Tea Time is officially open for business! For our inaugural episode, Mikayla sits down with Broadway actress McKenzie Kurtz - Drama Desk Award nominee, originator of Cassandra Stone in The Heart of Rock and Roll, and a performer whose credits span Anna in Frozen, Glinda in Wicked, and Annie Live!
Review: Disney's FROZEN at Hippodrome Theatre
Experience the Magic of Disney's FROZEN Live on Stage
By: Daniel Collins
If you’re a parent who wants to introduce your child to the world of Broadway musicals, look no further than Disney's Frozen, the Tony®-nominated Best Musical, playing a two-week premiere engagement at The Hippodrome Theater, 12 N.Eutaw Street in downtown Baltimore, now through Sunday, June 18th.
First, the theatrical production of Frozen is, of course, based on the insanely popular Disney animated (and Oscar-winning) film of the same name featuring songs undoubtedly familiar to your kids like “Do You Want to Build A Snowman” and “Let It Go”.
And what child (or adult for that matter) wouldn’t be captivated by a set that's more like a work of art, the kind found only in a Broadway production? The Hippodrome stage transforms seamlessly from a towering mountain castle aglow in the Northern Lights, to Queen Elsa (Howard County’s own Caroline Bowman)’s ice fortress of solitude, not to mention the special effects that were on par with what one might see in a David Copperfield magic show.
To help temper the shock-and-awe of Broadway spectacle there is, of course, comic relief. Major applause for puppeteers Dan Plehal and Jeremy Davis who bring Sven the reindeer and Olaf, the talking snowman, respectively, to vivid and humorous life.
If you’re not familiar with Frozen’s plot, it is reminiscent of many of Disney’s stories – themes like love conquers all, the strength found in family, the restorative joy of body odor jokes (a never-fail with kids) -- though with a few modern day twists. Frozen avoids the hackneyed trope of princess-saved-by-a-prince’s-kiss, and who isn’t intrigued by a story where one sister nearly kills another…TWICE?
As my theater companion noted, Frozen captures the Danish aesthetic, tapping into what has become the topic of assorted memes and TikTok videos, the concept of “Hygge” (the opening song for Act II), “a quality of coziness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being (regarded as a defining characteristic of Danish culture),” so sayeth the Google online dictionary.
Kudos to Christopher Oram for the magically colorful and creative costume and scenic design which is a feast for the eyes. Director Thomas Schumacher succeeds with an extremely talented cast of high-energy players; Lauren Nicole Chapman was a particular favorite with the audience in her role as Princess Anna, who brings a dash of vaudeville to her performance, her character growing from wide-eyed innocence into the staunch courage of a (cue Star Wars reference, thank you Disney) snowbound Princess Leia.
For tickets, you can contact the Hippodrome Box Office (M-F, 1-3 p.m. and show days 11 a.m. to curtain), online at Ticketmaster.com or by calling 800.982.ARTS.
MORE ON “FROZEN” -- Frozen has been created for the stage by an award-winning team and features the songs you know and love from the original Oscar®-winning film, plus an expanded score with a dozen new numbers by the film’s songwriters, Oscar winner Kristen Anderson-Lopez and EGOT winner Robert Lopez. Joining them on a creative team that has won a cumulative 16 Tony Awards are Oscar winner Jennifer Lee (book), Tony and Olivier Award winner Michael Grandage (director), and Tony winner Rob Ashford (choreographer).
The creative team for Frozen also includes scenic and costume design by two-time Tony and Olivier Award winner Christopher Oram, lighting design by six-time Tony Award winner Natasha Katz, sound design by seven-time Tony nominee Peter Hylenski, video design by Tony winner Finn Ross, puppet design by Michael Curry, hair design by David Brian Brown, makeup design by Anne Ford-Coates, special effects design by Jeremy Chernick and casting by The Telsey Office/Rachel Hoffman, CSA and Laura Wade, CSA.
Two-time Tony Award winner Stephen Oremus is music supervisor and creates vocal, incidental and dance arrangements. He is joined on the music team by Tony nominee Dave Metzger (orchestrations), Chris Montan (executive music producer), David Chase (additional dance arrangements), and Faith Seetoo (music director). Anne Quart serves as co-producer.
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Podcasts
This week on Odd Woman Out, Tutz sits down with McKenzie Kurtz — and honestly? Theatre kids everywhere are going to lose their minds a little. Currently starring as Betsy in the Tony-nominated musical Schmigadoon!
67. Elsa and Norma and Karen, Oh My! (with Caroline Bowman)
She’s come home at last! Caroline Bowman (Sentimental Men’s second ever guest!) is back on the pod to tell the boys what she’s been up to since 2020. You’ll hear about the five years she spent playing Elsa on the Frozen national tour, her first time standing by in the Sunset Boulevard revival and the epic story of how she booked Smash on Broadway.
#2 - Alicia Albright: Wicked, Frozen
Super Swings Podcast was recorded as an immersive audio experience by Vrialto Productions. Please listen with headphones to get the full immersive audio experience. Alicia Albright is a dynamic Broadway performing artist and choreographer based in NYC, and the founder of The Feed Your Soul Project.
Star of Broadway’s Frozen, Patti Murin, speaks openly about the importance of mental health, coping with anxiety, and finding balance in life.
Santino Fontana takes us behind the scenes of what it took to get Carol Burnett to introduce the Hal Prince Award at this year’s Drama Desk Awards. Santino describes what it’s like to be in the center of a Tootsie tornado and his secret Frozen identity.
54. When All Your Dreams Come True (with McKenzie Kurtz)
It’s good to hear her on the pod, isn’t it? McKenzie Kurtz is here to talk all about growing up with Wicked, getting The Call on Thanksgiving and reuniting with Alyssa Joy Fox for Wicked’s 20th Anniversary.
Jelani Alladin Live at BroadwayCon!
In July of this summer, I did my very first BroadwayCon, which is an annual conference here in New York City about all things Broadway and theater, and while I was there, I got to be a part of events hosted by the Broadway Podcast Network.
Ep233 - Alyssa Fox: From Elsa to Ephaba
Alyssa Fox is currently in "Wicked" on Broadway as Elphaba standby, having been a part of "Wicked" for around 12 years now. Her lifelong dream of becoming true Disney royalty and growing up watching Disney movies was her first introduction to acting and singing and theatrical expression.
Ryan McCartan, Curtain Up! Ryan and Eli talk about: Liv and Maddie. Heathers The Musical. Wicked. Broadway Debut. Frozen. Rocky Horror Picture Show. Audiences seeing performances and not personal life. Growth through pandemic. Industry contracts.
Ep65 - Jacob Smith, Macavity in Waterloo Community Playhouse (Iowa)
"I poke out as as Alonzo singing 'Were you blind when you're born?' full tilt at my father two feet away I will never forget for the rest of my life he noticed me and jumped probably two feet out of his seat." This episode features Jacob Smith who you probably know from his time on Broadway in Frozen but performed as Macavity early in his theater journey at the Waterloo Community Playhouse in Iowa.
What is better than being a Disney Prince 🤴🏻? Being a Disney Villain, of course!! 😈 Jake Smith is a force to be reckoned with and he joins us on today’s show! 🤩 This talented young man wants to make a stamp on the history of Musical Theatre and without a doubt, we believe he will!
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Student Solo Recital McDaniel College (11/13-11/13) |
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Lighting Round Maryland Ensemble Theatre (12/11-12/11) |
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Fall Over Laughing with The Comedy Pigs Maryland Ensemble Theatre (11/07-11/07) |
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Cult of Love Round House Theatre (11/18-12/27) |
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The Dinner Detective Baltimore True Crime Murder Mystery Show The Dinner Detective Baltimore (11/14-11/14) |
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Godspell Bowen Theater at Maryland Hall (3/05-3/21) |
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Bach's Reformation Celebration Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church (11/01-11/01) |
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The Wizard of Oz Toby's Dinner Theatre (3/20-6/07) |
Reader Reviews
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