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Thursday, September 09, 2021
Review Roundup: Disney's FROZEN Opens on the West End!
www.broadwayworld.com: The West End production of Frozen has officially opened at the newly refurbished Theatre Royal Drury Lane on 8 September 2021. Read the reviews for the show's UK debut below!
6 comments:
Sidney R.
said...
Frozen honestly sounds really fun, but multiple reviews comment on the fact that it's a bit too bland. It's important to acknowledge what the target audience for the production is. Yes, adults should be able to enjoy it too, but it definitely appeals to kids more. When my parents would take me to see Disney movies as a kid, I'm sure they tagged along to watch me first and foremost. Frozen also has more of a light, commercial appeal for those less familiar with musical theatre, which seems to be the pattern for Disney Theatricals, so maybe we shouldn't take such a critical eye to it. Also, I was excited to read that the Theatre Royal Drury Lane has been revamped because this is probably the perfect time to do so. With shows constantly occupying this popular West End location, I'm sure they wouldn't want to shut it down again. When I saw at Drury Lane a few years ago, it did look like it could've used a refresher.
I really like the Frozen musical, and even more surprising to me when I saw it in New York, was how much my parents loved it. So much so they went to see it on tour when it came to Seattle. Like Sidney said it is important to consider the target audience of this show when being critical of it. This show is designed to be a magical theatre experience for fans of the movie, which are mostly children. The new songs in this musical, I think add a lot more depth to the characters of Anna and Elsa, and the story is interesting and the spectacle of a Disney Theatrics show is there, that I think a lot of audiences will enjoy it. And it seems like overall the reviews are really good of this West End show. I am so excited Samantha Barks is playing Elsa. I really like her and would love to see this show with her as Elsa.
I was not aware Disney’s Frozen was set to open on the West End, yet I could not be more thrilled it has! For one thing, the Broadway run closed “unexpectedly” during quarantine– which I guess is no big deal considering many other shows closed, but what makes this case different is the fact that no one saw it coming. Nevertheless, I am happy to hear the production will once again present itself on a big stage with an amazingly talented cast featuring Samantha Barks as Elsa.
What is perhaps most shocking, however, is the reviews Frozen has received. As with any Disney Theatrics production, much can be expected from the design aspect. I mean, it is a company that unarguably has money to spend. That being said, Jennifer Lee’s work on furthering the cracker's arches and developing not only a musical enjoyed by kids, but one enjoyed by adults is spectacular. Cannot wait to hopefully see it someday!
I was surprised to hear that “Frozen” is reopening on West End. Sure, Disney’s Frozen closed unexpectedly on Broadway, but I was not personally a huge fan of the production. I saw it in Summer 2019. I was thrilled by the technical aspects of the show. I thought the projection was intergraded flawlessly. I also thought the lighting design by Natasha Katz was beautiful. It was clear no expense was spared on the show. However, the cast’s performances felt a bit underwhelming. It was very clearly geared to children. Which was great but tickets were a bit pricey and seemed to not sell well. The closing of a Disney production is shocking with their endless supply of funding, but to me it made sense that Frozen closed. When audiences return to Broadway, I would assume they would want productions of more substance. I am interested to see if the West End production has better success.
I am so surprised and happy to hear that Frozen will be opening up at the West End! At one of my first jobs at 14 I had the honor of sewing many of the costumes for the New York City Broadway production of Frozen. I remember making tons of troll costumes and a very large cloak that would eventually be cut from the show due to its immense size. Anyway, it saddened me so much when Frozen on Broadway closed, because I had spent an entire summer helping make many of the costumes seen in the show. I sadly, never got to see the show live either, but I may have to check out the West End Frozen production if Im ever in the UK. I am not a big fan of Disney films or when they get adapted to live theater, but I had such a personal connection with the production that reading this article made me incredibly happy. I thought some of the reviews on the performance where a bit harsh as Frozen is more meant for children and thereby dose not need to have the more edgy feel that adults gravitate to.
I can never forget when I saw Frozen on Broadway. To be perfectly honest, the storyline itself did not appeal as much (it was alright, but not wow). But every other theatrical element -- from lighting, to sound, scenic and costume -- amazed me. It was very sensorily satisfying. I’m so happy to see that Frozen will open on the West End because it means that more audiences will be able to enjoy the spectacular show. I expect there will be mixed reviews though -- it’s a show for kids, not all adults enjoy it. Just knowing who the target audience is has made me much more forgiving. I wonder if they made any changes from the Broadway version. I know Frozen also performs on Disney Cruise Line's Disney Wish, so I’m expecting some minor differences between each version.
6 comments:
Frozen honestly sounds really fun, but multiple reviews comment on the fact that it's a bit too bland. It's important to acknowledge what the target audience for the production is. Yes, adults should be able to enjoy it too, but it definitely appeals to kids more. When my parents would take me to see Disney movies as a kid, I'm sure they tagged along to watch me first and foremost. Frozen also has more of a light, commercial appeal for those less familiar with musical theatre, which seems to be the pattern for Disney Theatricals, so maybe we shouldn't take such a critical eye to it. Also, I was excited to read that the Theatre Royal Drury Lane has been revamped because this is probably the perfect time to do so. With shows constantly occupying this popular West End location, I'm sure they wouldn't want to shut it down again. When I saw at Drury Lane a few years ago, it did look like it could've used a refresher.
I really like the Frozen musical, and even more surprising to me when I saw it in New York, was how much my parents loved it. So much so they went to see it on tour when it came to Seattle. Like Sidney said it is important to consider the target audience of this show when being critical of it. This show is designed to be a magical theatre experience for fans of the movie, which are mostly children. The new songs in this musical, I think add a lot more depth to the characters of Anna and Elsa, and the story is interesting and the spectacle of a Disney Theatrics show is there, that I think a lot of audiences will enjoy it. And it seems like overall the reviews are really good of this West End show. I am so excited Samantha Barks is playing Elsa. I really like her and would love to see this show with her as Elsa.
I was not aware Disney’s Frozen was set to open on the West End, yet I could not be more thrilled it has! For one thing, the Broadway run closed “unexpectedly” during quarantine– which I guess is no big deal considering many other shows closed, but what makes this case different is the fact that no one saw it coming. Nevertheless, I am happy to hear the production will once again present itself on a big stage with an amazingly talented cast featuring Samantha Barks as Elsa.
What is perhaps most shocking, however, is the reviews Frozen has received. As with any Disney Theatrics production, much can be expected from the design aspect. I mean, it is a company that unarguably has money to spend. That being said, Jennifer Lee’s work on furthering the cracker's arches and developing not only a musical enjoyed by kids, but one enjoyed by adults is spectacular. Cannot wait to hopefully see it someday!
I was surprised to hear that “Frozen” is reopening on West End. Sure, Disney’s Frozen closed unexpectedly on Broadway, but I was not personally a huge fan of the production. I saw it in Summer 2019. I was thrilled by the technical aspects of the show. I thought the projection was intergraded flawlessly. I also thought the lighting design by Natasha Katz was beautiful. It was clear no expense was spared on the show. However, the cast’s performances felt a bit underwhelming. It was very clearly geared to children. Which was great but tickets were a bit pricey and seemed to not sell well. The closing of a Disney production is shocking with their endless supply of funding, but to me it made sense that Frozen closed. When audiences return to Broadway, I would assume they would want productions of more substance. I am interested to see if the West End production has better success.
I am so surprised and happy to hear that Frozen will be opening up at the West End! At one of my first jobs at 14 I had the honor of sewing many of the costumes for the New York City Broadway production of Frozen. I remember making tons of troll costumes and a very large cloak that would eventually be cut from the show due to its immense size. Anyway, it saddened me so much when Frozen on Broadway closed, because I had spent an entire summer helping make many of the costumes seen in the show. I sadly, never got to see the show live either, but I may have to check out the West End Frozen production if Im ever in the UK. I am not a big fan of Disney films or when they get adapted to live theater, but I had such a personal connection with the production that reading this article made me incredibly happy. I thought some of the reviews on the performance where a bit harsh as Frozen is more meant for children and thereby dose not need to have the more edgy feel that adults gravitate to.
I can never forget when I saw Frozen on Broadway. To be perfectly honest, the storyline itself did not appeal as much (it was alright, but not wow). But every other theatrical element -- from lighting, to sound, scenic and costume -- amazed me. It was very sensorily satisfying. I’m so happy to see that Frozen will open on the West End because it means that more audiences will be able to enjoy the spectacular show. I expect there will be mixed reviews though -- it’s a show for kids, not all adults enjoy it. Just knowing who the target audience is has made me much more forgiving. I wonder if they made any changes from the Broadway version. I know Frozen also performs on Disney Cruise Line's Disney Wish, so I’m expecting some minor differences between each version.
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