Put Me in Summer and I’ll Be a… Happy Snowman!

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

A review of Frozen

by DevinReigh Endries, age 14

Frozen is a Disney classic, and most people in the U.S. have either heard the soundtrack or seen the movie at least once in their lifetime. It follows two sisters, Anna and Elsa, and their struggle to run a kingdom in the wake of Elsa turning eighteen and inheriting the crown from their parents, who died when they were small. It carries the story through song and occasional season switches, along with some large rocks that sing and dance.

First Stage did an amazing job with bringing Disney's Frozen to the stage! To put it plainly, everything about it stood out: the lighting (designed by Jason Fassl), the set (designed by Arnold Bueso), and the thing I’m going to give the largest shoutout to, the costumes (designed by Jazmín Aurora Medína), which were like no other.

I knew it was going to be a non-replica show (not a copy of the movie or Broadway version) just by the engaging set, but the costumes had my jaw on the floor. Anna’s dress had so many amazing elements, with the color scheme still being similar to her movie look, but having different layers and different ways to take it off so that the actress could do her quick changes (onstage, mind you!) without dragging too much attention away from the scene. I’ll admit that the Rock Troll puppets (designed by Nicki Kulas) did scare me at first, but as they continued appearing during the show, I got to admire how intricate and beautiful they were. The actors puppeteering them were so in-sync, with one actor controlling the head and one hand and another controlling the other hand. The innovation in the design alone was truly astonishing. 

With the impressive design elements aside, the actors of course need to be recognized for this amazing show. Firstly, I want to shout out Elsa, played by Molly Hill Fuller. When she first sang, I could have sworn it was Caissie Levy (the original Broadway Elsa). From the first moment she was onstage she was ON, her face always perfectly reflecting what Elsa was struggling with in that moment, whether it be her decision to leave Arendelle, or when she knew she needed to protect Anna from the truth while concealing herself from the public. Then I must mention Melody Marks, whose portrayal of Anna in the Fire Cast was fantastic and original, giving Anna's character incredible depth. She truly made her character shine even brighter than she already did with her fabulous gown. My final actor shout-out is going to be Cole Bugiel as Hans, also in the Fire Cast. Every time he interacted with Anna, it made it harder and harder to believe what he was inevitably going to do (no spoilers, go see it at First Stage!) His portrayal could make someone who’s seen Frozen before believe it was going to play out differently; as a Frozen fanatic myself, even I was convinced for a bit. 

All in all, First Stage’s production of Frozen is a must-see. I personally want to see it again, if not for the amazing atmosphere, then to see the other cast of young performers, as First Stage always has two fantastic casts to experience. And even if you miss this production, First Stage is always putting out great productions you can see that are also extremely good, must-see experiences!