. She is guilt-ridden for having accidentally hurt her sister and vows to punish herself.
A narrator (akin to a satyr, a hunky bare-chested woodland god-type with a tail) sets the scene, noting this is the story of a family. So many lessons: All happy families may be alike but those afflicted with dark feminine magic are doomed. Feminine emotions are so uncontrollable they must be repressed. Then again, repression can backfire. Guilt is a great motivator for girls. Also, sisterhood is threatening to weak men. And love at first sight is not to be trusted.
By the time Act 1 closes with the anthem “Let It Go,” ably delivered by Caissie Levy, we’ve witnessed an over-abundance of new tunes and a jumble of mixed messages.
More derivative and less daring than previous Disney screento-stage transfers, “Frozen” is fun but not transporting. It does best in minimalist moments, when relying on smart choreography rather than lavish devices. Creative lighting on an array of linked torsos effectively suggests bodies suddenly turned to ice, whereas a glittery curtain of crystals is more Vegas.
Running a good 20 minutes longer than the movie. “Frozen” is well cast with an eye toward diversity. Directed by Michael Grandage, with music and lyrics by award-winning couple Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, and with a book by Jennifer Lee (who also wrote and codirected the film), it is a confident, well-calibrated production.
At a recent preview performance, Levy nailed Elsa’s big number and was effectively icy. Patti Murin radiated warmth and agility as Anna, especially in her duet with John Riddle as Hans. Mattea Confort as high-spirited Young Anna was particularly winning.
Jelani Alladin exudes charm and is a vocal treat as Kristoff. Robert Creighton wins laughs as the chauvinist weasel Weselton. And Greg Hildreth is a winning puppet-master as Olaf.
The rousing “Hygge,” aspiring to be the Northern Lights’ equivalent to “Hakuna Matata,” is great fun if instantly forgettable. Olaf’s melty ode to summer is full of cute shtick.
The parts work. It’s the whole that doesn’t rise above the sum.