Mickey Chick's Spoiler-Free Review of Disney's FROZEN: The Broadway Musical

Who else loves collecting
Playbills - especially Disney ones?

I originally started writing this as a reply to a question on a social media post, but figured I'd drop it here instead:

Mickey Chick always gets
the best seats

We were fortunate enough to get to see Frozen: the Broadway Musical on April 21st, 2018 - giving the cast and crew a month after opening to work out the kinks and jitters. We had amazing seats that I worked hard to find during the pre-sale and at which every usher we encountered voiced an enthusiastic approval. The show was excellent, but I'm not gonna lie - some things, well, let's say, "surprised" me.

Script/Audience Maturity: There were some eyebrow raising moments of adult humor; and if I didn't know any better, I'd think the book was based on a Dreamworks product, rather than Disney Pixar. For the more conservative parents, I'd say it's geared toward older kids, as opposed to the toddler set.

The Northern Lights illuminate the pre-show stage

Another reason I'd recommend bringing children when they're older is that it's a 2-hour show (not including the 15min intermission). It did not drag, however, which was impressive given the limited source material. While the basic shell is the same, they did change some story elements, filled out some characters but flattened others, and changed or omitted lyrics or songs. There was a lot of singing - the show leans more operatic than musical theater.

Costuming/Puppeteering: Hit and miss. There were only two puppeteers required in this show, and they did well in bringing their characters to life. If you've ever seen the "Finding Nemo" show at Disney's Animal Kingdom, you'll be familiar with the style for Olaf. One would think that Sven would be costumed a la The Lion King Musical, but he wasn't. You'll be pleasantly in awe. Much of the costuming nods to the original, but doesn't exactly match as in, say, Beauty and the Beast. I was expecting it to be more elaborate, but mostly, it was simple and understated. And, while I can understand the infusion of humor, some families may not find a few of them age-appropriate. Additionally, I'm not a big fan of on-stage costume changes - especially for a "family-friendly" show. There are some awesome designs, though.

Check out the Projection Tech

Staging/choreography was excellent. Characters tended to avoid the apron, which boded well for those in mezzanine seats. Also appreciated was the continuation of background movement during spotlight moments. Dances were full, dynamic, and helped to tell the story without being superfluous. The set made good use of the smaller stage and utilized some spectacularly constructed pieces, while not cluttering the space. They also seem to be using one of Disney's newer favorites: projection screen technology (ie. Happily Ever After).

Story/presentation: Overall, we enjoyed this show immensely and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it, given my previously stated concerns. We love Frozen and think it has some masterful story and song components which translate well to the Broadway stage. I was really, really surprised that the one song that caused me to immediately associate the film with Broadway when I saw it the first time, was actually eliminated from the score!

Mickey Chick and Family -

J's Elsa-bound even includes a bun that opens into a braid

Perhaps that is why I still prefer the show on the Disney Wonder - I thought their rendition was clever, kept close to the beloved animated version, and was appropriate for all ages.

Mickey Chick's adventures are sponsored by Second Star Travel.