Samantha Barks to play Elsa in the West End production of FROZEN- Page 2

[SouthernCakes]

Posted: 12/9/19 at 4:08pm

I understand the need for the staircase but seems to me that more people have favorably responded to the addition of the physical staircase.

And I thought SB had quite a powerful voice in Pretty Woman!

[JustinLovesSideShow]

Posted: 12/11/19 at 9:38am

Any thoughts on who her Anna will be?

[BritCrit]

Posted: 12/11/19 at 3:01pm

JustinLovesSideShow said: "Any thoughts on who her Anna will be?"

I’m hoping it’s a relative unknown. Elsa is the icon of the Frozen series, so the “stunt casting” of Samantha Barks was a good idea. But it is Anna who is the protagonist of Frozen. She gets the most screen time, the most songs, she is the one who grows the most and she is the character who drives the story. Casting a newcomer would provide such an incredible opportunity, and also have the side effect of highlighting Anna’s status as an ordinary character capable of doing extraordinary things, in contrast to the divinely powered Elsa.

P.S I also hope the Drury Lane staging keeps the more colourful approach of the tour. I think that Disney probably found the lack of technical nominations at the Tonys incredibly frustrating, and will be seeking to gain success at the Oliviers and other West End Awards. Brighter colours do not undermine the darker undertones of the story, but do allow us to be emotionally engaged, which is the most important thing of all for any work in the Frozen universe...

[disneybroadwayfan22]

Posted: 12/8/20 at 5:07pm

Oh. my. GOD.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVM_g5trTu4&feature=emb_title

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 12/8/20 at 5:27pm

Love it! I just got my tickets for it switched so I’m praying I’ll be seeing her live in just 19 weeks.

[disneybroadwayfan22]

Posted: 12/8/20 at 5:32pm

^So damn lucky. Yeah, I'm trying to plan a trip to see her in Frozen, along with Prince of Egypt. I've always wanted to go to London, so I'm hoping it'll work out.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 12/8/20 at 5:48pm

If you are planning a trip, Groupon right now seems to have the best deals on hotels. Some real luxury places that are like $300 a night even on Travelocity are around $80-$100 on Groupon. I actually discovered that last night and was shocked.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 12/8/20 at 7:44pm

She sounds absolutely fantastic. Easily my favorite performance of the song.

[WldKingdomHM]

Posted: 12/8/20 at 10:09pm

that was outstanding

[blaxx]

Posted: 12/9/20 at 2:25am

Jordan Catalano said: "If you are planning a trip, Groupon right now seems to have the best deals on hotels. Some real luxury places that are like $300 a night even on Travelocity are around $80-$100 on Groupon. I actually discovered that last night and was shocked."

I would book now if there wasn't a mandatory quarantine upon arrival; hope they take that away.

[fashionguru_23]

Posted: 12/9/20 at 8:17am

I loved it! Since the film of Les Miserables, I have been a fan of Samantha Barks. I would love to travel to London if it was in my finacial possibilities. 

The disappointment here is that Disney won't record a cast album of Barks and the London cast. 

The way she sings @ 3:18 "that perfect girl is gone"...damn!

Updated On: 12/9/20 at 08:17 AM

[Owen22]

Posted: 12/9/20 at 8:59am

blaxx said: "Jordan Catalano said: "If you are planning a trip, Groupon right now seems to have the best deals on hotels. Some real luxury places that are like $300 a night even on Travelocity are around $80-$100 on Groupon. I actually discovered that last night and was shocked."

I would book now if there wasn't a mandatory quarantine upon arrival; hope they take that away."

I am dying to get back there but the quarantine is quite an impediment. I'm not even sure how it works. Would one be allowed to go out to get food?

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 12/9/20 at 8:59am

blaxx said: "I would book now if there wasn't a mandatory quarantine upon arrival; hope they take that away."

I’m fairly sure by the time this opens, the quarantine won’t be in place. They’re already starting to do the testing at the airports to cut down on it. So fingers crossed!

[GiantsInTheSky2]

Posted: 12/9/20 at 11:45pm

fashionguru_23 said: “The disappointment here is that Disney won't record a cast album of Barks and the London cast."

Why so sure about that? They’ve recorded the West End and various overseas productions of their other properties before. Especially if they include the new songs/any other changes made for UK or Australia. 

[A.J.]

Posted: 12/10/20 at 12:36am

I’m a fan of Samantha Barks, but I don’t think that her voice type suits the role. Personally, I though the song overwhelmed her voice and other actresses have delivered much stronger-sounding performances. 

 

No shade intended BTW. Fully acknowledging it’s her first live performance, show hasn’t opened, pandemic, royal variety show, missing effects, etc.

[devonian.t]

Posted: 12/10/20 at 3:29am

Sadly I found that performance totally underwhelming.  Maybe it was recorded in a style to please the Royal Variety crowd, but it felt totally ersatz..

[fashionguru_23]

Posted: 12/10/20 at 8:44am

GiantsInTheSky2 said: "fashionguru_23 said: “The disappointment here is that Disney won't record a cast album of Barks and the London cast."

Why so sure about that? They’ve recorded the West End and various overseas productions of their other properties before. Especially if they include the new songs/any other changes made for UK or Australia."

I'm just looking at past recordings of Disney shows. Besides "Beauty and the Beast", Disney hasn't released more than one English cast recording of their shows. All the other Disney shows have received multiple recordings, but those were in other languages. Mary Poppins is the exception to the rule, but I would attribute the two London, and Australian recordings to Cameron Macintosh, who always want to record his shows multiple times...although, it's weird we never received a Broadway cast recording...maybe not enough changed between "the pond".

[Plannietink08]

Posted: 12/10/20 at 10:27am

fashionguru_23 said: "GiantsInTheSky2 said: "fashionguru_23 said: “The disappointment here is that Disney won't record a cast album of Barks and the London cast."

Why so sure about that? They’ve recorded the West End and various overseas productions of their other properties before. Especially if they include the new songs/any other changes made for UK or Australia."

I'm just looking at past recordings of Disney shows. Besides "Beauty and the Beast", Disney hasn't released more than one English cast recording of their shows. All the other Disney shows have received multiple recordings, but those were in other languages. Mary Poppins is the exception to the rule, but I would attribute the two London, and Australian recordings to Cameron Macintosh, who always want to record his shows multiple times...although, it's weird we never received a Broadway cast recording...maybe not enough changed between "the pond"."

We are getting the West End filmed version of ALADDIN that features an international cast so I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s followed by a cast recording and is advertised as the “definitive” version or something along those lines. 

I remember the filmed version of LOVE NEVER DIES got a cast recording by lifting the audio from the film itself so I’d imagine the same thing could happen with ALADDIN.

[windowwaving]

Posted: 12/10/20 at 3:37pm

It looks like the Australia production is using the US tour's version of the sets: Elsa's transformation staircase, short ice bridge for "What Do You Know About Love" and no roundtable. 

I wonder if all future productions will be utilizing these, or if the West End will get some of the pieces from the Broadway production that closed, which they said they would be repurposing. 

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 12/10/20 at 3:40pm

It’s probably due to the Australian company being a touring production. I’m sure the london company will get the sit down elements.

[sparksatmidnight]

Posted: 12/11/20 at 6:47am

Since the UK production will be recorded, I assume the production will be at least the same as Broadway, or with even better elements here and there. But then again, Disney might think they can get away with filming the touring version

[fashionguru_23]

Posted: 12/11/20 at 8:58am

sparksatmidnight said: "Since the UK production will be recorded, I assume the production will be at least the same as Broadway, or with even better elements here and there. But then again, Disney might think they can get away with filming the touring version"

 

It is?

 

[sparksatmidnight]

Posted: 12/13/20 at 12:44pm

Yes. But don't expect Disney to say anything about it until they're ready to release it (and who knows how long that will take).

[Princeton2]

Posted: 12/13/20 at 12:56pm

I don't know if its still planned, but the west end production should be getting additional changes to its physical production . But they haven't specified what the changes/additions will be

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 7/26/21 at 9:43am

Wow... based on this load in video, it looks like there are some major new set pieces for the West End production including a staircase for the ice palace, a terrace like backdrop for Love is an Open Door, and an expanded ice bridge! All look great from the glimpses I could catch in this video...

https://youtu.be/BoWwlzHDclU