The blue hues are not just for the cool ice in “Frozen” but also for the heat.
For, whoa, Elsa, the blockbuster Disney musical that opened Saturday at the Children’s Theatre Company in Minneapolis is electric and sizzling.
Tiffany Nichole Greene’s spectacular staging boasts eye-catching design, arresting performances and tons of beautifully crafted moments. The show not only marks a new high watermark for CTC, which has had much excellent work in its Tony-winning history that includes “Diary of a Wimpy Kid.”
Importantly, Greene’s production improves on Michael Grandage’s Broadway production. The storytelling of this “Frozen” is crisper, clearer and more lyrical. Greene’s gloss also deepens the dramaturgy to make it a much richer experience.
A quick example: In “Frozen,” as in many shows, romantic love is an answer to all our problems. But Greene stages her production so that we see that filial affection between separated sisters Elsa (Gillian Jackson Han) and Anna (Julia Ennen) is just as likely an answer to the problems ailing their world.
And, in fact, “Frozen” shines like a restoration musical, but one in which the return to a rightful order is not simply about a throne or court, but about a reconciliation between two women repairing their supernatural estrangement.
As you may remember, the plot of this juggernaut is simple. From an early age, Princess Elsa has powers to deliver fearsome weather. But she is not fully able to control her gifts and so has to be sent away for her own safety — lest people think she’s a witch, or something — and for the safety of those around her.
After their parents die, Elsa is crowned queen, but on her coronation day, her passion gets the best of her and she turns the kingdom to ice. Anna sets off to find her and to remedy the situation. Like Dorothy on her way to Oz, Anna picks up some colorful characters along the way, namely woodsman Kristoff (Matthew Hall), Sven the reindeer (Adam Jones) and Olaf the snowman (Laura Marie).
