One of the most anticipated films of this month is Disney’s Frozen. This animated feature follows fearless optimist Anna who sets off on an epic journey to find her sister Elsa, whose icy powers have trapped the kingdom of Arendelle in eternal winter. Along the way, Anna teams up with mountain man Kristoff, his loyal reindeer Sven, and a hilarious snowman, Olaf, in a race to save the kingdom. Why is this being featured on a theatre-centric blog? Well, many of the voices behind these characters, as well as the film’s original songs, are among Broadway’s favorites.
The film’s sisterly pair is voiced by Kristen Bell (Anna) and Idina Menzel (Elsa). Though Menzel is the name we’d most identify with Broadway, Ms. Bell has a few credits to her name. She made her Broadway debut in 2001 in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and appeared in the following season’s production of The Crucible. Menzel won a Tony Award for her portrayal of the misunderstood Elphaba in Wicked and had previously appeared in Rent and Aida; she will return to Broadway in the spring with If/Then. This isn’t her first venture with a Disney film – she appeared in both live-action and animation in Enchanted.
The men of Frozen include Jonathan Groff, Josh Gad, Santino Fontana, and Alan Tudyk. Groff (Kristoff) is known to Broadway audiences for originating the role of Melchior in Spring Awakening, after making his Broadway debut in the short-lived In My Life. He’s been making the transition to screen work, including appearing on Glee and starring in the upcoming adaptation of The Normal Heart. This is his first appearance in the animated world. Gad (Olaf) first appeared on Broadway in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and went on to earn a Tony Award nomination for originating the role of Elder Cunningham in The Book of Mormon. He’s been working on-screen in both film and television, and this isn’t his first icy animated feature – he voiced Louis in Ice Age: Continental Drift. Fontana (Hans) is now on double prince duties, playing one in the film and playing one on-stage in Cinderella. He has a handful of strong stage performances to his resume, including Billy Elliot: The Musical, Brighton Beach Memoirs, The Importance of Being Earnest, and Sons of the Prophet. Frozen marks both his first Disney venture and his first animated feature. Tudyk (Duke of Weselton, the film’s main antagonist) has screen credits galore in film, television, and video games. This well-rounded actor, unsurprisingly, has a few Broadway credits to his name: Epic Proportions, Spamalot, and Prelude to a Kiss. Though he has experience being an animated Disney villain (he voiced King Candy in Wreck-It Ralph, I’m looking forward to this new character.
You can watch all of these actors recording for the film by clicking here.
The songs of Frozen also have Broadway connections: husband-and-wife team Kristen Anderson-Lopez (Finding Nemo: The Musical) and Tony Award winner Robert Lopez (Avenue Q, The Book of Mormon) provide the music and lyrics. The team previously worked together providing the music for 2011’s Winnie the Pooh, which was nominated for an Annie Award. Frozen’s soundtrack features Bell, Menzel, Fontana, Groff, Gad, with other Broadway talents (seen in the beginning of this video). The music video for the song “Let It Go” has been release here, featuring singer/songwriter Demi Lovato; in the film, Menzel sings the song as well.
The reason why this film caught my attention was its featuring of some of my favorite Broadway stars. The Disney name and its history of fantastic animated features have given me a high expectation for Frozen; if the talent behind the film is any indication, I know I will love it. The soundtrack will be released on November 25th, two days prior to the film’s theatrical release on November 27th. This looks like an excellent film to enjoy after your Thanksgiving feast coma (not the mention the long, holiday weekend).
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