Review: FROZEN at Theatre Under The Stars

Let me get this out of the way right at the jump: FROZEN is a fun family production that is perfect for the holiday season in many ways. The show brings the beloved Disney film to life for the stage and offers unique twists to make it all more theatrical and accessible for the Hobby Center. It’s a technically gorgeous production with a strong cast of singers and something that should dazzle kids and their parents easily. There was a sense of community in the audience, as I noticed dozens of little girls dressed as Elsa or Anna. A few moms were rocking the Snow Queen look as well! The cast is so diverse, and they represent every shape, color, and age of folks - much like this city known for its eclectic mix. This is what Theatre Under the Stars does best, and nobody in Houston can come close. This is a big, splashy musical woven into the fabric of HTown. It’s a sure bet this holiday season! 

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FROZEN was a box office juggernaut from 2013. It is a very loose adaptation of the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale of THE SNOW QUEEN, written in 1844. At the heart of the story and the film is a message about love triumphing over evil and fear, and Disney's FROZEN itself marries this with the bonds of two sisters. It concerns two princesses named Elsa and Anna. Elsa has some ancient magic that allows her to create ice and snow, and she and her parents decide to hide that power after a near-fatal accident playing with her sister. But as the girls grow and Elsa becomes queen, her powers grow and attach themselves to her feelings. She bottles up her emotions, but when she “lets them go,” inexplicably, the entire kingdom is frozen over in a snow apocalypse in the middle of summer. The people and Elsa herself are convinced she is a monster, but Anna never stops believing in Elsa. Throw in some romantic subplots and a really fun snowman who “likes warm hugs.” and you have a winter tale of magic and sisterhood. 

Disney is normally its own biggest competition, which has always fascinated me as they spin out these musical versions of their epic cartoon features. The challenge of mounting a production of FROZEN is that the movie is so visually spectacular, and the story involves ice magic and things that defy gravity and boggle the imagination. The theater has to do this in front of you in real-time, and it is not a collage of drawings captured on film where anything can happen. Director and choreographer Dan Knecthges wisely knows how to use some old-fashioned stage tricks to make this modern classic come to life. He also gives FROZEN more grounded cultural references to the colder parts of Europe, such as Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Finland. He has made this mix of Disney and Hans Christen Andersen a little more human and settled into what could be the real world if that included princesses that shot ice from their hands! 

Jenna Lea Rosen’s Elsa is a powerhouse! Competing with Idina Menzel and an anime-style ice witch from the big screen is no small feat, but Jenna grounds Elsa in real emotions and chimes in with her powerful pipes! What impressed me the most in her performance was her ability to communicate the storm of conflict within Elsa, from wanting to protect her sister but also yearning to be close. With all the attention this Snow Queen gets, I always forget that Anna gets to carry almost the entire show while Elsa is isolated. Cailen Fu matches Jenna’s powerful performance and proves she is a mastermind of physical comedy. Both women have gorgeous voices, and any sisterly duet brings down the house. This musical hinges on us buying Anna and Elsa, and Cailen and Jenna sell it all very well. They are wonderful and give you all the feels you want or need. These two women's performances and their relationship are sublime. 

The supporting cast is right up there with these leads. Local favorite Mark Ivy makes for the perfect Olaf, and he’s hysterical and sings the house down. Manuel Santos makes for a dreamy Hans that anyone would find impossible not to fall for, no matter what he’s hiding. He’s handsome, and his role is well-sung. Fergie Phillippe makes for a believably grumpy Kristoff who melts for the right person by the end of the show. And man, can he belt! Tyler Ray Lewis makes for a wonderful two-spirited Pabbie, an Indigenous spiritual advisor who simultaneously gives off Earth Mother tones and also wise man vibes. They can dance extremely well in addition to handling any vocals thrown their way. Braden Tanner enthusiastically leads one of the most hysterical song additions in the entire show about “HAPPINESS.”  He’s comedy gold! Basically, I could go on for days. The chorus is strong, and the addition of the teen ensemble is nothing short of magic. Watching these younger performers join the veterans made my entire evening. More than one proud parent was waving a sign at curtain call, and deservedly so. These kids are wonderful, all of them. 

Dan Knechtges was given a certain amount of freedom in re-designing and staging this show, and the TUTS production certainly looks like an upgrade from Broadway in many areas. The scenic design by Tim Mackabee is a miracle, particularly when we get to a magical ice palace! Colleen Grady supervised making over 300 costumes for this one; each is a minor miracle and a work of art. I would wear everything Hans wore in the real world if anybody at TUTS would let me come pick it up (seriously). Then, there are the puppets designed by the omnipresent Afsaneh Aayani, who has now worked at every theatre in Houston I know about. She makes magic! Everybody knows it, and I will never tire of seeing her designs. Stephen W. Jones’ music direction is tight and soars where it needs to. 

My only criticism of FROZEN as a stage show is minor, but I see it whenever I sit down for a Disney musical. They have added about twenty songs to pad FROZEN out as a stage musical, and they have had to cut the more elaborate fantasy sequences in the film (snow monsters, troll tribes made of rocks, and several action sequences that were signature to the film). Elsa is not quite as powerful as she is in the film, but thankfully, she is also more human here. They have made this more of a pop opera about sisterhood than a supernatural snow fight. However, in the final stretches, the show can become less coherent, and people who have not seen the film may be lost in the rapid sequences of events that get a little jumbled without some of the cartoon's clarifications. 

But at the end of the day, Theatre Under the Stars’ Disney's FROZEN is a triumph of dazzling spectacle and charming family fun. The company should be proud of making this show look great, sound great, and be so joyously presented. This one might be the most magical of all the holiday shows in Houston. And not just because you have the anthem “Let it Go” or familiar Disney characters prancing about it. But the cast and the audience seem so connected to their love of this story, and everyone is so excited to bring it to life. Dress up, have fun, and get ready to be enchanted. 

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