FROZEN: A Chilling Event

Molly Hill Fuller as Elsa in Disney's Frozen at First Stage. Photo credit: Paul Ruffolo.

A review of Disney's Frozen

by Charlie Fetters, age 15

Disney’s Frozen is a magical musical story about found family, sisterly love, and self-acceptance. It follows the same premise as the hit Disney movie, with additional twists and plot. First Stage’s production does an incredible job at creating stunning visuals using special effects, impressive puppetry, and dazzling lighting. They were able to combine these aspects – in addition to a marvelous set and a superb cast – in order to create a fantastical, family-friendly event that succeeds in bringing magic to stage.

I love to see a musical that makes me want to join the actors onstage, and Frozen did just that. Their dances (choreographed by Michelle LoRicco) looked SO fun to do, and music director Paul Helm created harmonies that were music to my ear (literally). I really enjoyed the addition of new music; “What Do You Know About Love?,” “Monster,” and “Hygge” stood out to me specifically (seriously, “What Do You Know About Love?” WILL be on my Spotify Wrapped.) Of course, the cast nailed the original music as well. I was especially impressed by Molly Hill Fuller (Elsa) and her ability to sustain her vocals during “Let it Go” and “Monster.” On the whole, I got LITERAL chills watching (and listening to) the cast perform.

This is a very tech-heavy and high-visual production; it uses several different puppets, special effects (such as fake snow and fog machines), and immersive lighting and sound. First Stage did an incredible job at tackling these challenges. Their lighting (designed by Jason Fassl) was well-suited and balanced in each scene, the puppets (designed by Nicki Kulas) were creative and intuitive, and the special effects captured and emphasized special moments. However, I found certain sound effects to be a bit tasteless; for instance, the sounds they used for ice weren’t very appealing. The general audience seemed to agree that it was less than ideal, covering their ears and cringing. Overall, though, the technical team did outstanding work at tying all of these aspects together in an appropriate manner.

The set, designed by Arnold Bueso, was striking. I loved watching the scene changes and how they used set pieces to their advantage. I especially liked the use of the mountain; I think that both the design and how it was used were brilliant (having actors climb it, using it as a throne, etc.) Likewise, I was impressed by how the actors themselves were used to create a setting. At the climax, when Elsa attempts to flee from the townspeople and Hans, the actors used fabric and special effects to make the storm they were in appear even stronger. The creative team did an outstanding job at creating all of these moments.

First Stage recommends this show to children as young as 8, but there were many younger audience members at the performance I attended. I would strongly suggest teaching your children about theater etiquette prior to taking them to see their favorite movie onstage, and ensuring they are ready to attend a show.

I am under the impression that I will never see First Stage fall flat with their productions. They are extremely well-organized, having cohesive technical elements, performers, and musicality. This really shined through the Fire Cast of this production, who definitely lived up to their name! This show is an absolute MUST-SEE for Frozen and theater fanatics alike.