Frozen the Musical proshot reaction and review list!
they put so much effort and love into this filming I am SO happy
it's clearly been shot multiple times for close ups and i really wonder if the audience got to see it twice in a row or something or they just did the close ups shots when the theater was closed... anyway bless close ups so we see how freaking dramatic this story is
the actors are so different than the last version I saw I am always fascinated at how the whole atmosphere changes based on the interpretation despite the general guidelines that remain identical. I've seen 5 different casts of this musical since 2017 and every time it's like a different musical all over again. Kudos for everyone in the cast who understands their character fully yet interpret it in their style and it still works
sidenote, I've seen so many different casts in this musical and not a single kid Anna or kid Elsa knows how to make placements subtle lmaooo sorry but it's true- kids are told to go here then there and they just do it without bothering to mask it as staging lol
the audience was LIVING IT. at some point I was like no way those are actual laughs and not fake but after a while I was like oh no they're just FANS and cheering in support
you could tell that the performers put their whole heart into it since it's filmed and yet that they give this energy 7 times a week to every audience
"Call on us anytime, we love children" from Bulda made me laugh jfdhgjfdsgs
the costume changes rate and speed in this musical is insane. Hugest kudos to the entire crew who has to run every performance
Laura Dawkes has my ENTIRE respect she's a hilarious version of Anna and she completely understood the assignment
update: after some research; Laura DID act as Anna BEFORE the musical, for kids and stuff, she knows the role since years I love it no wonder she nails it
Samantha Barks is SO sweet and tender and strong at the same time, she really incarnates Elsa's charm
also not surprising given her past work on Les Misérables - Disney really does know how to cast
@ soldier actor on the left who entered with Weaseltown and decided to slay, I see you and I love you
the "very much" that was the first in sync between Anna and Hans is really good
I wanna kiss the Lopezes on their foreheads, I haven't listened to a single song from the recording since ages and I still know every song my heart, even those I don't like, BLESS YOU for those catchy gems
will Dangerous to Dream ever not give me chills? nope. nope nope nope. still a banger from beggining to end, still brillant on its composition, and WHAT a performance in this west end version
not me being triggered because the coronation cape wasn't straight when Elsa turned around dfjgjkfdlhgkjfdhg
the "chocolate!" sync was really good, kinda impressive actually
once again the close ups bring a lot of life, it feels like a movie at some parts
Hans' actor did a very decent job too; when you already know he's evil you SEE all the moments he's like "ok wtf well let's roll with that" as he improvs around Anna, it's a fraction of a second of an expression but it's THERE
every single time I watch this musical I'm astonished at how the actress who plays Elsa has to perform the most iconic, important song of the musical while holding for most of it that incredible costume that is the coronation outfit layer above the ice outfit layer, and that must be SO FREAKING HEAVY and inconvenient to walk and perform with due to the crystals, eternal respect to every actress just for that
Also obviously each and every single time I watch the musical I'm 1) stressed out at the let it go costume pull change part like it's something I personally am doing and don't want it to fail 2) stunned at how the Elsa actress ALWAYS nails it like it's no big deal and not an incredibly precised stage trick 3) in love with it because it's genuinely well thought, impressive to an adult audience, and kids must 100% believe she genuinely transformed
this version of WDYKAL is very cool, kudos to the end slide, but it truly is no match to the original version with the stunt and all, I miss it
this version of Let it Go also has good points like the soul approach of Samantha, but it's... flat? I know, it's cheeky to say considering how HUGE this number is, but still, it feels flat to me
the way they made sure to not show the wire tricks with the close ups in the editing hjfdhgdfh they were like yeah we know you know it's basically fishing wire that pulls the glove and the cape away but you shall NOT see it close lmao
continuity error, of Elsa unclipping her cape then the following shot she still has in on, just to trigger me
OMG THAT REMINDS ME OF THAT TIME CAISSIE'S GLOVE TRICK DIDN'T WORK AND THE GLOVE JUST FELL ON STAGE LIKE A DEAD FISH FLOPPING SO SHE YEETED IT OFFSTAGE
anyway where were we? oh yeah the most impactful song of the 2010's
Samantha NAILED the transformation, the audience was LIVING IT, she truly deserves the cheer, 10/10 effect
musical performers are something else. secret bonus lung or something. how the hell can the Elsas belt that "GOOOONE" and "here I stand" in the same breathing
the feeling they must get, the chill that must roam their spine, when they all belt that final ANYWAAAAY and turn around as the lights turn off and they get hit with a wall of cheer omg
also forever a fan of the musical's rewrite of Let it Go, the final line ending in a rising note is even better than the movie version
gosh I remember when I watched the musical for the very first time and after the Let it Go number I was like "ok nothing can top this and the next number will be soooo overshadowed-" and then the Lopezes slapped me and dropped that freaking banger that is Hygge
WAIT THEY REMOVED THE FINAL DANCE WITH THE BRANCHES??? I AM SUING
wait maybe it's just not in the final edit. because Disney+ are cowards. someone who saw the musical in West End recently: DID THEY REMOVE THE BRANCHES DANCE???
Yeah ok based on the clumsy edit, the huge Hygge sparkling, the audience cheer and, above all, Laura changing way too fast, it's clear that it's part of the musical but Disney+ didn't want it in the final edit. BOOOO
Congratulations to Laura and Samantha for making me like I Can't Lose You in this version because it's been 3 years and I'm still bitter they replaced the FTFTIF reprise with that..... (the Carolines version obviously is the best so far though sorry they're just heaven incarnations of Anna and Elsa)
shit I forgot how genius the climbing singing to "open that door" was, NEVERMIND this song is less terrible than I remember
that almost random "you'll make a great queen" when Elsa walked away fdgjhfdhs YES SHE WILL BUT DON'T SAY IT LIKE THAT
omg the trolls' hat is too big for Anna and almost drops to her eyes it's such a funny detail I love it
the way Elsa just. stood there. menacingly. legs spread apart to show her new pants. i'm YELLING.
ooooh I love that in this version of Monster Elsa yells "IN A CAGE"
(narrator's voice: it was, alas, the only thing she liked about this version of Monster. She can't put the Caissie version out of her brain)
you see that angry pingu meme? that's me still grumpy that they removed True Love which was SO important like. Monster was Elsa's suicidal thoughts song and True Love was Anna's depression song they have NO RIGHTS to make it uneven by removing one
the end is SO cheesy especially on this version lol
not a fan - at all - that it looks like Anna asked for Elsa's permission to punch Hans... maybe it wasn't the intention and rather a 'go on' nod but it definitely looks like Anna punches Hans because Elsa told her to do more, and not her decision
CONCLUSION!
despite this version being pretty decent, my preferred version remains the original broadway one from 2018. I love the Frozen 2 additions and retcon in this but the other changes are big mehs to me and they, in my opinion, alter the general rhythm and ambiance of the musical. (And it's genuinely not first-time-nostalgia talking because the very first version I saw was the Denver one in 2017)
in conclusion, I loved watching this proshot because the close ups are SO good, but this version of the musical feels disappointing and generally dull in my humble opinion. It's like they tried so hard to round off the edges that in the end it looks like a Frozen musical, but not THE Frozen musical. You know?
