Review: FROZEN at Alabama Shakespeare Festival

When a hit film is adapted to the stage, it always raises an important question: "Is it worth it to see the play, or should I just stay home and watch the movie that I already love?" In the case of the Alabama Shakespeare Festival production of Frozen, the answer is, "yes, definitely." The Alabama Shakespeare Festival has a Broadway extravaganza on stage that can please both Frozen fans and other theatergoers.

On this Thanksgiving weekend, I'm thankful that the Alabama Shakespeare Festival did not create a production that was a mindless copycat of the film. Rather, this production is its own work of art, and fans will be rewarded for identifying differences between the film and what they see and hear on stage. There are changes big and small, but all of them are in keeping with the spirit and message of Frozen that so many people find appealing.

One of the most surprising changes is that the world of Frozen feels so much bigger and grander on stage than it does in the film. Director Quin Gresham fills the stage with ensemble who play townspeople, ball guests, "hidden folk" (instead of trolls), and more. The ensemble's vocal power (under the supervision of music director Joel Jones, with some vital work from sound designer Zach Moore) makes the cast sound like a larger group than it is. Throughout the show, the ensemble blends modern vocal stylings with powerful Broadway harmonies to create an Arendelle that is both traditional and contemporary.

Gresham also creates a bigger world on stage by making the action and the visuals larger than life. This happens early on with the ball scene (in which about a dozen ensemble members glide through Sam Hay's choreography in glistening costumes designed by Brad Musgrove) and becomes more noticeable as Elsa's powers are unleashed. The mix of projections (designed by Kylee Loera and Taylor Gordon) and practical special effects are appealing and memorable.

Frozen also benefits from having real people tell the story, instead of animated characters teetering on the edge of the uncanny valley. Elsa and Anna's sisterhood is much more authentic, and Christoff's feelings for Anna grow organically from their situation when portrayed by live actors. On the other hand, Prince Hans's character twist still comes out of nowhere and remains disconnected from all of his earlier scenes (which is proof that moving Frozen to the stage does not fix all of the film's shortcomings.)

But overall, the story still works better as a live musical than as a movie. The stage version of the show improves upon the film in Jennifer Lee's script (based on her screenplay of the movie). The stage version's second act fixes the film's most egregious plot hole by revealing why Elsa never told Anna the reason for the distance between them. Additionally, compressing the story to streamline the action and limit the number of locations clarifies the action and makes the stage show move faster -- even though it is actually about 30 minutes longer. (Gresham's masterful pacing in every scene likely helps with making the evening pass by quickly.) The new songs (by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez) don't add much to the story, but they're pleasant enough.

As Anna, Sabrina Santana is a delightful little dynamo who brings joy to all her scenes. To contrast with the film again, Santana portrays Anna as assertive and empathetic, rather than petulant and impulsive. Santata is especially charming in "For the First Time in Forever" and "Love Is an Open Door," both of which are staged to showcase Santana's energy and the character's bubbly excitement. The contrast with the stoic Elsa (played by Kyrie Courter) is dramatically compelling and brings tension into their scenes together. Courter shines most, though, when her character breaks free of her constraints. This happens most notably in "Let It Go," but also in the quieter scenes in the second act and in the new song "I Can't Lose You." Throughout the play, Courter has a flawless performance that melted this cynical critic's heart.

The male leads can hold their own in this feminist fairy tale. As Prince Hans, Spencer LaRue is a dashing Disney prince, and he charms his way into Anna's heart. LaRue's voice is ideal for musical theatre, and he provided some masculine grounding in "Love Is an Open Door" to prevent the song from becoming ridiculous. LaRue also gives Hans the needed dignitas to command others after the script hurriedly delegates Hans authority over Arendelle in a single line of dialogue. (Wait... Who was the regent in Arendelle before Elsa was crowned, and why can't they take over again? Why is everyone OK with a visiting foreigner running the kingdom?) However, I found myself more drawn towards Dominic Giovanni as Kristoff. Giovanni brings a dose of realism to all of his scenes, especially when criticizing the shopkeeper for price gouging and telling Anna how poorly thought-out her plan is. In a play full of royalty, courtiers, Spirit Folk, and even a magical snowman, Kristoff is the only ordinary working joe, and Frozen benefits from Giovanni's down-to-earth practicality. Giovanni makes Kristoff compelling, especially as he shows his bond with his reindeer sidekick Sven or cautiously reveals his feelings for Anna.

Dana Snyder plays Olaf via a puppet designed by Big Top Theatre Company. Snyder's performance is the bulk of the play's comic relief. Though the role is reduced compared to the film, "In Summer" is still the cutesy crowd-pleaser that fans expect. Snyder skillfully gives life to the puppet and fades into the background to let Olaf take over. 

The Olaf and Sven puppets will get the most attention, but Frozen has other visuals that make the evening truly magical. Musgrove's costumes are a triumph. Inspired by the film, but not copying it, the costumes are one of the production's major selling points. I was particularly captivated by Prince Hans's initial costume: a long white jacket decorated with sparkling accents, a shiny multicolored vest and a silky, dark cravat. Even his epaulettes shimmered! Even amid the other sumptuous costumes at the coronation ball, Hans stood out from the crowd. (No wonder he caught Anna's eye!) But I also admired Kristoff's fur-lined winter clothes that emphasized the character's occupation as an ice salesman and his social background. Musgrove also made a daring choice to clothe Elsa in a jumpsuit for her final scenes, which was a final reminder that the point of the play is not to recreate the film on stage.

The projections were less elaborate than Alabama Shakespeare Festival audiences have seen in recent productions like Murder on the Orient Express and The Wizard of Oz. Many of the ice effects were projected onto the set (designed by Scott Davis) that was painted like wood decorated with a colored flower motif. The problem is that this background made the projections sometimes look muddy, and not like crisp, icy designs. This improved when a whiter backdrop was available for the mountain scenes, however.