What would have made Frozen Better- Page 2
What would have made Frozen Better
#25What would have made Frozen Better
Posted: 5/8/18 at 12:32pm
I had heard Timbers' vision was characteristically huge and visionary, with immersive elements, but with a price tag that made Disney balk.
Frankly, even had Disney given Timbers a blank check, I think Frozen itself is sort of an inert property. Timbers would've distracted from the flaws, certainly. But at the end of the day, Frozen is Frozen.
"...everyone finally shut up, and the audience could enjoy the beginning of the Anatevka Pogram in peace."
#26What would have made Frozen Better
Posted: 5/8/18 at 1:09pm
Take the Pope hat off Olaf and definitely give him more to do. The Duke of Weselton (Robert Creighton) was underused. I thought for sure I would have seen more tap coming from Creighton.
RippedMan
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/14/05
#27What would have made Frozen Better
Posted: 5/8/18 at 1:14pm
I wonder how immersive? He does like to make the audience move around which def wouldn’t work with a crowd full of toddlers.
Honestly, the actresses ages didn’t bother me? Do they specify in the show their ages? I never really thought anything of it. Although, Anna’s snow outfit made her look like a dwarf on stage. She looked so incredibly tiny and small compared to everyone else. And wasn’t Murin in both versions?
KathyNYC2
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/2/10
#28What would have made Frozen Better
Posted: 5/8/18 at 1:41pm
222disneyland said: "its not even Aladdin Quality from what I heard"
You can hear a lot of different things from a lot of different people. Personally outside of James Iglehart and the big spashy Gotta Have A Friend Like Me number, I thought Aladdin was dull as nails...and overall I enjoyed Frozen more.
And I really don't know how you can make this comment and then later suggestions on how Frozen would be better having never seen it. Nothing personal. I would say that to anyone regarding any show.
#29What would have made Frozen Better
Posted: 5/8/18 at 2:00pm
RippedMan said: "Honestly, the actresses ages didn’t bother me? Do they specify in the show their ages?"
Not specifically, but the plot is that Elsa has come of age and is being formally coronated, which I assume is not happening at age 40. And we know that Anna is younger. Assuming that Elsa's coronation is happening at age 18 or 21, I would consider them both older teenagers/young women. I don't think they needed to be played by actual teenagers, but Caissie Levy and Patti Murin are both 37.... and it stuck out to me. (FWIW, I say that as a fellow 37-year-old... I don't mean to be ageist, it's just about the right casting for the role.)
ScottyDoesn'tKnow2
Broadway Legend Joined: 1/22/14
#30What would have made Frozen Better
Posted: 5/8/18 at 2:08pmI keep reading this thread title as “frozen butter”.
SomethingPeculiar
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/15/14
#31What would have made Frozen Better
Posted: 5/8/18 at 2:16pm
Kad said: "I had heard Timbers' vision was characteristically huge and visionary, with immersive elements, but with a price tag that made Disney balk.
Frankly, even had Disney given Timbers a blank check, I think Frozen itself is sort of an inert property. Timbers would've distracted from the flaws, certainly. But at the end of the day, Frozen is Frozen."
That would make sense, since the set designer with a long history with Disney (Bob Crowley) jumped ship, too.
#32What would have made Frozen Better
Posted: 5/8/18 at 2:23pm
Allowing it to be developed by creators who had a unique voice would have helped.
BwayLB
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/18/17
#33What would have made Frozen Better
Posted: 5/8/18 at 2:25pmAfter seeing An American in Paris last year I wished Bob Crowley stayed on board too
broadwayboy223
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/2/14
#34What would have made Frozen Better
Posted: 5/8/18 at 3:28pm
It needed spark, creativity, etc. Better new songs. I REALLY wish we could have seen some of Timbers work on the show.. 
Elegance101
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/24/17
#35What would have made Frozen Better
Posted: 5/8/18 at 3:29pm
There's nothing "ageist" about saying two women are 15 years too old for their parts. I'm an adult, I can't play Annie. Nothing wrong with that.
Also, Disney said once (forgot where/when, sorry) that Anna is 18 and Elsa is 21. The ages of the princesses has always been known, even if it wasn't confirmed in the dialogue of the movie/musical (for example, Snow White is 14, Ariel is 16, etc.). Elsa is dark and brooding, so she could be a little older, but Anna is cute and naïve, which is something a 38-year-old will have trouble playing no matter what. Murin is a talent and she would've been perfect for this 10 years ago. To me, it's as if Disney didn't want to take any chance with fresh faces (or an interesting director, for that matter) and went the easy way out. Which they've done before (Sierra Boggess), so I don't know why this time seemed different.
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/31/69
#36What would have made Frozen Better
Posted: 5/8/18 at 4:01pm
SEVERAL MONTHS AGO there was a thread about FROZEN'S Denver tryout, specifically about how LET IT GO was staged with what was supposed to be elegant simplicity -- yet the streamlined concept backfired. IIRC, the singer simply sang LET IT GO before a curtain of snowflakes & the effect was underwhelming instead of a WOW showstopper.
HAS LET IT GO's understated staging changed from its Denver tryout several months ago?? An out-of-towner wants to know!
Elegance101
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/24/17
#37What would have made Frozen Better
Posted: 5/8/18 at 7:40pm
Tennis Fan said: "HAS LET IT GO's understated staging changed from its Denver tryout several months ago?? An out-of-towner wants to know!"
It has not.
#38What would have made Frozen Better
Posted: 5/9/18 at 2:13am
Put Frozen 2 on stage instead. We've seen the movie - we don't need to see the same story crippled by the lack of animation. As Sondheim said, "Give us something new". Then there is no apples to apples comparison.
That said, this kind of risky creative approach is anathema to the Walt Disney Corporation. Robert Iger's approach is to never create anything when you can buy or reuse an existing property.
rattleNwoolypenguin
Broadway Star Joined: 10/11/11
#39What would have made Frozen Better
Posted: 5/9/18 at 3:25am
They should have mined more from the melancholy elements of Elsa and Anna's relationship.
The movie's middle section is the weakest part of Frozen. After Let it Go which is phenomenal, the story becomes very meh until the climax and end which is great.
I think that's the biggest difference I see with Frozen next to every other Disney Broadway adaptation. Even the most mediocre adaptations the story was already SO strong. Frozen is flawed but there are so many charming elements in the animation, the flaws don't stand out as much.
When you take away gorgeous cgi and swirling exciting ice magic, the story's problems are more apparent.
Oh and the new songs. Disappointing. Really disappointing.
These songwriters are much much better than this, the new songs feel like a rush job.
BwayLB
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/18/17
#40What would have made Frozen Better
Posted: 5/9/18 at 8:58am
CallMeAl2 said: "Put Frozen 2 on stage instead. We've seen the movie - we don't need to see the same story crippled by the lack ofanimation. As Sondheim said, "Give us something new". Then there is no apples to apples comparison.
That said, this kind of risky creative approach is anathema to the Walt Disney Corporation. Robert Iger's approach is to never create anything when you can buy or reuse an existing property."
I don't always trust Bob Iger either. But I still watch Disney stuff. The story will decide if I'm excited for Frozen 2
Fan123
Broadway Star Joined: 8/30/08
#41What would have made Frozen Better
Posted: 6/3/18 at 12:21am
(Disclaimer: I haven't seen the Broadway show.)
Has there been discussion of the idea of having Olaf stay with Elsa during her exile? I was just thinking about it recently, as you do. Elsa deems herself too dangerous for human company and goes into exile, then creates a friendly, cheerful being who can never be harmed by her powers, and who just happens to symbolise Elsa's final moment of carefree social interaction from her childhood... it would make sense for him to stay with her as company, even if she doesn't consciously realise that that's why she created him. That would give Olaf more to do, and give Elsa a 'Mrs Lovett' character to lighten some of her scenes and prevent her from just statically brooding by herself. Olaf could sort of be the gargoyles to her Quasimodo... hopefully in a good way. Anna and Kristoff don't need him; they already have one another to bounce off as they search for Elsa. And IIRC, the film's original take on Olaf doesn't really bear close scrutiny: offscreen, Elsa creates Olaf without properly realising it at the time, and Olaf then wanders off at random... or something.
Jarethan
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/10/11
#42What would have made Frozen Better
Posted: 6/3/18 at 12:42am
The biggest issue for me is the score. With the exception of a couple of retreads from the movie, it stinks.
The two production numbers in the second act wreak of 'filler', although the first one is at least modestly diverting. Better songs might have provided an opportunity to do something more than mediocre followed by rotten.
More creative design, especially in treating the freezing process, should have been a given.
Elsa is a very poorly written role. When she comes in to sing Let It Go, it almost made no sense.
Cassie Levy and Patti Murin are too damn old for their roles. To me, Levy almost looked matronly during Let It Go.
RippedMan
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/14/05
#43What would have made Frozen Better
Posted: 6/3/18 at 12:45am
Olaf in movies is a star. Olaf on stage is a dud.
IslandBoy27
Chorus Member Joined: 7/26/15
stevie3
Stand-by Joined: 5/29/10
#45What would have made Frozen Better
Posted: 6/3/18 at 1:39am
The show is good. A solid 7, Stop reading into it so much, you all sound like a bunch of Disgruntled employees or actors that didn't make the Frozen cut. For everyone else go see it youll like, trust me
broadwayboy223
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/2/14
#46What would have made Frozen Better
Posted: 6/3/18 at 1:50am
stevie3 said: "The show is good. A solid7, Stop reading into it so much, you all sound like a bunch of Disgruntled employees or actors that didn't make the Frozen cut. For everyone else go see it youll like, trust me"
This kind of read like Donald Trump talking. "Trust me I have the best musical"
Sondheimite
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/5/14
#47What would have made Frozen Better
Posted: 6/3/18 at 1:56am
stevie3 said: "The show is good. A solid7, Stop reading into it so much, you all sound like a bunch of Disgruntled employees or actors that didn't make the Frozen cut. For everyone else go see it youll like, trust me"
ENJOY FROZEN OR THERE IS A CONSPIRACY THEORY AS TO WHY YOU DON'T!!!!!
Broadway World's Fireman.
#48What would have made Frozen Better
Posted: 6/3/18 at 8:39am
I never thought the film was great. After the let it go song, the movie becomes dull. I haven't seen the musical but it's obvious disney went cheap on this. Sucks for them.
#49What would have made Frozen Better
Posted: 6/3/18 at 8:40am
(I have not seen the show)
It seems a big element a lot of people are balking at is age of the casting of Anna and Elsa.
Murin and Levy are both 37, but I heard some throwing out Betsy Wolfe, and she is 36 herself.
I want to know who would be age-appropriate and still be able to deliver the goods that this show requires.
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