REVIEW: Frozen (Olney Theatre Center)
The leaves are changing, the sun is dropping more quickly, and the humidity — with it, the dreaded mosquito menace — dissipating.
Time for Fall!
The cozy half of the year is hitting its stride these days despite an alarmingly warm October. If 80 degree days and a near-month without any precipitation is making you a little too uncomfortable, then Olney’s got a potential solution courtesy of a popular cartoon mouse and the team behind The Book of Mormon, In Transit, and Coco: the regional premiere of the stage adaptation of Frozen, Disney’s blockbuster 2013 musical fantasy. The Broadway production famously was a bit of a let-down compared to the company’s other outings, culminating in it being the first production to close amid the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020. But with a new lease on life via regional houses, it was only natural for Olney’s barnlike main stage to house a new take on this megamusical.
Book/Music
The book takes inspiration from The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen. Frozen is arguably one of the most popular films of the century, but if you aren’t familiar: Elsa, the heir apparent of the kingdom of Arendelle, has had a mystical ability to control ice since birth. However, she lacks control of it, leading to an incident that nearly killed her sister Anna when they were children. As a result, they have been separated for decades and her powers kept hidden as of the start of the musical. But on the evening of Elsa’s coronation, an argument between she and Anna causes her to explode in an icy frustration, revealing her power and plunging the kingdom into an eternal winter. She flees, and Anna then embarks to find her and joins forces with an iceman, Krisoff, en route. I recall the dynamic of Anna and Elsa being particularly noteworthy when the original film dropped in 2013; a company with a well-documented male savior complex instead releases a woman-focused piece where non-romantic love is the driving force. (This is still a refreshing take to see 11 years later, which could say a lot about the world we live in.) Musically, the Lopez’s do their thing: the hits from the movie are still there (“Do You Want to Build A Snowman?”, “For the First Time In Forever”) and they fold in some new ones too, such as the bombastically Broadway “Hygge” that opens Act II. (“Let It Go” serves as a highly appropriate Act I closer.) 7/10
Acting
I was personally excited for this production due to all of the local talent therein. Alex De Bard’s Anna is sung with enthusiasm and colorful expression, her energy nearly single-handedly powering the stage lights on its own. There were shake-ups involving the casting of Elsa, but the one we’ve got in DC newcomer Gabriela Hernandez is a capable, if not a bit rigid, star. Noah Israel, recently featured with De Bard in Signature’s Hair, delivers emphatically cartoonish villainhood as Hans that is sure to please. Ricky Devon Hall rounds out the other male lead with a cozy-like-a-warm-hug Kristoff. And speaking of warm hugs, Kennedy Kanagawa’s skilled puppetry graces our stage with a charming Olaf, and is often found going puppet-for-puppet by the incredible work of Alex Mills’ Sven. (Read on for more of the latter.) 8/10
Production
Alan Muraoka (Sesame Street) directs the piece — and his status as a legend of family-friendly entertainment shows with his courteous vision for the piece. Yet, there is a lower limit to how much care one can put into it. I’m not sure how much influence Disney had in this, to be fair, but I was expecting particular levels of spectacle that did not deliver — Elsa’s ice staircase being absent, the lack of physical set pieces, and an extreme reliance on projections, for example. There are some moments of magic that brighten the situation, such as simulated snow in the audience and brief prop illusions, but overall the polygonal framing (and its bouncy edge lighting) remains the visual highlight of the staging. But this is not to say there’s no benefits to the technical elements at all; in fact, some of the best I’ve seen around the area all year are showcased in this production. This is especially ther case with Kylie Clark’s stunning puppet designs, peaking with the puppy-like livelihood of Sven the reindeer. The springy limbs of Olaf are also a joy to watch come to life courtesy of Kanagawa, but where his presence impresses the most visually is by his woolly knit outfit— all part of a greater, tonally excellent execution of costume design by Kendra Rai. She deftly plays with texture and in-universe storytelling to create a mix of gorgeous ball gowns, bundly winter garbs, and my favorites, the rugged and mossy ponchos of the rock trolls (who get extra points for their wickedly fun hairstyles.) 7/10
Viz
It’s nothing you wouldn’t expect: the program is visually akin to every piece of marketing from the Broadway endeavor, with its icy blues and silhouetted Elsa. The pre-show is a cozy vista view of Arendelle that slowly pans upwards to focus on an aurora (all of this beneath a large wordmark of the show’s title.) 5/10
Verdict
Frozen isn’t quite the jaw-dropping spectacle I was hoping for, but it’s a safe take on a surefire family holiday hit that has plenty to offer. 27/40
