By Joanne Von Furstenburg | Posted on February 23, 2018 2:59 PM
In rare mis-step, Disney’s latest movie to Broadway incarnation, Frozen, is a mess. The songs and staging are amazing, but the acting and singing are a big fail and Disney has little time to fix it before the official red carpet opening on March 22, 2018. The show is based on the original 2013 Disney animated movie.


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Despite the occasional high note, Frozen on Broadway is often a bit of a bore, with the same simple storyline from the movie, mediocre stage acting, pitchy high notes, and lackluster casting. The simple story is drawn out to about twice as long as it needs to be, and many scenes serve no purpose at all in developing the main storyline, serving the show like an overfilled cup of gelato. On the flipside, the show staging is amazing, with special effects that dazzle with the use of projection mapping and inventive stagecraft. It is a shame the actors and dialogue could not be replaced with the same technology, but the actor's union would probably never allow it. The innovative use of the relatively small stage at the St. James Theatre throws shade on all other productions, some with large spaces that achieve less, as well as with its dramatic staging, special effects, and impressive lighting. Despite these positive attributes, many components of the show would feel more at home as a theme park show at Six Flags or Disney World, but are not particularly suited for the Broadway theatregoer who demands a well-acted, polished, interesting show, rather than another Spiderman, may it rest in peace.New "Frozen" Songs Inspire, but Are Poorly Delivered
The new-for-the-stage songs by husband and wife songwriting team Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez deliver as anticipated, but the poorly sung ballads often sound more like a pitchy American Idol performance than would be fitting of an Arendelle Princess. Many times during the performance, you wish that Adele Dazim would just pop up and make an entrance to replace the affable, but out-of-her-depth Cassie Levy, with her less-than-stellar rendition of "Let It Go" and the disappointing, yet still compelling, Patti Murin singing "Love is An Open Door."
Does "Frozen" Miss the Mark?
Frozen promised to delve deeper than the animated film, but the truth is that it doesn’t delve much more than half an inch and a mile wide. The show also sends a message to children that it is okay to physically strike someone who has wronged you, which goes against the whole Walt Disney ethos of non-violent acts. When Anna strikes Hans, it felt like pandering to the crowd, and although it got a cheer from the audience, in a blink of an eye it went straight from Broadway to pantomime. The adult-geared jokes are few and far between, and the show does not command the attention of anyone above the age of 20. Just look around during the show and you will see the faces of boredom on parents and grandparents, which will tell you about the ultimate success, or demise, of this show on Broadway. The comic relief is supplied from Olaf the Snowman, which is done in the style of Farinelli and the King, with the actor controlling the puppet dressed in a mismatching costume, awkwardly walking and talking behind the stuffed character, moving about the stage, with each move often driving out any anticipated comic value. It's not funny; it's just creepy. Super fans of the movie may overlook this at the show, but your average theatregoer will balk.The Show Staging
The St. James Theatre is far from an ideal stage on which to bring Frozen to Broadway. The antiquated theatre, with its many incumbents, makes mounting a large production of this ilk a logistical nightmare. At only 1,600 seats, the theatre is dwarfed by Wicked and Harry Potter, which have 1,900 and 1,830 seats, respectively. This means that Frozen must charge a higher price point for seats to get a return on their investment, and ultimately has to bring a better experience to rationalize that. The show doesn’t disappoint with its amazing projection-mapping, making many of the key scenes special, as the technology brings every surface of the stage to life with its projection of an alternate camouflage. Bed sheets become ice. People become frozen rock, and the floors crystallize. The real star of this show is the staging.Comparison to Other Shows on Broadway

The Flat Ending
It might have been preview jitters, but Frozen looked more like a frozen hell by the time the cast got to the show finale. By then, the singing was off, they were stepping on each other's lines, and it appeared that the cast were just glad to make it to the end of this simple, yet monstrous Broadway behemoth. The Frozen actors appeared to be glad to get off the speeding train before it hit the wall. It was clear that the rail switch ahead was frozen, and the show was destined for a head-on collision with itself if it went one more minute. Frozen superfans in cosplay gave it an earnest standing ovation, but the customary gesture was lackluster in the remainder of the theatre, with just one curtain call. If the show were to try out the new concept proposed by Noel Turner of charging each Broadway patron $5 if they choose to give a standing ovation (with the proceeds going to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS), it would be interesting to see how many people would actually have stood at the end of the show.Competing Shows on Broadway
