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<\/a>A young guest making friends with Olaf in front of the photo op backdrop. Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n
The informal \u201cfashion parade\u201d in the lobby is really a hoot, and it sets the stage for what is to come. And there\u2019s 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 \u201cice\u201d 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<\/em>\u2014we were nothing<\/em> compared to all the little girls in attendance! At least half of the young \u2019uns wore either official Frozen<\/em> costumes, or at least something sparkly. And many rocked a fake braid, ala Elsa, the main character, (but at least mine<\/em> was real. So I beat them in that<\/em> category! Yay me.)<\/p>\n To be honest, I didn’t remember the narrative of Frozen<\/em> 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\u2014how shall I put it\u2014hard to follow. But it doesn\u2019t matter at all because kids adore<\/em> 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<\/em> 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<\/em> can vouch!<\/p>\n Photo by Veronica Slavin, as is the one at the top of this review.<\/p><\/div>\n 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\u2019s still<\/em> too complicated for me. And I hate that the parents have to die for Elsa to take over the kingdom. But that\u2019s Disney for ya! At least they brushed the King and Queen\u2019s absence under the rug in this musical. I thank them for that.)<\/p>\n The actual production<\/em> was better for me than the poorly-written original story<\/em> 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\u00a0choreography by Cheryl Baxter.<\/p>\n Moniker Pena. Photo by Veronica Slavin.<\/p><\/div>\n And I love hearing great singing voices, which is what the entire cast has, especially the five leads.\u00a0Monika Pena sings the Oscar-winning Let It Go<\/em> 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\u2014Monika 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.<\/p>\n 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.\u00a0 She seems definitely influenced by Carol Burnett, which is always a good thing. (Although, as a late Gen Z-er, she\u2019s probably wondering who that is!) (But the director really needs to tell the girl who plays the young<\/em> 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<\/em> do a good cartwheel.)<\/p>\n 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!)<\/p>\n Ellie Smith and Sawyer Patterson. Photo by Veronica Slavin.<\/p><\/div>\n As to the music, (because this is<\/em> a musical, after all,) of the movie\u2019s eight tunes, I was familiar with only the two big numbers, (Let It Go <\/em>and Do You Want To Build a Snowman<\/em>.) So the rest of the dozen-plus songs were written for Broadway. I didn\u2019t remember the duet between Anna and Hans in Act One, Love Is An Open Door<\/em>, from the film, so I was glad to discover it here because the performance of it is adorable.<\/p>\n Truth be told, I didn\u2019t love Frozen<\/em> as much as I have all of 5 Star\u2019s previous<\/em> productions, but only due to the very confusing tale\u2014this company does it as performed on Broadway. However, seeing Frozen, The Broadway Musical<\/em> 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 \u201caudience appreciation\u201d lesson for a class I was in<\/em> when I was young, (as opposed to teaching<\/em>,) 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!<\/p>\n 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.<\/p><\/div>\n Speaking of children and theatre, I\u2019m glad that this one gives so many youngsters the wonderful opportunity to be in<\/em> a show\u2014Frozen<\/em>\u2019s ensemble is heavy with them.<\/p>\n One word of caution about the actual theatre<\/em>\u2014I<\/em> actually was frozen<\/em> 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<\/em> feel for the sisters! Either way, I suggest you dress in layers, just in case.<\/p>\n And here\u2019s a fun heads-up\u2014save some time in October\u00a0 because this company will be presenting the popular\u00a0musical Hairspray<\/em>, and it will be directed by none other than Marissa Jaret Winokur, who starred in the Broadway original! So it\u2019s sure to be a special one.<\/p>\n Frozen, The Broadway Musical<\/em>\u00a0running through July 20, 2025<\/strong> 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\u2019s a wonderful presentation for families to<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>
\n \u2028Bank of America Performing Arts Center\u2013Kavli Theatre<\/strong>
\n 2100 Thousand Oaks Blvd. Thousand Oaks<\/strong>
\n 805-449-2787\u00a0\u00a0www.5startheatricals.com<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"