FROZEN Reviews — Page 6

I was at the show tonight, too. The dress malfunction was kind of a disappointment, but Caissie handled it like a champ. She ripped it opened and let it fall and just kept going.

At least it didn't look as bad as this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OHadyU0Hwc

all_that_jazz, I believe I saw you at intermission discussing this.

I agree. It’s Disney Theatrical Company. They clearly spent more money on effects than other parts of the show, and the most climatic moment in the score was a visual let down. Even though Caissie Levy sang the roof off those notes.

Updated On: 4/11/18 at 11:35 PM

MusicAndPassion said: "I was at the show tonight. I want to echo whatLxGstv shared - there was a clear special effects/wardrobe malfunction and Cassie Levy had to rip the cloak off to reveal the dress. What happened? Also, what was supposed to happen?"

Ohhhh my stomach actually just turned for her, that's horrible! I'm sure it's not going to be a one time thing either because it's a pretty intricate effect. Lots of room for error so it's bound to happen from time to time. This is in slow mo but you get the idea of what is supposed to happen dress GIF. It goes really fast and there's got to be a door in the floor or something because it totally vanishes when it hits the floor.

There was a much smaller wardrobe malfunction in Denver one night during "Dangerous to Dream" where her purple cape fell off one shoulder. Instead of messing with it to try and fix it she casually removed the cape, folded it and handed it to a member of the ensemble. Had I not seen it before I'm not sure I would have known it was a malfunction, she just rolled right along with it. I guess this is kind of why we pay to see live theater though right? The stakes are higher. If you want perfection in every performance you see a movie where they can edit out mistakes. Ugh, that still really sucks though for the both the audience and her. I hope people were nice to her

I have no idea honestly. I just follow her on instagram LOL. My guess was she was on because they just recorded the cast album and maybe Caissie Levy was tired

Okay here are my thoughts. So basically I thought the first 15-20 minutes were really good. I also really connected to the last 15 minutes or so. Everything in the middle was just kind of eh. Maybe it was just me who noticed (because I'm a trained singer), but there were some vocal issues in the cast tonight. Patti definitely struggled vocally the first 30 minutes or so and cracked audibly a couple of times. Besides that, I thought she was pretty good. I have to say I was a poo pooer of "True Love" based on the recording but live it makes complete sense and I thought Patti really was emotionally connected and I loved it. And I think by this time she had more control of her voice and there wasn't one weird or iffy note. So back to act one. I thought Caissie was very grounded and nuanced and I enjoyed watching her at the beginning of the show. Dangerous to Dream is a very pretty song and I think musicalizing that moment makes sense, but I couldn't help feeling that in every one of Elsa's songs we were constantly bombarded with the same words over and over "I'm scared of myself, I'm a monster" etc. I think the Anna and Kristoff song was just okay. I think again the moment was right to musicalize it, but it's just not that great of a tune. This brings me to the next glaring issue. The set.. so I guess they spent all of those millions of dollars on the ice bridge (that's used once) and the crystal curtain? Yikes. Greg Hildreth was a fine Olaf, but he was basically just doing what Josh Gad did in the movie. He also struggled with the last notes of "In Summer". It took me out of the moment every time the audience cheered for something they recognized. Especially at the beginning of Let It Go. Caissie's singing was certainly incredible, but as it's been mentioned before the dress change did not happen. It was extremely awkward. She sings the crap out of the song, but when you highlight the dress change as a high point of the song it doesn't really work when it doesn't happen. I especially missed a physical ice castle at that point. Act two was fine. I really enjoyed the last section (True Love, Colder by the Minute etc). I'm trying to wrap this up, but it needs to be said this show only works when Caissie and Patti were interacting and we felt their connection. Those moments were so few though. I wish we could have had more music for the both of them. It's not a horrible show, and I came out smiling, but I can't help but think of the show that could have been.

all_that_jazz said: "It was total malfuntion. The lighting cue didnt hapen the dress didnt happen and cassie was left to rip open the top of the dress one boob at a time. So it just looked like she was getting naked. It was huge failure. I avoided previews to make sure yhey worked out kinks. This is disney its unnacceptable for the prices paid. I spoke to the house manager he said its rare that it happens but its been happening and gave me an email address to contact the production. Elsa stripteasing was rediculous."

Are you serious? It's live theatre. Things happen. People fall, people get sick, costumes fail, Elphaba doesn't fly...etc.

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MusicAndPassion said: "all_that_jazz, I believe I saw you at intermission discussing this.

I agree. It’s Disney Theatrical Company. They clearly spent more money on effects than other parts of the show, and the most climatic moment in the score wasa visual let down. Even though Caissie Levy sang the roof off those notes."

Blue velvet blazer...rediculously tall...overly irate....guy third row center who stood up and loudly proclaimed " they had one job to do!" Lol. Guilty

I haven’t seen this and I have no plans to when I’m in NYC in June (too many other shows/plays I really want to see). However, the comments about the snafu with the dress reminded me of my first time seeing Hello, Dolly! with Bette last November. (I’ve since seen it again with Bernadette in early February - still glorious).

There was a problem with a scene where Dolly and Horace are the only two actors on stage after the dumpling scene. The mics weren’t working and every time she or David Hyde Pierce spoke, their voices weren’t amplified and there was a thudding sound instead. I was in the Orchestra so I could still make out most of what they were saying. DHD was a true professional. He said to Bette (referring to the thudding burp-like or fart-like sounds), something to the effect of “that’s what you get for eating all those dumplings.” It was pretty funny. Alas, they had to pull them both off stage for a moment and when they returned, the show continued without a glitch. But you know what? I saw six shows on that trip and Hello, Dolly! was my favorite. The glitch meant that only those in attendance that night (or at least those close enough) got to hear DHD’s funny aside. It just made the night more memorable for me. I wasn’t upset. Of course, if the train had malfunctioned or if the stairwell didn’t appear for Dolly to descend, I might have felt very differently.

I’m just wondering if when you have a Disney show (e.g. Frozen) that has reported structural problems and some weaker songs. people mainly attend for the spectacle and when those moments don’t come together, it’s that much more disappointing. I think I’d still love a performance of Wicked even if Elphaba didn’t “defy gravity” right before intermission because so many other elements of that show work for me.

Anyway, like I said I haven’t seen Frozen yet. I imagine that I’ll eventually see it if it plays for years like I did eventually see Aladdin in early 2016. I’m just curious if my thoughts resonate with those who have actually seen Frozen, especially the performances where the spectacular moments don’t converge.

I remembered another tech problem I saw with Frozen in Denver. On opening night there was a glitch with the system that controls the set and about half of the bedroom set didn't come out. A staffer made an announcement over the loud speaker that there was a technical problem and they needed to stop the show. They closed the curtains and it took about 2-3 minutes, which was filled with the producer coming out and apologizing and explaining it was their first time in front of a live audience. The kids were still the ones on stage and they handled it perfectly too. The audience was obviously taken out of the story for a bit, but were respectful, understanding and handled it professionally. The dress is obviously a bigger moment than that, but it's also a fast one-time effect that can't really be done over like the bedroom scene. They also don't know it's going to fail until it does, so it's more risky. I am sure they will spend all day today troubleshooting that effect. I wonder if they have a better back up plan in place that also failed for some reason.

Great Dame said: "all_that_jazz said: "Blue velvet blazer...rediculously tall...overly irate....guy third row center who stood up and loudly proclaimed " they had one job to do!" Lol. Guilty"

I'm sorry but this is so rude..."

Terribly. I wonder if he's related to the "guinea pig" woman from the first preview of Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark.

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Great Dame said: "all_that_jazz said: "Blue velvet blazer...rediculously tall...overly irate....guy third row center who stood up and loudly proclaimed " they had one job to do!" Lol. Guilty"

I'm sorry but this is so rude. There is only one person on the stage, so anything yelled sounds like it's directed at her. Caissie is a damn saint, both on and off stage, and no one should be yelling at her. There is absolutely no hiding in that song, anything that goes wrong and she's hanging out there to dry all by herself. Every single person in that building knew there was a major problem, especially the people responsible for executing the effect. They really don't need audience lectures. If we the people want big flashy, expensive, technical and complicated shows this is the risk. It's a play for god's sake. It's not like lives were lost. I think a little perspective and empathy is needed here. The stakes are higher with live theater, that's what makes it so great. Mistakes happen. If an actor can go through that in front of more than 1,000 people and move on, the audience should be able to as well. They at least were just disappointed. She was I'm sure mortified. While I'm sorry the big flashy moment was ruined, I'm more sorry she had to plow through that. It sounds awkward for you guys to watch, but imagine how awkward it was for her to do, while still belting like a goddess. Who knows, maybe they have a better plan B worked up that also failed. Ugh, I feel for her."

Nothing was yelled at the stage i dont discuss while a show was on. It was intermission. I have been a performer for 20 years and would never direct that at a performer who had no role in it.

mailhandler777 said: "Lot666 said: "mailhandler777 is a stage actor's worst nightmare."

Would you explain this please???"

This was an inadvertent assignation; please accept my sincere apologies. The original message to which I was responding included a quote-within-a-quote and I copied the name of the wrong author. The offending post has been corrected.

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Updated On: 4/12/18 at 02:02 PM