Disney's Frozen dazzles devoted fans at the NAC
It's safe to say most of the people watching the Broadway version of Disney's Frozen at the National Arts Centre on Saturday had seen the original movie at least once, if not a few dozen times.
There was much laughter, singing along and exclamations of delight throughout the dazzling show, not to mention a tearful outburst of sorrow from one of the tiny princesses in the crowd at the pivotal moment when Elsa inadvertently turns her sister and friends into ice.
The threat on stage is shortlived, as it turns out, but the impassioned response showed just how realistic it all was for young theatregoers, many of whom were dressed for the occasion in their sparkliest finery.
Although my companion and I felt like the only people in the room who had not seen the 2013 movie, we thoroughly enjoyed the show and its mind-blowing special effects. Like everyone else, we were gobsmacked by another pivotal moment, when Elsa owns her magic. Mid-song and in the blink of an eye, her drab royal garb transforms into a stunning gown glittering with crystals. How they accomplished that trick, we have no idea — but we loved it!
No question, Frozen is a masterpiece of stagecraft, full of eye-popping landscapes, plus fantastic costumes and the wonderful bonus of two charming puppet characters, Olaf the snowman and Sven the reindeer. (Another burning question was whether Sven was operated by one person or two. The answer is one, as I found out from an interview with the puppet designer.)
Directed by Michael Grandage and told with a mix of song, dance and dialogue, the story explores the relationship between Elsa and Anna, the two princesses of Arendelle, starting when they are girls, and Elsa is discovering her power to turn things to ice. Fearful of the magic when she accidentally hurts her little sister, Elsa goes into exile until it's time for her to ascend to the throne following the loss of their parents.
The two central characters are well cast in this touring production, with elegant Caroline Bowman in the diva spotlight as the troubled but well-intentioned Elsa and vivacious Lauren Nicole Chapman as impetuous Anna. Both women are terrific singers and have an energy that commands attention.
Things go awry on coronation day and Elsa flees, leaving the kingdom facing an eternal winter. Meanwhile, Anna falls in love with the first eligible prince who crosses her path, placing him in charge as she sets off to find her sister, helped along the way by Kristoff the ice pedlar, his magic reindeer Sven, and Olaf, the funny and talkative snowman.
The show features a big cast of townspeople, and the ensemble numbers are outstanding, including a lighthearted Hygge scene that finds the villagers streaming out of a sauna to dance a Rockettes-style routine in nude bodysuits with strategically placed branches.
It soon becomes clear there's only one thing that will break the curse of eternal winter, and that's the kiss of a true love. But Anna learns the hard way that her true love is not Hans, the visiting prince, nor Kristoff, the ice vendor. Instead, it's her own big sister. It's a twist that shifts the message of the show from a fairy tale love story into a testament to the strength of family, which, of course, is a valuable lesson for princesses of any age.