FROZEN, THE BROADWAY MUSICAL

This one is fun from the second you arrive at the Kavli Theatre at Bank of America Performing Arts Center in Thousand Oaks. The show is the Broadway musical version of the animated Disney film, Frozen, brought to Angelenos locally by 5 Star Theatricals. It’s a wonderful presentation for families to share. And even if you don’t have kids, but are a fan of this movie or the many wonderful productions from this company, it’s worth seeing.

A young guest making friends with Olaf in front of the photo op backdrop. Photo by Karen Salkin.

The informal “fashion parade” in the lobby is really a hoot, and it sets the stage for what is to come. And there’s a big photo op banner, complete with a cutout of Olaf, the snowman, which guests flocked to on opening night. To arrive in the spirit, my friend Laura and I, without consulting each other, both wore blue and white, (a color combo which says “ice” to us,) as did about a quarter of the attendees! And I painted my fingernails shiny icy light blue, and put my uber-long hair in a long side braid as soon as we got there. But—we were nothing compared to all the little girls in attendance! At least half of the young ’uns wore either official Frozen costumes, or at least something sparkly. And many rocked a fake braid, ala Elsa, the main character, (but at least mine was real. So I beat them in that category! Yay me.)

To be honest, I didn’t remember the narrative of Frozen from the movie; only the colors, the braids, and the snowman song had stood out to me. So I was a tad surprised that the story itself is so—how shall I put it—hard to follow. But it doesn’t matter at all because kids adore the movie, which means that by extension, this musical, as well. So much so that when Elsa was singing the fabulous and powerful Oscar-winning Let It Go on opening night, a little voice piped-up from the back of the audience, singing her heart out along with the actress on stage. The kid was enjoying herself to the max, which was a riot to the rest of us. I was just impressed that she actually knew more lyrics than only the trio of title words for which I can vouch!

Photo by Veronica Slavin, as is the one at the top of this review.

From my personal experience, I heavily suggest you watch the movie before you see this musical. I really had no idea of much of what was going on. But fortunately for me, Laura is a mother of a tween girl, so the tale was fresh in her mind, and she explained it to me. (But it’s still too complicated for me. And I hate that the parents have to die for Elsa to take over the kingdom. But that’s Disney for ya! At least they brushed the King and Queen’s absence under the rug in this musical. I thank them for that.)

The actual production was better for me than the poorly-written original story from the 2013 movie. So I just enjoyed the talent, humor, and colorful numbers, especially the ones featuring the very big cast whose size made the ensemble scenes extra attractive, with good dancing and choreography by Cheryl Baxter.

Moniker Pena. Photo by Veronica Slavin.

And I love hearing great singing voices, which is what the entire cast has, especially the five leads. Monika Pena sings the Oscar-winning Let It Go beautifully! The audience I was in gave her thunderous applause. I’ve rarely seen a solo be the big Act One closing number, but this warranted that position—Monika is really excellent. Sawyer Patterson, the guy who plays Kristoff is adorable, as is Landen Starkman, who plays Olaf in the most surprising and pleasant way. And Frankie Zabilka, as Hans, really did trick me into believing his character is nice! Booooo.

Ellie Smith, as the grown-up Anna, the character who is the thread that holds the whole thing together, is a powerhouse with a perfect musical comedy singing voice.  She seems definitely influenced by Carol Burnett, which is always a good thing. (Although, as a late Gen Z-er, she’s probably wondering who that is!) (But the director really needs to tell the girl who plays the young Anna at the beginning of the show to take her voice down a few notches. In her enthusiasm to get the part right, she gets very high-pitched, and several of us comparing notes at intermission said we could not make out a word she said. But she does do a good cartwheel.)

The entertainment picked up for me when Sven, the moose, showed up. So big props to the guy playing him, Sebastian Guerrero, whom we never see, even at the curtain call. And the way they do Olaf, the snowman, is so clever! Those two non-humans are the highlights of the show for me. I think that everyone adores Olaf the most. (But the tiny girl in front of me, who could not have been more than four, told me her fave was Elsa!)

Ellie Smith and Sawyer Patterson. Photo by Veronica Slavin.

As to the music, (because this is a musical, after all,) of the movie’s eight tunes, I was familiar with only the two big numbers, (Let It Go and Do You Want To Build a Snowman.) So the rest of the dozen-plus songs were written for Broadway. I didn’t remember the duet between Anna and Hans in Act One, Love Is An Open Door, from the film, so I was glad to discover it here because the performance of it is adorable.

Truth be told, I didn’t love Frozen as much as I have all of 5 Star’s previous productions, but only due to the very confusing tale—this company does it as performed on Broadway. However, seeing Frozen, The Broadway Musical is a wonderful way of introducing very young children to the world of Broadway musicals, which, as a former elementary school teacher, I especially applaud. As a matter of fact, to this day I remember the “audience appreciation” lesson for a class I was in when I was young, (as opposed to teaching,) where we were treated to a special ballet performance in a New York City theatre. It taught us how to be polite audience members, and to thank the performers, and 5 Star Theatricals is doing the same thing for a new generation. Bravo to them for that!

The excitement before the show starts. See how Karen Salkin’s mani matches the theme of Frozen? Photo by Karen Salkin’s left hand! Impressive.

Speaking of children and theatre, I’m glad that this one gives so many youngsters the wonderful opportunity to be in a show—Frozen’s ensemble is heavy with them.

One word of caution about the actual theatre—I actually was frozen in there on opening night. I believe that was due to the top-notch air-conditioning, which is so appreciated in our hot summer, or it was possibly just in my head because of the topic of the presentation; that condition made me really feel for the sisters! Either way, I suggest you dress in layers, just in case.

And here’s a fun heads-up—save some time in October  because this company will be presenting the popular musical Hairspray, and it will be directed by none other than Marissa Jaret Winokur, who starred in the Broadway original! So it’s sure to be a special one.

Frozen, The Broadway Musical running through July 20, 2025

Bank of America Performing Arts Center–Kavli Theatre
2100 Thousand Oaks Blvd. Thousand Oaks
805-449-2787  www.5startheatricals.com