Disney's Frozen the Musical on Disney+ Review
The magic of Arendelle has arrived on the streaming platform!
The wait is over! For the first time (in forever), the critically acclaimed production of Disney's Frozen the Musical has made it onto Disney+! And the best part? Experience the magic of Arendelle at any time you wish, for just a fraction of the cost of a theatre ticket.
Filmed live during its 3-year engagement at the newly restored Theatre Royal Drury Lane in the West End, the award-winning London production (despite the streaming version being billed as the Broadway musical) adds 12 original songs to Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez's score for the 2023 original animated feature film, which, needless to say, amassed global fandom for its beloved characters, unforgettable music and a narrative for all ages.
With themes of family and sisterhood at its heart, the screen to stage adaptation follows royal sisters Elsa and Anna; having grown up separated from the world and each other from either side of a castle door, the former flees The Kingdom of Arendelle as the newly coronated Queen, as her inborn powers place the Kingdom into eternal winter; desparate to be reunited with her sister again, Anna sets out on an icy quest to find true love and bring back summer, encountering familiar faces, friends and foes along the way.
Under the helm of film director Brett Sullivan, Michael Grandage's stage production is brilliantly captured on screen, retaining the thrill of live theatre with the added ability to zoom into detailed nuances of each performance. From the moment the title scrim rises, upon which Finn Ross’ magnificent, intricate video design is projected (alongside extensive mapping on Christopher Oram's set), the show promises visual spectacle that is unmistakably Disney, with plenty of moments equally mesmerising on screen as they are live.
Another pick of theatre magic for the summer
The Lopezes’ music integrates seamlessly with Jennifer Lee's expanded book for the stage, delving into further narrative depth with linked musical themes, like establishing the new Monster motif throughout Elsa's coming-of-age, or the infusion of the traditional Vuelie within the Queen of Arendelle's sacred coronation.
Melodic motifs are recalled as answers to questions, solutions to challenges and peaks to climactic moments; familiar numbers are given a refreshed new life with Dave Metzger's lush orchestrations, from Anna's ‘I want’ moment in the expositional ‘For the First Time in Forever’ to extended dance breaks in the fanciful ‘Love Is an Open Door’, where Rob Ashford's dynamic choreography shines through; newly added numbers such as ‘What Do You Know About Love’, an upbeat duet between Anna and Kristoff, staged upon an impressive 20-metre long ice bridge that moves across the stage, and an exchange of love between the sisters in ‘I Can't Lose You’; not forgetting perhaps the most iconic of it all, when all production elements converge in a visual spectacular, placing Elsa centre stage in the epic act 1 closer ‘Let It Go’, leaving the audience gasping for breath - even more so captured close-up on camera.
With a lineup headed up by leading ladies Samantha Barks and Laura Dawkes, the cast is in abundance of talent. The former lends her delicate, sincere voice to Elsa's painstakingly crafted character, familiar of the determined outlook shared by Nancy in Oliver! (a role which saw the actress rise to career fame); while the latter, despite then making her West End debut fresh out of drama school, owns the towering stage with Anna's signature cheerfulness and determined confidence. Reaching for each other's love since adolescence, the pair of characters carries much of the story's emotional weight, supported by an eclectic range of personalities.
Forming Anna's eventual love triangle is Prince Hans of the Southern Isles (Oliver Ormson, who brings a goofy charm to his take on the antagonist) and ice expert Kristoff (taken on with a similar charm by Jammy Kasongo); while providing comedic relief on even more frequent occasions in the stage version, are none other than two characters realised with lifelike accuracy through Michael Curry's puppets - Craig Gallivan's Olaf, everyone's favourite innocent snowman eventually being there to save the day, and the wordless but animatedly articulated reindeer Sven (in a physically demanding role alternated by Ashley Birchall and Mikayla Jade).
The saying ‘it takes a village’ truly expands to the Kingdom of designers collaborating on this visual feat of a production. Under breathtaking illusions from Jeremy Chernick, illuminated at the right moments by Neil Austin's lighting, Oram's detailed designs glimmer and sparkle, its grandeur realised by the village of scenery and costume makers, as well as the backstage choreography from a team of dressers and stage crew, making quick changes swift like magic.
Strategic planning lies is central to the filmed version, enabling viewers to relive the spectacle from creative camera angles, preserved as with Olaf's permanently cold flake on the streaming platform. Like all screen-to-stage adaptations, Frozen might not be without its theatrical imperfections (some material distracting from the storyline though the occurrence is infrequent), but the decision to adapt is fully justified with meticulous dedication onstage and off.
The end result? It's Disney magic at its best, delivering theatrical goodness at home, at work or wherever you stream from - a flurry of joy for all seasons.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Disney's Frozen: The Hit Broadway Musical is now streaming on Disney+. Subscriptions start from £4.99/month with ads, and from £8.99/month without ads.
UK viewers can get Disney+ Standard with Ads for 4 months at just £4.99 until 30 June - terms apply.
Accessibility
🎟️ Advance access was kindly provided by Disney+, with expectation of an honest, non-biased review. All opinions remain those of the writer, without any input or approval from the producers or platform.
All content on Disney+, including this programme, is available on demand with a recurring subscription priced from £4.99/month (Standard with Ads) or £89.90/year (Standard). Subscribers may cancel at any time before the end of each billing period.
♾️ This programme features the use of flashing lights, which may impact those with photosensitive epilepsy. Playback progress and volume, as well as subtitles and audio description (where available), are customisable on individual devices.