Transitioning an epic Disney blockbuster set in a frozen winter to an outdoor stage during a muggy, Midwest summer is no easy task — making this stunning directorial debut by Alyssa and DJ Shultz all the more impressive. Frozen at the Muni is big, beautiful and packed full of fun surprises and talented performers who bring the iconic characters to life.
“I felt a lot of responsibility doing a Disney show and getting first-time theatergoers, so we wanted to deliver something that would make people not just want to come back to the Muni but continue to go see community theater,” Alyssa said.
The Disney magic is especially important to this husband-and-wife director team who were married in Disney World, and Alyssa grew up going to Disney.
“My grandparents worked at the hot dog stand in Disney World so I got to go for free whenever because Disney is amazing to their employees,” she said.
If you’re one of the five people who escaped the Frozen phenomenon, here’s a recap: It is loosely based on the 1844 Hans Christian Anderson fairytale, The Snow Queen, and tells the story of two orphaned princess sisters and their devotion to one another. Also, one has magical ice powers.
Disney tried to adapt the story for decades, dating all the way back to Walt himself in the 1930s. The breakthrough finally happened when creators made the snow queen into the hero instead of a flat, evil character, changing the story into one of self-exploration and familial love.
The stage production opens much like the film, introducing us to young Elsa and Anna playing inside the castle. Delightfully portrayed by Genevieve Kent and Emmy Craven, respectively, both young actors bring a wonderful depth to their roles. They balance humor and sentimentality with ease, delivering beautiful vocal performances that immediately transport the audience into their magical world.
Flash forward to the girls all grown up, both dreaming of a different life, on Elsa’s coronation day. Brooke Seacrist makes a perfectly hilarious and madcap Anna. Her stunning vocals soar and the bubbly, social awkwardness of Anna is on full display. She meets and impulsively falls for Prince Hans, played aptly by Sam Steere, who delivers Hans’s dual nature, making his transition from charming prince to calculating villain very believable.
Stephanie Myre takes on the difficult role of Elsa and will impress from the first notes of the sad and lovely new song, “Dangerous to Dream.” However, what will have kids and adults losing their minds is the classic “Let it Go,” as it is colossally awesome. Not only does Myre perfectly embody Elsa’s transition from nervous wreck to empowered ice queen, but the staging and special effects are a showstopping jolt of pure theatrical joy. Prepare for young theatergoers (and a few of us older ones) to be scream-singing along.
Olaf’s entrance is equally exciting, and Tim Conner nails the role. He so superbly captures the wide-eyed naïveté of the recently-created Olaf that it’s hard to believe he’s acting. One gets the notion that he may just wander off the stage and out of the theater, humming to himself in full costume.
Jack McLaughlin’s Kristoff is pitch-perfect Disney accurate and William Burg nimbly prances around the stage as Sven. The funniest part of the show takes place at Wandering Oaken’s Trading Post with Jimmy Tapocik’s hilarious portrayal of the cheerful Norwegian shopkeeper, Oaken. His song, the standout act-two opener, “Hygge,” is a campy, uproarious romp and he delivers it with flawless comedic timing and a tongue-in-cheek charisma.
“It is front to back joy with some nods to the adults bringing their kids in, so it’s a lot of fun,” said Tapocik.
Some other cast stand-outs are Gil Opferman, who remarkably resembles the animated Weselton, Patrick Regan as King Agnarr, and Gabi Dart and Cohen Clemmer in the dancing ensemble. Livy Craven and Wyatt Vespa are heartwarming as the hidden folk children, and Dequan Harrison lights up every dance number with exceptional talent.
The costumes are lush and professional; the set has many intricately painted moving pieces and the choral numbers sound full and lovely. Audiences of Frozen — The Musical at the Muni are going to be swept away into the emotional heart of this dazzling production.
“We tried to recreate the Disney vibe as soon as you walk through the doors. It was go big or go home, so we pulled out all the stops,” DJ said.
