Frozen

Frozen
Pre-Broadway Engagement
Buell Theater
Denver, CO 
August 17,- October 1, 2017

The Broadway-bound production of Disney’s Frozen has been playing at the Buell Theater for six weeks now. I saw it on opening night and I was curious to see what changes it would go through during its time here. So I went to see it again.

The only changes I could pinpoint were in Act 2, which seemed to drag on opening night. One song, "When Everything Falls Apart," was eliminated and “Kristoff’s Lullaby” and the second reprise of “Hans of the Southern Isles.” For the latter, the change was an effective one. The previous version took away from the stunning revelation. The trimmed song was much more sinister and vicious – as it needed to be.

The most effective parts remained unchanged. “Love is an Open Door” was even more entertaining than the film version. And the simple, yet elegant, staging of “Let It Go” was worthy of the song’s iconic status.

The show still has its share of awkward moments. The death of the king and queen was unnecessarily creepy and will confuse those few who have not seen the film version. The presentation of Olaf was underwhelming, especially with the impressive Sven costuming. The first song of Act 2, “Hygge” was still puzzling. While the song is enjoyable, the staging is decidedly un-Disney like. I find it hard to believe that it will open on Broadway as it was performed in Denver.

Disney likely has another hit on its hands, however, those looking for a new twist (or dare I say improvement) on the story, will be disappointed. While many aspects of the production were changes from the film, it doesn’t elevate it to another level as The Lion King did. However, with its already rabid fan base, Frozen will please its audiences.