MaryAnn Traxler and Karese Kaw-uh in Frozen (Connor Dudzik-Smalley)
When Disney’s 2013 film Frozen was adapted for the stage and hit Broadway in 2018, it faced some inherent obstacles. The ease with which the animated film depicts snowy magical effects was never likely to translate as well to the stage, and the nature of the plot means there is a disconnect between the show’s two leads, who don’t share a song together (as adults) until the second act.
On top of all that, the film’s writer and co-director, Jennifer Lee, made some wobbly choices when writing the book for the musical. The film is just over 90 minutes, while the musical is two hours, not including intermission. Very little is added with the extra time; existing elements mostly feel stretched a little thin, and none of the new songs make nearly the lasting impression as the originals. And while “Let It Go” is the obvious best song to close out the first act, that meant rearranging some story elements, and by the time we return to Elsa for the big number, it’s been far too long since we’ve visited with her journey.
All that being said, the show is still a massive crowd pleaser. That is largely due to the crowd in question. This show is designed to appeal to its youngest audience members, and specifically those who are already fans of the movie. It succeeds in that mission, as is clear at the current production running at The White Theatre at the J, directed by Khalia Davis, in co-production with The Coterie Theatre.
The audience at the White Theatre the night I saw Frozen (and I imagine every other night) was full of children, many in costume. Even the most squirmy kids sitting near me became rapt during the big musical numbers. Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez’s songs are just as dazzling on the stage as they are on the screen.
In Frozen, young sisters Elsa and Anna are best friends until Elsa’s already secret magic powers get away from her and she seriously injures Anna. When the girls’ parents die, Elsa shuts herself away, afraid of revealing her powers and more afraid of hurting her sister again. MaryAnn Traxler and Karese Kaw-uh are stellar as Elsa and Anna, respectively. Traxler is a vocal powerhouse, nailing Elsa’s most iconic numbers. Kaw-uh is a hilarious Anna, bouncing off the walls with awkward exuberance. (The young versions of these characters are played by four skilled actors—Olivia Angolo, Luna Day O’Donnell, Hailey Kenyon, and Ivy Sollenberger—who are equally worthy of praise.)
Ultimately, Frozen never transcends the enchantment of the movie, but it does have standout moments. At the end of Act I, when Elsa finally stops holding herself back and gives herself over to her abilities with the show-stopping “Let It Go,” she undergoes a physical transformation that deserves all the gasps and applause it evokes. In that moment, all the elements come together to create something truly breathtaking: Traxler’s performance, Delano Mendoza-Holt’s orchestra, and the entire design team. (Edmund Ludlum’s costumes are front and center, but Justin Dudzik-Smalley’s lighting, Connor Dudzik-Smalley’s projections, Brady Rose’s sound, and Jeremy Smith’s sets are all essential parts of the full effect.)
The puppetry and performance behind Olaf, the magically anthropomorphized snowman, is also a total delight. The puppet itself is perfectly goofy, and Travis Mendoza-Holt brings him to life with heart and heaps of humor. The reindeer Sven (played by Jeremiah Angolo) is also a thing of beauty, lumbering majestically across the stage.
Frozen may often feel like little more than a copy of its animated self, but if you have a young Elsa superfan in your life, that’s likely more than enough to keep them enchanted for two-plus hours. And even a copy of this dazzling source material, especially with boosts from the puppetry and the performances, should be plenty entertaining for the rest of the audience as well.
“Frozen,” a co-production of The White Theatre at the J and The Coterie Theatre, runs at The White Theatre at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City (5801 W 115 Street, Overland Park, KS) through July 26. For more information, visit thewhitetheatre.org.
