Spectacular: Imagination and whimsy triumph in Marriott’s ‘Frozen’
“Frozen the Broadway Musical” ― 3.5 stars
If producing a spectacle like “Frozen the Broadway Musical” on a proscenium stage poses a challenge, imagine staging it in the round.
Ashley Rodbro, director of Marriott Theatre’s buoyant revival, and her imaginative creative team met that challenge by emphasizing whimsy over bombast.
Consider, for example, the artfully conjured trek through the mountains by Princess Anna, ice harvester Kristoff, his faithful reindeer Sven and lovable snowman Olaf.
Costumed in designer Mara Blumenfeld’s wintry white, 19th-century Nordic-style coats and sporting fur-rimmed hats, chorus members use large swatches of glittery, opaque fabric and evergreen boughs to suggest Arendelle’s alpine range. The combination of Blumenfeld’s costumes and Katie Spelman’s kinetic choreography, which keeps the actors constantly moving on Marriott’s revolving stage, cleverly conveys the characters’ dogged search for Queen Elsa.
So effective was the fusion of sound designer Michael Daly’s whistling wind, designer Anthony Churchill’s crystalline projections and designer Bren Coombs’ snowfalls that I could have sworn I felt the temperature dip.
The action unfolds on Collette Pollard’s Scandinavian-inspired set, which pairs a flower-entwined latticework canopy with a floor that echoes a similar floral and basket weave design. The combination makes for what is perhaps Marriott’s loveliest stage ever.
Aside from a couple of technical hiccups opening night, the special effects complement Rodbro’s charming staging without overwhelming it.
But none of that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up like Morgan Anita Wood’s powerhouse “Let It Go.” Judging from the rapturous applause that greeted her first-act finale, I wasn’t alone.
Wood wasn’t the only actor to make an impression in her Marriott debut. The production also marks the first appearance at the theater of her irresistibly charismatic co-star Chloé Nadon-Enriquez, who plays younger sister Anna to Wood’s Elsa.
In all, seven of Rodbro’s 12 principals are new to the theater, including charmers Evelyn Dorough and Tessa Mae Pundsack, who play young Anna and Elsa.
Adapted from Disney’s Academy Award-winning 2013 film, the musical features a bouncy, pop-inspired score by composer/lyricists Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez. The book by Jennifer Lee combines a coming-of-age tale rooted in Elsa’s journey to self-acceptance with a celebration of unconditional sibling love.
Nadon-Enriquez’s unabashedly exuberant Anna is the yang to Wood’s stoically reserved Elsa’s yin.
The pint-sized princesses live happily until young Elsa injures the nonmagical Anna with an accidental flash of magic. Fearing for Anna’s safety, their parents (played by Michael Earvin Martin and Elizabeth Romero) separate the girls.
Estranged for years, the sisters reunite at Elsa’s coronation, where Anna falls in love with Hans (Justin Albinder), a seemingly charming prince from the Southern Isles. When Elsa’s magic erupts and sparks a midsummer blizzard, she flees to a mountain ice palace (delicately illuminated by lighting designer Jesse Klug).
Anna follows, assisted in her quest by Kristoff (an amiable David Moreland as the nice guy next door) and his soulful reindeer Sven. Played by actor/puppeteer Garrett Lutz, Sven is one of designer Jesse Mooney-Bullock’s two Disney-faithful puppets. Accompanying the trio is hug-loving snowman Olaf (a sweetly comic turn by actor/puppeteer Nick Berniger).
Also deserving mention is Darian Goulding’s near-scene-stealing performance as trading post proprietor/spa owner Oaken, who explains the significance of “Hygge” in the raucous act-two opener featuring spa clients wearing terry cloth towels while performing in a kick-line. Truly a hoot.
Musically, the production is first-rate. Ten instrumentalists conducted by Brad Haak accompany Marriott’s always strong chorus.
In addition to Wood’s “Let It Go,” the production’s highlights include Moreland’s sly “Reindeer(s) Are Better Than People,” the catchy “Love Is an Open Door,” which echoes the Barenaked Ladies, and Nadon-Enriquez’s breathless “For the First Time in Forever.”
Of course, no “Frozen” review would be complete without mentioning the familiar “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?” sweetly performed by Dorough and Pundsack.
Their number put a smile on my face that lingered for the rest of the show. Well done, all.
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Location: Marriott Theatre, 10 Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire, 847-634-0100, MarriottTheatre.com
Showtimes: 1 and 7 p.m. Wednesday; 7 p.m. Thursday; 7:30 p.m. Friday; 4 and 8 p.m. Saturday; and 1 and 5 p.m. Sunday through Jan. 3, 2027. Also, 1 p.m. select Thursdays
Tickets: Start at $80; dinner/theater packages available
Running time: About 2 hours, with intermission
Rating: For most audiences