“From the opening curtain, Frozen will delight and enchant you“
“Jemma Rix is a commanding presence …[her] rendition of ‘Let It Go’ is hands down the best there is‘… [and] Chloe Delle-Vedove as Anna on opening night undeniably capturing our hearts”
” It felt incredible to be back in the theatre, albeit very different from how it was… but a triumphant one in the face of so much hardship this year… Magic as it’s seen in Frozen might not be real, but the magic of theatre certainly is”
– Alana Kaye
5 fractals
The high rating might be my sentimentality talking, because it was my first night back in the theatre since the beginning of the year. But I’m pretty sure Frozen is going to be a smash hit.
This production, which opened at the Capitol Theatre in Sydney last night, is the first in the world outside the US.
Lovers of the Disney animated movie, young and old, will not be disappointed in this stage adaptation. There are slight variations to the story, but mostly it’s a fairly true retelling of the original.
In a nutshell, two royal princesses, Anna & Elsa, are sisters pulled apart by magic and secrets, and brought together again by love (and a talking snowman). You’ll have to see the show to find out more.
And before I go into detail, let’s get the elephant in the room out of the way – that being the now infamous song, ‘Let It Go’. We’ve heard countless versions of it since Idina Menzel made it famous in the movie, from a cappella and acoustic versions to celebrity covers and everything in between. Still, it stands as a musical power ballad, and is completely fitting to close Act I. So… did Sydney deliver the goods? Abso-bloody-lutely. Jemma Rix’s rendition of ‘Let It Go’ is hands down the best there is. It’s a goosebumps-all-over, spine-tingling, no-dry-eye-in-the-house end to the first half.
From the opening curtain, Frozen will delight and enchant you. The two girls playing the young princesses are delightful, with Chloe Delle-Vedove as Anna on opening night undeniably capturing our hearts.
Rix as Elsa and Courtney Monsma as Anna have a gorgeous chemistry that’s wonderfully highlighted in ‘I Can’t Lose You’ in Act II. Rix is a commanding presence, and it’s a great role for her. Her powerhouse vocals are on point. Monsma captivates as the goofy, loveable younger sister, and also has excellent vocals. Her comedic timing is bang on, and ‘Love Is An Open Door’ with Thomas McGuane as Hans was fantastic. McGuane also stands out vocally.
Another shining performer is Matt Lee as Olaf, the talking snowman who likes warm hugs. Lee’s outstanding vocals alone would impress anyone, but to sing as well as he did while puppeteering and dancing is no mean feat. His ‘In Summer’ is a highlight of the first half. Another song that needs to be mentioned is ‘Hygge’ that opens Act II — an utterly delightful addition since the movie version.
Sven the Reindeer gets an honourable mention too. He’s a gorgeous piece of design work, and is manipulated sensationally by Jonathan Macmillan and Lochie McIntyre.
There are a couple of weaker performers, perhaps only highlighted because the rest of the cast are so strong, and one tiny technical mishap that I saw on opening night, which does take the sparkle out of the show, but only a fraction. But for a show that is so heavily technical, this should be forgiven. The whole technical design and execution team are witches and wizards, I’m sure of it.
Also, visually this show is stunning. Designer Christopher Oram has created sumptuous sets and costumes that capture the beauty and nature of Norway. His palace is grand without being obscene, and his winter fjord landscapes are harsh but magical. Oram’s costumes are fairly true to the originals, but with a welcome contemporary twist (hello Elsa in a pantsuit!).
Book-wise (written by Jennifer Lee) the focus really is, as it should be, the relationship between the two sisters. But Anna’s final romantic love story did seem to be glossed over far too much, so that at the end it all happens far too quickly without much explanation or buildup. I think the film does a better job at telling this little part of the story, but that certainly doesn’t affect the overall storytelling of this production.
As I mentioned at the very beginning, it was an emotional night. It felt incredible to be back in the theatre, albeit very different from how it was. Mandatory masks, sanitising stations everywhere, no standing around… a very different opening night. But a triumphant one in the face of so much hardship this year. It was an incredible moment to be a part of.
Magic as it’s seen in Frozen might not be real, but the magic of theatre certainly is.
Frozen is playing at the Capitol Theatre until May 2021.
Alana Kaye – Theatre Now
Photos by Lisa Tomasetti
