Love is an Open Door as a reprise/finale makes sense, just because it offers that happily ever after moment for the characters. It's catchy, too.
Yikes, I hope you're joking...That felt so "We have to end with a musical number"/so tacked on, it hurt...It was always known there'd be no new songs for that specific production, but REALLY?? That?? That song is...not good as it is, but to use it as the 'in show' finale' was just awful. The 'aahhhing' of "Snowman' as it is in the film would have been just fine. Now, as a post curtain call finale, yes, use 'Open Door'. I did like the parents return but it could have been handled better. When it comes to Broadway, there NEEDS to be a new song written for the 'in show' finale, the film's end would have worked for DL, but Open Door does not work as the in context finale AT ALL. Ack, just, so tacked on. That whole final scene honestly is going to be really hard to stage without real creativity to keep it from being/looking/feeling awkward as hell.
That white coat...I know it seems to be that it's only because that's the only way we can see the freezing effect, but was there seriously no other way to do it on that other outfit we all know well? My actor brain hurt with so many 'justification' issues, and that was one of way too many. She leaves the trolls and comes back with a white coat, that no one knows or questions where it came from...and it's not acknowledged. I'm a HUGE justification fan. But the effect itself is really cool.
That official DL video of the technology also had a snippet where it was shown on a look a like Elsa for whatever reason, and because of that I was led to believe it would be used for her costumes change/costume too. I was disappointed it wasn't because it totally can be because that costume change was super underwhelming. Any costume change that one can figure out in 5 seconds how it's done is a bad or boring one. A William Ivey Long Cinderella costume change mixed with the geode technology would be fracking fantastic. It took me quite a while to figure out how Long did that, and I've said for a while he should be designing the costumes for the Broadway production,and I'm sad he's not. His costume changes are innovative and magical and STILL make the actor look good...cause these...aren't flattering on anyone.
I've written a three page essay on my thoughts on the DL production, which I obviously won't include here because I won't lie I kindof tore it apart. I have to agree with Liza's Headband overall, it's pretty atrocious. And if budget cuts because of Shanghai are the reason for this underwhelming production that I know could be great, shame on the creatives dpt. Is it ok for a theme park show? I guess so. I have to remind myself that theme park isn't about 'art and character development' etc. but still even for theme park it's not good. Aladdin was an award winner compared to this. Even for theme park, they didn't try to fit a square into a circle and just shove the movie onstage, they adapted it. Almost none of the original script was intact for that production. Here, they just rewrote some lines and shoved the movie onstage....and it falls very flat even if the parks just shove the films onstage. I get that for the parks (sort of), but for this to work on Broadway (onstage in general) heaven almighty it needs to be adapted...A LOT. DL proves putting it on stage as is, even in a park, makes the problems and plotholes the movie had even more obvious than they already were. The story and script need changing, the structure too. Tie up the loose ends, nail the theme down for heaven's sake, and someone direct those awkward and long scene transitions and pregnant pauses out of there. But the beauty of the full length musical is that it can be expanded obviously. Frozen CAN work onstage, but it needs a lot of changes.
I apologize for this being way longer than intended. though I may be primarily 'the actor' seeing certain shows has caused my 'director' self to come out in full force with ideas of how I know it can be fixed, and make me wonder how someone who actually directs for a living can miss these things...Carry on with life.
"