Get ready Melbourne! There is a storm brewing… an ice storm! After suffering through the woes of 2020, the stage doors are back open and eager theatre goers are ready to be entertained. After completing a highly successful run in Sydney’s Capitol Theatre, the Broadway smash has bumped out, made the trip south and has checked in to its new home – Melbourne’s Her Majesty’s Theatre ready for its official opening on June 9^th.

Don’t be fooled! Frozen on stage is no kiddie pantomime. Here’s what you can expect when the lights go up at Her Majesty’s in 2 weeks’ time:

The Backstory:

In case you don’t have kids, don’t know musical theatre… or have been living under a rock since 2013… Disney’s Frozen (and later Frozen II) became a global smash when the aminated film, based on Hans Christian Anderson’s 1844 fairy-tale ‘The Snow Queen’, hit screens, becoming the highest-grossing animated film at the time.  

Frozen won 2 Academy Awards – Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song (Let It Go) and 2 Grammy Awards.

Coming to Life on Stage:

In 2018, Frozen opened on Broadway to the highest box office advance in history. The Australian production of the show, when it opened in Sydney was the only location Frozen could be viewed in the world while Australian theatres began to reopen after the pandemic shutdown and international stages remain dark and theatre doors locked since March 2020.

A Feast for Your Eyes and Ears:

Designed by a team with many Tony Awards between them in scenic, costume, lighting sound and video design – on stage, Frozen becomes a treat for the senses. The set weighs 65 tonnes and includes 45 tonnes of flying scenery. There are 75 million individual video pixels, each the size of your pupil, used from floor to ceiling on the stage to create the scene changes and instant freezing effects. Plus, Elsa’s stunning Ice Palace contains a staggering 53,000 Swarovski crystals!

Costuming includes 440 handmade costumes, 120 pairs of custom shoes and 145 wigs, hair and facial hairpieces. Elsa’s ice gown took one person over 60 days to sew over 18,000 beads and Swarovski crystals. It took three whole months to make the dress from start to finish.

Home Grown Talent:

Unlike several of the previous Australian Disney theatrical productions that have cast principal actors from the Broadway or other international productions, the cast for Frozen in Australia promises a list of leading players full of home grown talent and Australian theatre notoriety.

The cast of 38 are led by Jemma Rix (Elsa), Courtney Monsma (Anna) and Matt Lee (Olaf). The show includes 12 new songs, not heard in the film and breathtaking vocals and choreography.

As a fresh rush of Frozen fever sweeps through the Australian public – don’t forget to get in the spirit and revisit the films, re-learn the songs and don’t be afraid to get involved in the action with costumes and accessories! Whether you are taking your little ones to the show or fancy taking your very own Anna or Kristoff on a romantic theatre date, a costume makes it all the more magical (and fun!).

Frozen will play at Her Majesty’s Theatre until early 2022, before it makes way for the next big thing, ‘Hamilton’, to come to town (but that’s a fan-girl moment for another day!)… I guess the big question is, which city will get Frozen next?