This is a review piece on the Musical “Frozen” in Hamburg, Germany.
Hamburg. Glittering snowflakes, magical costume changes, complex stage sets, and heart-wrenching songs – the musical “Frozen” offers all of this on the Hamburg stage at the Stage Theater an der Elbe. After a delay of almost six months, the cast can finally look forward to the premiere on November 8, 2021. The musical is based on the incredibly successful Disney family film of the same name from 2013.
In Hamburg, too, it all begins with the young princess sisters Anna (played by Celena Pieper) and Elsa (played by Sabrina Weckerlin). The difference between the two sisters is that Elsa was born with special abilities that allow her to create snow, ice, and frost. Her younger sister Anna does not have these powers but always has great ideas about what to do with them, such as building a snowman.
After the death of their parents, they grow up alone in the palace of their kingdom, Arendelle. Elsa withdraws and hides her uncontrolled powers from her sister. Anna, who has no memory of Elsa’s abilities, does not understand her cool nature. She herself is very curious, adventurous, and only ever sees the good in people, which is why she becomes engaged to a handsome prince called Hans on the same day as her sister’s coronation.
However, when Elsa refuses Anna’s betrothal, the situation escalates, and her emotional outburst causes the entire kingdom to freeze, ensuring an eternal winter. Overwhelmed, she flees to the mountains. Together with the ice cream seller Kristoff, his reindeer Sven, and the funny little snowman Olaf, Anna sets off in search of Elsa to soften her heart and save the frozen kingdom.
All of this is brought to life on stage in rapid succession, and you become part of a glittering world. LED effects and the Nordic-inspired stage design, from avalanches of snow to a cozy wooden hut, recreate the feeling of warmth. The castle of Arendelle, dominated by brown tones, is also immediately transformed into an ice castle, built with a great deal of effort and love. Both a shiny icy staircase and sparkling crystals create a magical atmosphere.
Elsa’s voice in her solo “Let it go” shines at least as much as the ice-blue dress she wears, embroidered with crystals from top to bottom. Flashes of ice and snow conceal her split-second costume change, giving her goosebumps.
Photo by Lydia Turner on Unsplash
However, the most physically demanding part is probably played by Antoine D. Banks, whose entire body is encased in the costume of reindeer Sven and who has to move on all fours. Playing Olaf the snowman is no easy task either, but Elindo Avastin brings the wacky snowman to life and makes the audience laugh with his childlike manner. Almost 2,000 spectators can marvel at the musical every day. Eight songs from the film were translated into German for the production, and twelve were newly composed and played live by the orchestra.
The musical even offers a major parallel to the coronavirus situation: the cast sings “Open the gates” when guests are finally allowed to enter the palace again. Just like the inhabitants of Arendelle, the musical ensemble is delighted that the theater gates are open again after the forced Corona break and that they can finally play in front of an audience again.
The musical lives up to its high expectations. Even though many fans feared that the musical would not be able to keep up with the film, they were pleasantly surprised. If there is anything to criticize at all, it is only the sometimes excessive volume, which might be sensitive for children’s ears. But for true “Frozen” fans, this shouldn’t be a problem.
However, good entertainment also has its price: tickets cost between 55 and 175 euros. Every seat in the theater offers a very good view of the stage, and the shuttle to the musical island is also included. All in all, “Frozen” has everything an entertaining musical evening needs: an outstanding ensemble, a fascinating stage design, and a heart-wrenching story full of suspense and emotion.
