Laura Marie, Julia Ennen, Gillian Jackson Han, and Adam Jones Photo by Glen Stubbe Photography

What drew the affection of all those children–and many others of all ages–to this very loose adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen?" For one thing, while there is a romantic subplot, the primary focus is a relationship between siblings, which people of all ages can identify with, as opposed to a romantic relationship, which for kids, resides, if at all, only in the realm of fantasy. For another, it has a few excellent songs by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, including the Oscar winning "Let It Go." It also has two delightful comic sidekicks, Sven (a moose) and Olaf (a snowman). All that affection for this story and these characters can now be experienced at Children's Theatre Company, who have mounted an exuberant production of the stage musical based on the film.

Frozen is the story of two sisters who are princesses (remember, this is Disney territory) and each other's best friend. However, older sister Elsa has a power that causes anything and anyone she touches to freeze–we are talking hard, killer freeze–and Elsa is unable to control this power. After a close call involving her sister, the two girls are kept apart, and outsiders are barred from the palace. Elsa grows up isolated and fearful of the harm she might inflict, while Anna grows up lonely and hurt by the loss of her sister's companionship.

Years pass and Elsa ascends to the throne of the kingdom. The palace is opened to the people for her coronation, but when a mishap allows them to discover Elsa's power, panic ensues. Elsa flees to a castle in the north, intending to live in solitude in order to protect her people. Anna pursues her, certain that together they can find a way to free Elsa of the power that enslaves her. The plot is embellished with not one, but two potential love interests for Anna, and the two sidekicks, Sven and Olaf to deliver comic relief. The end offers an affirmation of the healing power of love that is true.

Being the biggest Disney hit in many years, word got out only three months after the film's 2013 release that Frozen would be developed as a Broadway-bound stage musical. They did not offer a timeline for having the show up and on the boards, saying they wanted to take the time necessary to do Frozen right. Their exact words were, "We are not demanding speed, we are demanding excellence." No doubt they sought something as robust as their stage productions of Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King, and not to repeat the recent disappointments of Tarzan and The Little Mermaid.

Frozen landed somewhere in between when it opened on Broadway in March 2018 after a tryout engagement in Denver. Even with mixed reviews, the pre-sold title did fairly well at the box office, but not well enough to withstand the high cost of keeping the production afloat when theatre was shut down in March 2020 by COVID, ending with a two-year long run, respectable but far from a Disney juggernaut. Since then, the national tour production came to the Twin Cities, but I missed it.

Mounting their own production of Frozen is a tremendously ambitious choice for Children's Theatre Company. The show calls for a large cast, elaborate sets and costumes, special effects, and lead performers with dramatic depth and terrific voices to deliver the movie's well-known songs along with eleven new songs by Anderson-Lopez and Lopez, making a total of nineteen musical numbers, plus reprises. While no longer the latest big news in family entertainment, Frozen has taken its place among other Disney "classics," so it is well known by today's children who will arrive with high expectations of seeing, not necessarily a replica, but a reasonable facsimile of a beloved movie.

Since I have not seen any other productions of the stage musical, I cannot say how this Frozen stacks up against the Broadway version, but I can say that Children's Theatre Company has achieved a great success with Frozen. The performances are brimming with life, the staging by director Tiffany Nichole Greene is a continually fluid piece of storytelling, embedded with lively dance numbers by choreographer Rush Benson. Elaborate costume designs by Ari Fulton, Scott Davis's gorgeous sets, complete with Nordic rosemaling, Driscoll Otto's superb lighting design, and Michael Salvatore Commendatore's projection designs, which create illusions of blizzards and northern lights, provide a feast for the eyes. As music director, Denise Prosek has the ensemble's voices rise in glorious choral harmonies, and she conducts a snappy eight-member orchestra that brings luster to the score.

It should be noted that, as is often the case when a movie musical is beefed up with additional songs for a stage production, many of the newcomers to the score are notably of lesser rank. Of those eleven new songs, I would rate only three as up to the standard of the originals: "A Little Bit of You," "Dangerous to Dream," and especially "Monster," which provides Elsa with a stirring musical epiphany. "Hygge," is not a particularly good song, but it provides the occasion for what is the show's most elaborate dance production number, infusing a burst of energy into the top of the second act.

The show is extremely well cast, with Gillian Jackson Han as Elsa, and Julia Ennen as Anna, each honing in on the uniqueness of their characters: Elsa, more inwardly focused, fearful of engagement with the world; Anna, the extrovert and optimist, eager to embrace life. Both actors have lovely voices that do justice to their songs. The roles of the young princesses are double cast. At the performance I attended, Reese Sweeney, as young Elsa, and Molly Toutant, as young Anna, were charming, self-assured, and delivered two songs, "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?" and "A Little Bit You," with flair.

Matthew Hall makes a strong impression as Kristoff, winning the audience over with a wide range of emotions, from the comical "Reindeer(s) Are Better Than People" to the tender "Kristoff Lullaby." Dylan Rugh conveys the dashing Hans with panache, and makes a fine pair with Ennen's Anna in "Love Is an Open Door." Later, Rugh conveys the character's abrupt turn from hero to villain well, given the lack of any foreshadowing that such a change is in the air.

Adam Jones bears up to the athletic task of performing in a full-sized moose costume as Sven, while conveying the character's droll humor, and Laura Marie gingerly handles the puppet Olaf (the inventive design artistry of Eric Van Wyk), delivering the snowman's lines with a happy blend of sweetness and wit, and holding forth on his own musical number, "In Summer." Reed Sigmund, accustomed to snowy mountain settings after years playing the Grinch at this same theatre company, unleashes his usual showmanship as the trader Oaken in the delirious "Hygge." Incidentally, both "In Summer" and "Hygge" are numbers that add heaps of entertainment value to the show, but do not advance the plot of revealing character–and Frozen is the kind of show where that's totally fine.

Frozen is one of the biggest–perhaps the biggest–productions I have seen at Children's Theatre Company. Of course, bigger isn't always better, but in this case, the scope of the production works to dazzle our imaginations and create the world of this story. It draws the audience into a journey to make-believe that delights even as it resonates with fears and feelings that are part of childhood for those who are children now, and who were children once.

Frozen runs through June 15, 2025, at the Children's Theatre Company, 2400 Third Avenue South, Minneapolis MN. For tickets and information, please call 612-874-0400 or visit childrenstheatre.org. Children's Theatre Company suggests the show is best enjoyed by all ages.

Music and Lyrics: Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez; Book: Jennifer Lee; Director: Tiffany Nichole Greene, based on the Disney film written by Jenniffer Lee and directed by Chris Buck &Jennifer Lee; Music Direction: Denise Prosek; Choreography: Rush Benson; Scenic Design: Scott Davis; Costume Design: Ari Fulton; Lighting Design: Driscoll Otto; Sound Design: Sten Severson; Projection Design: Michael Salvatore Commendatore; Puppet Design: Eric Van Wyk; Orchestrator and Associate Music Director: Victor Zupanc; Associate Director: Lo Williams; Associate Choreographer: Maya Richardson; Associate Scenic Designer: Michelle Lilly; Assistant Lighting Designer: Samantha Brown; Assistant Sound Designer: Richard Graham; Assistant Projection Designer: Parker Molacek; Intimacy Director: James Grace; Stage Manager: Nate Stanger; Assistant Stage Manager: Z Makila; Stage Manager Fellow: Elijah Virgil Hughes.

Cast: Amelia Barr (Pabbie/ensemble), Brody Breen (ensemble), Amir Byrd (ensemble), Antonisia Collins (5/21/25 to closing, Bulda/ensemble), Julia Ennen (Anna), Matthew Hall (Kristoff/ensemble), Gillian Jackson Han (Elsa), Dean Holt (King Agnarr/Weselton/ensemble), Tyler Susan Jennings (ensemble), Bradley Johnson (ensemble), Adam Jones (Sven/ensemble), Olivia Lampert (ensemble), Laura Marie (Olaf/ensemble), Autumn Ness (Queen Iduna/ensemble), Sarah Potvin (ensemble), Kyra Richardson (ensemble), Janely Rodriguez (opening to 5/18/25, Bulda/ensemble), Dylan Rugh (Hans/ensemble), Jon Schumacher (ensemble), Reed Sigmund (Oaken/Bishop/ensemble), Chloe Sorensen *(Young Elsa/ensemble), Matea Cordova Stuart *(Young Anna/ensemble), Reese Sweeney *(Young Elsa/ensemble), Molly Toutant *(Young Anna/ensemble), Elaina Lee Waggoner (ensemble), Boomer Xiong (ensemble), Mason Yang (ensemble).