REVIEW: A Flurry of Magic at Disney’s Frozen Musical (Sands Theatre, Singapore)

(Photo of Jemma Rix and the Company of Frozen - Australian Production - by Lisa Tomasetti)

Everyone’s favourite Arendelle princesses have arrived in Singapore for Disney’s Frozen Musical, the show’s only stop in Southeast Asia, for a limited stint at Marina Bay Sands’ Sands Theatre. One of the first major touring theatrical productions to descend on the island since the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s warmed the hearts of tens of thousands, delighting children and adults alike.

Following the whirlwind success of the first Frozen movie, which starred Idina Menzel and Kristen Bell, a musical adaptation of the movie was commissioned. Disney’s Frozen musical later premiered in New York on Broadway in 2018 to rave reviews, and a production on London’s West End soon followed in 2021, triumphantly opening following a delay caused by the pandemic.

Much like its movie counterpart, the Frozen musical follows the two princesses of Arendelle, Elsa and Anna, with Elsa crowned queen after their parents’ tragic demise. Elsa hides a formidable secret – her magical ice powers, which she accidentally unleashes at her coronation ball following Anna’s announcement of her engagement to the suave Prince Hans, plunging the entire nation of Arendelle into an icy, perpetual winter before fleeing into the mountains. On a journey to look for her sister, Anna teams up with ice seller Kristoff and his reindeer Sven, while treachery brews in Arendelle at the hands of Prince Hans.

With music by Kirsten Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, Frozen showcases fan-favourite songs ‘Let It Go’, ‘Love Is An Open Door’, and ‘Fixer Upper’ from the movie, while adding a whopping 15 new songs penned for the musical, amongst them Elsa’s moving power ballad ‘Monster’, and the fun, quick-paced ensemble song ‘Hygge’.

(Photo of Jemma Rix and the Company of Frozen - Australian Production - by Lisa Tomasetti)

The production that’s reached Singapore’s shores is the show’s Australian Tour, which began its run in Sydney, Australia in 2020. Jemma Rix continues her reign as Queen Elsa, which she’s played since the beginning of the tour. Rix is no stranger to magical roles, she’s notably played Elphaba in the Australian and international touring productions of Wicked, and she’s brought her silk-smooth, soaring vocals to Elsa’s repertoire, gliding through ‘Dangerous to Dream, ‘Let It Go’, and ‘Monster’ with regal ease. Her portrayal of a frightened, turmoiled Elsa is stunning, climaxing with a gut-wrenching yell of ‘I can’t!’ as Anna begs her to return to Arendelle with her. Her fear is one borne out of love for her sister. Having seriously wounded her sister once before, she dreads the prospect her of hurting her again.

Rix is joined by Ireland’s Sarah O’Connor as Princess Anna. O’Connor is a Frozen veteran, having covered the role of Anna in the original London cast of Frozen’s West End production. Her Anna is a mix of chirpy and cheeky, with a healthy splash of optimistic naivety – trapped in the castle all her life, Anna agrees to marry Prince Hans within minutes of meeting him. Like Princess Anna, O’Connor’s voice is light and fluffy, and her adorably awkward mannerisms as Anna instantly make you want to be her best friend. She riffs off Brendan Xavier’s Kristoff wonderfully, playing out both comedic and tender moments to a tee, and you’re drawn to root for the couple by the end of the show.

Rounding out the cast are Matt Lee as summer-loving Olaf, Thomas McGuane as the scheming Prince Hans, Doron Chester as Duke Weselton, and Yvan Karlsson and Evan Strand sharing the role of the reindeer Sven.

At the show I attended, Young Elsa and Anna were played by the graceful Yurie Morihara and adorable hive of energy Elle Chew Enya, whose ecstatic demeanour was remarkably reminiscent of Agnes from the Despicable Me movies.

With swirling curtains of crystals, stunning fly pieces of the Arendelle palace and ballroom, intricate puppetry as well as video iceberg pillars, the Frozen musical lives up to its Disney name – and its budget.

However, one thing about the production that seemed lacking was its sound production. Over the theatre's speakers, the show’s sound was thin, even a bit hollow at points, and didn’t fully do justice to the robustness of its cast and orchestra. As someone who has seen multiple productions at the Sands Theatre, many of them in the same section in the stalls, this time down to the row, I was struck by how weak the show sounded, and I was left wondering if the Sands Theatre’s sound system had been fully utilised, or if a proper sound check had been done prior to the show. For the exorbitant price of the tickets, I was expecting the richness of the show's sound to be better than other theatre productions that have graced the Sands, or at least be on par with them.

The show's set pieces were also slightly different compared to its London counterpart, with smaller set pieces to facilitate in its transport. One notable difference was the bridge Anna and Kristoff cross in 'What Do You Know About Love?', with the touring production opting for a smaller, flimsier bridge over its West End's majestic 20-metre behemoth. That said, unless you've seen both productions, this shouldn't take anything away from your enjoyment of the show.

Overall, Frozen is a delight for the young and old, and is definitely a worthwhile watch for the entire family. While the show is slated to close on the 19th of March, we’ll hopefully see them bring their blizzard of a tale back to Singapore’s sunny shores soon because, as the recent bouts of torrential rain have shown us, the cold never really did bother us anyway.

Disney’s Frozen plays at Marina Bay Sands’ Sands Theatre, its only stop in Southeast Asia, until 19th March 2023. Tickets can be purchased at frozenthemusical.sg