Let The Love Shine On at Frozen the Musical

By Claire McConnell

January 16, 2019

Frozen is just a show that you need to go see for the fun and magic. The lighting design is incredible and one of my favorites of any show. Set design is amazing and you really feel like you are in Elsa’s castle. The gorgeous crystals that hang from the ceiling are breathtaking and really make the ice castle real. It’s an absolutely gorgeous set and a very talented cast.

Alyssa Fox is Elsa standby in Broadway’s “Frozen” ( via @alyssajoyfox on Instagram )

I was fortunate enough to see Alyssa Fox, a panelist for The Broadway Vlog’s The Understudies. Alyssa is a standby for Queen Elsa and KILLED it. The role of Elsa is normally played by Caissie Levy.

Alyssa Fox is so talented and has an incredible voice. The role she gets to play in this show is a role that I dream of playing. She is moving these kids in the audience because they are seeing Elsa. They are seeing this magical ice queen and they are living their best lives at the St. James Theatre thanks to this amazing cast. It was really a dream to get to see Fox perform and see this show because it really reminded me why I love the theatre and why I want to be an actress on the stage.

Fox embodies the character of Elsa and really shows Elsa’s thoughts and feelings through her physicality and facial expressions. The role itself is vocally tiering and she just does amazing at pacing herself with the amount of belting and crazy notes she has to sing. She totally owns that pants suit as well and has the Elsa strut down to center stage on point.

Patti Murin is hilarious and is a perfect Anna. She just has this kid like joy that makes you smile from ear to ear watching her dance around. Anna is such a clumsy relatable character and I think Patti has done really well at capturing that.

Jelani Alladin is dreamy and I’m so excited that I got to see him perform. He is so much fun to watch as Kristoff. His voice is incredible and he has such a fun connection to Murin and Andrew Pirozzi who plays Sven. It was announced recently that Alladin will be departing the show February 17th. Cast member Noah J. Ricketts will assume the role.

Greg Hildreth is AMAZING as Olaf. Hilarious and warm and cute and just all of the above. He is so much fun to watch and I love how the creators decided to show Olaf in the show. The puppet is so cute and you really just wanna run up and squeeze it. Hildreth will also be leaving the show along with Alladin. The show has cast Ryann Redmond to play the role. This will make her the first female to perform the role. She'll begin performances February 19.

John Riddle’s voice is one of my favorite things. He doesn’t have that many vocal parts but he does get to sing a song explaining who Hans is. When I first heard it I just melted because his voice is like...the creamiest chocolate ever. I love it. He plays a great villain as well. Joe Carroll will be stepping into the role of Hans in February, replacing John Riddle.

Robert Creighton as the Duke of Weasletown...sorry Weselton is hilarious. A fantastic comedic actor and was so lovely at the stage door.

Kevin Del Aguila is so much fun, and the kids loved him. There is a section in the show where he breaks the 4th wall, and the kids lose it because Oaken is talking to them. They love it.

Jelani Alladin is Kristoff and Andrew Pirrozi is Sven in Broadway’s “Frozen” ( PHOTO NY TIMES)

Andrew Pirozzi and Adam Jepsen play Sven in the show. Jepsen is the alternate which means he is an understudy with scheduled performances in the week. If you don’t know how this costume works they basically are holding a plank the whole entire show. Here is an article that explains the costume. (The Costume)

They also work the ears and eyes in the head of the costume. The costume is gorgeous and is much more lifelike than the cartoon. Huge, huge, HUGE props to these two who bring this adorable reindeer to life.

Zoe Glick and Leila Rose Gross play young Anna and alternate shows. Mimi Ryder and Jenn Weird play young Elsa and alternate shows. These little ladies are just having fun, and it’s a joy to watch. The magic in the snow and the way they have made it come to life on the stage is fantastic. The children in the show are fun to watch and hear when all of the ice swirls around the stage. All four of them stage door so you get to meet them at the end of the show.

Frozen is a show you go to see to have fun. Don’t walk in thinking it is a perfect replica of the movie because it’s not. It’s longer and goes deeper into the connection between Kristoff and Anna as well as the love between Anna and Elsa. I do wish that Elsa had a more substantial part of the show, rather than just the story of Anna in search of her sister. But they have added more songs for her showing you her mental state of the time. Monster, a new song for the Broadway production, is a song Elsa sings going back and forth asking herself if she were dead would the storm end and would it allow her people to live their lives again. For a ‘kids show’ this is very deep and most likely goes over the kid’s heads when they hear the song in the show. But it is a song that I’m sure resonates in some way to the audience members who understood what the song is about.

The new orchestrations and songs are amazing and beautiful. I encourage you to listen to the music and to hear the words they sing. They are words that need to be shared right now in the world we live in. The final message of the show is that we just need to love.

“I take this warmth within and send it up above. Goodbye to dark and fear

Let's fill this world with light and love.

I'm here surrounded by a family at last.

We're never going back

The past is in the past

Let it go, let it go

Then we'll rise like the break of dawn

Let it go, let it go

The fear and cold are gone

Here we stand in the light of day

Let our true love go

Let it go.”

 

Visit the St. James Theatre for tickets

246 West 44th Street

(866) 870-2717

For more information and tickets please visit https://frozenthemusical.com/

Theatre Etiquette

Hello friends! Hope everyone is doing well. I wanted to touch on something that I feel is very important to know as a theatre person.

Theatre etiquette. (Edited)

Here are some simple rules everyone should follow while in any theater. 

1. There is usually a voice that comes on right before the show and says something along the lines of:

“Welcome to this perfomance of [Title of Show]. Please turn off any cell phones or any noise making devices. Photos, flash photography, video or audio recording is strictly prohibited. Thank you and enjoy the show!”

When this comes on…DO WHAT IT SAYS! These actors have worked very hard in rehearsals to show you what you paid to see! Be in the moment! That tweet to Laura Dreyfuss or that Snapchat to your snap streak can wait 2-3 hours for the show to be over. Remember you paid good money for this show, the people around you paid good money for this show AND the actors have worked their hardest to make this show amazing for you! 

2. We know the show is AH-MAZING but try not to talk to the friend or stranger that’s sitting next to you. Your neighbor will thank you for not telling them the plot of the story while it’s happening. You should also just enjoy what’s going on! Who knows they might throw in a new riff or something that will surprise you!

3. Don’t try and get the actors off. I remember one time I was sitting in the theater second row and someone in front of me waved. WAVED. There isn’t a window for you to wave through in a theatre. Don’t wave at the actors or try to make them laugh. It’s not really nice and in worst cases could cause problems on stage or injuries. 

4. The magical stage door. Stage dooring has been popular for years. Getting to meet your idols with the hundreds of other screaming fans creates a rush of joy. It’s fun. But it’s always a bummer when your favorite star heads home before greeting everyone. No need to get mad at them. They have lives just like you. They have children and husbands and wives and a pillow to go home to. 8 shows a week can be pretty draining. Do not take it personally if they don’t come and say hello or sign your Playbill.  You paid for the performance! Anything else they do is a bonus! 

5. In the words of my 8th-grade English teacher:

“You are never too cool to not clap.”

This basically means that you should always applaud whether you think it was amazing or not so hot. Everyone on that stage and behind the scenes worked hard on this show and deserve the recognition. Remember even the best of the best applaud for the performers on stage.

6.  Ok, so this isn't really an etiquette thing. But it's just as important. If an understudy is on, go and see them. Understudies are just as amazing as the leads. They just don't get to go on as much. But they still got the job. They are the ones who are chosen to lead the show at a moments notice. Don't cause a scene and don't refund your ticket. It is still the exact same show. I remember I was at If/Then waiting in line to scan my ticket when one of the security guards came around and said 'hey just so you know she's not here if you would like you can refund your ticket.' I said I was totally fine seeing Jackie Burns KILL it. The family behind me...not so much. The mother of the family caused a huge scene. I understand spending a lot of money to see someone you love. I understand planning a trip around a show. I had done just that. A lot of people didn't know that Idina was on a flight to Hollywood to sing at the Oscars that night. I tried to explain who was the understudy but they stormed past me to refund their tickets. I felt offended that they didn't want to see Jackie. I don't really know why I myself was offended but I was. Moral of the story, go and see the understudies. And the swings. And everyone else in the show. 

7. It's wonderful that shows provide snacks and drinks. But DON'T CRINKLE THE WRAPPER OR CRUNCH ON THE ICE OR MOVE THE ICE AROUND IN THE CUP. It is one of the most annoying things during that moment when Liz and Josh are falling in love or when Eliza is crying over the death of her son. It is just the most annoying thing. DON'T DO IT.

These are only a few things to keep in mind when seeing a show whether it’s on Broadway, in your community, at a touring show or even at school. 

We hope this helps for your next trip to the theatre! See you next time!

Claire♡