By Jennifer R Jones | Posted on September 01, 2017 12:16 PM
Frozen Has Announced Its Official Opening Night Date Of March 22, 2018, Following Its First Preview On February 22, 2018 And Its Denver Pre-Broadway Run.
Opening Night Announced For March 22, 2018
On February 22, 2018, the new musical adaptation of the 2013 Disney animated film Frozen will begin previews at the St. James Theatre on Broadway. Details have been steadily revealed for this highly anticipated new show, which is undeniably destined to be a big box office hit.
Most recently, the official opening night date for the show has been announced: March 22, 2018. After one month of previews, critics will be welcome to publish their reviews of the show, spurring word of mouth and cementing the critical opinion of the show for ticketbuyers to feel confident in rushing to the box office.
A Talented Team For "Frozen"
The show has a book by Jennifer Lee, who also wrote the screenplay for the animated film, in addition to directing it. The score is by Kristen Anderson-Lopez (In Transit) and Robert Lopez (The Book of Mormon, Avenue Q), the husband and wife team who also collaborated to compose the songs for the film.
In developing the animated film, Anderson-Lopez and Lopez reportedly composed 25 songs, 8 of which made it into the film. Of these, the best known is “Let It Go,” as sung by Idina Menzel, which won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 2014. Menzel, who is a well-known Broadway star from such shows as Rent, Wicked, and If/Then, voiced the animated character of Elsa, the older of the two princess sisters.
Caissie Levy's Successful Career
In the musical, the role of Elsa is to be portrayed by Caissie Levy, whose previous Broadway credits include Les Misérables, Ghost the Musical, and Hair. As for her sister Anna, in the Broadway production she will be played by Patti Murin, who has previously appeared on Broadway in Lysistrata Jones and Xanadu. The musical is to be directed by Michael Grandage, whose previous Broadway directorial credits include Hughie, The Cripple of Inishmaan, Evita, Red, Hamlet, and Frost/Nixon.
Currently Running At The Denver Center For The Performing Arts
As is common for shows, big and small, on the path to Broadway, Frozen is playing an out-of-town pre-Broadway run in a regional theatre. Presently, the show has been running since August 17, 2017 at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, where it will play until October 1, 2017.
This seven-week run will give the creative team one last chance to fine-tune any problems areas in the show before it hits the Broadway stage for previews. The Broadway cast is presently appearing intact in Denver.
Winter Hiatus Before Hitting Broadway
In addition to Caissie Levy and Patti Murin, further roles are played by Greg Hildreth (Peter and the Starcatcher, Cinderella) as Olaf, Robert Creighton (The Little Mermaid, Anything Goes) as the Duke of Weselton, John Riddle (The Visit) as Hans, Jelani Alladin (Broadway debut) as Kristoff, Timothy Hughes as the Grand Pabbie, Andrew Pirozzi as Sven, and Kevin Del Aguila as Oaken.
As for the part of Young Elsa, the role is alternated by Brooklyn Nelson and Ayla Schwartz, and the role of Young Anna is alternated by Audrey Bennett and Mattea Conforti. Between October 1, 2017 and February 22, 2018, the show will be on winter hiatus before arriving on Broadway, where, unless an unanticipated catastrophe occurs, it is likely to remain for many years to come, joining the ranks of such Disney long-running hits as The Lion King and Aladdin.
