Last Saturday night's Alabama Shakespeare Festival performance of Disney's Frozen: the Broadway Musical didn't suffer much from the Iron Bowl, as the audience was engaged for the full two-hour running time. -- Based on Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen" and the popular animated Disney movie version, the move to the stage kick-started the Christmas Season in the River Region and offered some lessons on the value of family relationships.
Director Quin Gresham takes us to the kingdom of Arendelle, where young princesses -- Elsa [Chrisette Nichols] and Anna [Sabrina Santana] on Saturday night -- discover Elsa's unchecked power to turn everything into snow and ice, and when she accidentally injures Anna, their parents [Darian Troy and Grace Brad "GB"] separate them for their mutual safety, and only Elsa knows why.
Years later, their parents having died at sea, Elsa [Kyrie Courter] is about to be crowned Queen while Anna [Sabrina Santana] tries to re-connect with her sister. -- With the help of Kristoff [Dominic Giovanni] and a reindeer named Sven [puppeteer Zae Clark], the assistance of a comical snowman Olaf [puppeteer Dana Snyder], and the persistent attentions of Prince Hans [Spencer LaRue], Anna and Elsa eventually show us the firm bonds of family that encapsulate the importance of family love.
Gifted with accomplished singing voices, the principal roles are at their best in solos and duets. Mr. Troy and Ms. Brad shine in "Northern Lights". Mr. Giovanni's presentation of "Kristoff Lullaby" is especially touching; Ms. Santana's duets with Mr. LaRue ["Love is an Open Door"] and with Mr. Giovanni ["What Do You Know About Love"] challenge our perceptions of love. And the sisters' rendering of "I Can't Lose You" reaches a significant emotional depth. The production's singular anthem "Let It Go" by Ms. Courter is powerful.
Unfortunately, there are several times in this production when song lyrics and/or spoken dialogue containing important expository information are hard to hear [I overheard a number of audience members discussing this during the intermission]. -- This is a common occurrence in local theatres; whether from over-amplification of the musical score, or from energetic stage action during "production numbers", a better sound balance might be achieved.
Production values continue the excellent standard expected of ASF's creative team: deceptively simple set designs [Scott Davis] are enhanced by creative projections [Kylee Loera and Taylor Gordon]; a stunning array of costumes [Brad Musgrove] for both principal actors and ensemble performers; masterful puppets [Big Top Theatre Company] that the actors inhabit well; atmospheric lighting [Christopher Brusberg], all of which contribute to character development and furthering the plot.
Whether you know the play well from watching the Disney movie, or are a newcomer to this version of Andersen's story, you will probably get caught up in the story, delight in the songs and the visuals, and leave the theatre feeling a bit better about the possibilities of human relationships.
