Beyond the money, I'll say one other thing- "Frozen" is going to have a place in the entertainment history books and some trivia contests for "Let it Go" and its unexpected success as a single (and not the pop version, but the character version). When was the last time a musical song, and not a cover of one, cracked the top 10 and stayed there?
Pocahontas had way less songs than 11, I'm looking at the track listing right now.
Because you mentioned how they started singing so often, I mentioned I was including the reprises and the songs that were split into parts (not orchestral scores or title credit songs) just as they are listed on the soundtracks and appear in the films. At any rate, Frozen did not really differ from many of Disney's most popular films, so there really wasn't anything terribly unusual in Frozen. To each their own, I guess. It's a musical and it played like a musical. I thought it seemed entirely appropriate.
The movie is perfectly charming and the effects are terrific but could never be recreated on the stage as effectively.
That's pretty much what was said bout The Lion King before it began performances. You never know, ya know?
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Has anyone, by chance, watch any footage of the new Frozen/Disney on Ice show? It seems like to me that some of it are tests for the Broadway show. For example: The new ending arrangement for Fixer Upper, the dance break music for In Summer, and the gorgeous, romantic waltz version for For the First Time in Forever that Anna/Hans dance to before LIAOD. And also the direction. Like Hans knocks Anna over onto a food cart, instead of the boat. And even the staging itself for FTFTIF with people, playing with the maypole etc.
Testing or not. It's just the approach that they took to stage a full live presentation. Disney Theatrical and Diseny on Ice are under two different umbrellas within the company. Besides the titles that they produce, they have little to no involvement with each other. The same goes for the entertainment division in the theme parks. Many thought the theme park presentation of Aladdin was a test for Broadway, and look how the two compare.
2017 would probably be the earliest for Frozen, if Aladdin is still going strong by then, I imagine they'll put it a theatre like the Palace or Marquis.
Only a Disney exec. Disney likes to keep things under wraps for a time. If a director has been brought on, I am sure it probably would not be another 9 months to a year before anything was announced to the project.
I think the way to go with the sets is LED screen pieces. It seems to becoming more popular on Bway especially with Honeymoon In Vegas and The Last Ship. Not sure if anyothers use large amounts of LED displays.
Would much rather see Tangled headed to Broadway. Frozen is fine but not as well written. But, of course, Tangled is not as popular. To each their own.
Just make sure the pre-broadway tryout is in Chicago during a Polar Vortex. It's really great character work for the actors!!
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This might have been stated in this thread already but there is a short version on Frozen going into the Hyperion Theatre at Disney California Adventure in Anaheim sometime Spring/Summer of this year. It's replacing Aladdin. They will probably be trying out lots of effects as it will be a "permanent" sit-down production built for the theatre and will probably a testing ground for the Broadway production.