Disney’s Frozen The Musical takes over our sunny Singapore with amazing visuals, choreography and musical theatre powerhouses.
Brrr… it’s getting cold here. And it’s not just because of Singapore’s stormy weather. Disney’s Frozen the Musical has landed on our shores. It’ll be staged at the Sands Theatre at Marina Bay Sands from now until 19 March 2023 – marking Singapore as its only Southeast Asian stop.
Fair warning: As a fan of the original 2013 hit animated movie, this review may be a tad biased but I’m not kidding when I say the musical is great for all theatre lovers and the young at heart.
Theatre review: Disney’s Frozen The Musical
The tale of two sisters – Elsa, the Queen of Arendelle who struggles to contain her icy magic powers, and her spirited sister Anna, who saves the day when her sister accidentally sets eternal winter to their kingdom – comes to life through this adaptation.
As with every Disney production (Aladdin, The Lion King), these folks pull out the big guns with production design, sets and costumes. In fact, there are over 400 costumes on stage, with 120 custom-made pairs of shoes and 90 handmade hats. Elsa’s dazzling dress takes 60 days to create and is adorned with 14,000 beads and Swarovski crystals. Now, that is some attention to detail!
Step inside the kingdom of Arendelle
And then came the gala premiere. The musical began with the upbeat ‘Vuelie’ and quickly introduced us to the adorable young Elsa and Anna. Eight brilliant young talents collectively share the roles, some chosen from the nationwide audition that was held in September 2022.
‘Do You Want to Build a Snowman?’ sets the tone for the show. Sarah O’Connor is brilliant as Anna. She puts her own spin on the spritely, sometimes clumsy, flirtatious, and outspoken sister. We loved how the song introduced each character, including Kristoff (an earnest rendition by Brendan Xavier), and his sidekick Sven. Mad props to Yvan Karlsson and Evan Strand, the actors who brought grace to the physically demanding role of the reindeer. But it’s Jemma Rix that wears the pants (no really, she dons a kickass jumpsuit in the second act). She may be the Snow Queen of Arendelle but her singing is a ball of fire.
The hit songs that warmed our frozen hearts
We started picking favourites and quickly warmed up to Anna and Hans’ ‘Love Is An Open Door’. It was tough to hate Thomas Mcguane, who plays – spoiler alert, the villain – Hans. The charismatic actor gave us major Prince Charming vibes and his chemistry with O’Connor was sizzling. Keep a lookout for their cute dance battle where Anna takes her gown for a spin. Trivia: the custom ribbon embroidery on her gown is done by hand and took over 100 hours to create.
Of course, the character that fetched the most cheer was everyone’s favourite snowman, Olaf. We were astonished by Matt Lee’s multi-tasking skills as he brought the puppet to life while effortlessly belting out ‘Summer’. There’s tap dancing involved, too! Don’t shoot me but I might have enjoyed his version more than the original movie.
Finally, the first act ended with everyone’s favourite ‘Let It Go’. Rix adds depth to the moving song. She sings ‘conceal, don’t feel’ but damn, we felt every bit of it. We were practically at the edge of our seats as the set transformed into the dazzling North Mountain – it is filled with over 55,000 Swarovski crystals after all, oof. And don’t blink as you might miss her magnificent dress change. Talk about Disney magic!
Yoo hoo, big summer blowout!
Fans of the animated movie will be thrilled that the musical reenacts some popular scenes. Oaken, the shopkeeper of Wandering Oaken’s Trading Post and Sauna, as well as the trolls make an appearance.
And did we mention the attention to detail? You’ll notice Anna’s wig slowly change to white after she’s accidentally struck by her sister. Ice shards illuminate the stage whenever Elsa can’t control her powers. We watched in awe as Elsa magically flicked her glove and cloak away before ‘Let It Go’.
Love will thaw
Aside from a slight dip during the second act, Frozen the Musical is a magical threat, with a stellar ensemble, choreography that disguises as storytelling, and impressive visual effects that transformed our sunny Singapore into the icy kingdom of Arendalle. A must-watch with the fam!
Disney’s Frozen The Musical, until 19 March 2023, from $88, Tue-Thurs: 8pm; Fri: 8pm; Sat: 2pm and 8pm; Sun: 1pm and 6.30pm, Sands Theatre at Marina Bay Sands, B1, 4 Bayfront Avenue, Singapore 018973
