Anna, Elsa, Olaf, and yes, Let It Go.
Disney’s Frozen the musical is bringing a chill to the Australian summer from December 2020, with everything you love about the story of two sisters plus a whole lot of extra goodness.
The Broadway show has been playing at New York's St James Theatre, and now it’s going international: With Australia as its first stop.
Here’s a sneak peak at what to expect when Frozen the musical comes to Sydney. Post continues below video.
Grab your girlfriends, your partner, the kids and a glass of champers, because here’s what you can expect when Arendelle lands at Sydney’s Capitol Theatre.
Some serious magic.
Okay, so. It’s a Broadway show. Which means it’s all got to be… real, happening right in front of your eyes.
One of the most impressive things about Frozen the musical is just how quickly you are transported to a place where a person (albeit, a magical ice queen person) can conjure up snow in her hands, cause an eternal winter and make an ice home greater than anything you’ll find on realestate.com.au.
Associate Producer at Disney Theatrical Australia Paula McKinnon tells Mamamia the lead up to the production going to stage requires more than a year of planning, putting together and practice, and it certainly pays off.
The combination of costuming, lighting, sound and sets is so well done you'll leave the theatre wondering whether, if you just try hard enough, a snowflake could fly out of your hand.
A little something for all ages.
If you're a parent planning to take along the kids, rest assured there will be other little Elsas, Annas, Kristoffs and Olafs in the theatre.
But the crowd will be full of adults too, including friends on a girl's night out or couples along for date night.
Everyone watching will definitely know all the words to Let It Go and recognise a lot of moments from the film, but there's also plenty of new scenes, songs (it has more than twice as many musical numbers as the movie) and jokes to keep you on your toes.
Bonus: A lot of those jokes will go right over the little ones heads because... they're a bit more adult. And if you say you're not surprised/amused/thoroughly entertained by the opening scene of the second act, I won't believe you.
A deeper dive into the Frozen sisters.
With so much extra content not in the movie, Frozen the musical gives us a much deeper look into the characters. Especially Anna and Elsa, and their relationship.
Caissie Levy played Elsa in the Broadway show for more than two years and told Mamamia she loves that we learn more about the characters.
"I was so surprised and amazed by how much deeper the stage production takes the relationship between the two women, with all the new material and especially with Elsa; how much more information we get about her story and her feelings," she says.
Then there's moments we already know so well, that are different to their movie counterparts and give an extra insight into the characters and the story.
"As much as people think they know Let It Go, the stage version is quite different," Paula explains. "It’s so dynamic and it’s really thrilling to watch a performer sing like that… You can’t help but get goosebumps by it."
Sisterhood.
The story of Frozen is all about sisterhood, and Paula tells Mamamia she believes that's partly why the story resonates so well.
"I have a sister, an older sister, and dare I say we are very much like an Elsa and an Anna in personality… Growing up we had this really antagonistic relationship and it wasn’t really until we had time apart that we found what our relationship was and what we meant to each other and I think there’s so much of that in the story of Frozen.
“It’s nice to have a personal connection to it and I think so many women, and families in general, will have very similar stories. Whether your sister’s your best friend or whether or not you’ve had a fraught relationship with family through the years but found yourselves back together."
Levy agrees.
"It’s just such a strong theme, even for someone who doesn’t have sisters," she says.
"I have two brothers but I immediately saw my relationships with them in Elsa and Anna and it’s very rare to see that on stage."
The sisterhood storyline is relatable, but its also a theme that continues backstage and into every part of the production.
"Something that we’ve really tried to build over the years with our Australian team is to really try and diversify through our crew as much as we can, and really give people opportunities in fields where perhaps they hadn’t really existed before," Paula explains.
For Caissie, being part of Frozen has been a pretty unique theatre opportunity.
"This is my sixth Broadway show and it’s the first time I’ve ever done a show that doesn’t revolve around a man," she says.
She says she's excited to find out the Australian casting, which is to be announced in February, and is happy there's such a strong female contingent tackling the task down under.
It's women telling women's stories in a positive, compassionate and powerful environment. Because women understand.
"The expectation put on Elsa, the perfectionism that she struggles with, the way women inherently feel pressure to look after everyone around them - in their families and their communities," Caissie says.
"It just allows us to go so much deeper with these stories."
Frozen begins performances at Sydney's Capitol Theatre from December 1 2020. Tickets are available now from frozenthemusical.com.au, with accessible pricing options.
A flexible COVID-19 exchange policy has been implemented, allowing guests who are unwell to exchange their tickets free of charge to a new performance or offer a refund if a suitable alternative date cannot be found.
Disney Theatrical Productions will continue to follow all state and federal government advice and should advice or circumstances change, patrons will be contacted as soon as possible. No patron is allowed to attend the theatre if they are symptomatic, have tested positive to COVID-19 or are awaiting test results.
The Capitol Theatre will operate in accordance with its Covid Safe Plan with the goal of ensuring that your experience at the theatre is made as safe as reasonably possible. The Covid Safe Plan applicable at the time of your visit will be made available on the theatre’s website.
Chelsea McLaughlin travelled to New York as a guest of Disney Theatrical Productions Australia.