Frozen is a musical with music and lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, and book by Jennifer Lee, based on Walt Disney Animation Studios' 2013 animated film Frozen. The story centers on the relationship between two sisters who are princesses, Elsa and Anna. Elsa has magical powers to create snow and ice, which she does not know how to control. After inheriting the throne, Elsa flees, inadvertently causes the kingdom to become frozen in an eternal winter, and nearly kills her sister. She must sacrifice and show true love to save the day.
Produced by Disney Theatrical Productions, the musical had a tryout at the Buell Theatre in Denver, Colorado in August 2017 and premiered on Broadway in March 2018 at the St. James Theatre to mixed reviews. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Broadway production closed on March 11, 2020, after 26 previews and 825 regular performances. A North American tour began in 2019 and closed in 2024. International productions followed, including a West End production that opened in September 2021 and closed in September 2024.
Development In January 2014, Bob Iger, CEO of The Walt Disney Company, stated that Disney Theatrical Productions was in early development of a stage adaptation of Frozen that it planned to bring to Broadway. No date was set for the adaptation. "We're not demanding speed," Iger said. "We're demanding excellence." One of the film's producers, Peter Del Vecho, later reiterated that "these things take time." In an October 2014 interview, Thomas Schumacher, the president of Disney Theatrical Group, disclosed that discussions about a musical had begun even before the film was released almost a year earlier. He stated: "I'm already talking to directors, and I have a design concept, and we have to begin to fashion this idea. It doesn't need to be fast. It needs to be great."
In February 2015, Schumacher confirmed that the songwriters were working on the show and that Lee would be writing the book. In early 2016, Disney announced that the musical was scheduled to open on Broadway in spring 2018, with Alex Timbers as director, Peter Darling as choreographer and Stephen Oremus as music supervisor, among other creative staff. In the meantime, Disney produced a musical stage show based on the film, Frozen – Live at the Hyperion, at Disney California Adventure and another on its Disney Cruise Line.
Disney scheduled the pre-Broadway tryout in August 2017 at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. In April 2016, it was reported that Betsy Wolfe had been chosen as Elsa, but Disney stated that no roles had been officially cast. Kristen Anderson-Lopez told an interviewer that while "the movie only has seven-and-a-half songs ... we've written about 23" for the musical". The musical's first developmental lab was held over two weeks during May 2016 in New York City, with Wolfe as Elsa, Patti Murin as Anna, Okieriete Onaodowan as Kristoff, and Greg Hildreth as Olaf.
By September 2016, Disney chose a new director, Michael Grandage. It confirmed that the musical was set to open on Broadway at the St. James Theatre in spring 2018. Rob Ashford joined the creative team as choreographer. The musical "cost a reported $30 million to produce [and] churned through three choreographers, two set designers, two Elsas and two directors."Dockterman, Eliana. "The Ice Queen's New Kingdom", Time, March 19, 2018 issue, p. 58.
Productions
Denver, United States (2017) A pre-Broadway tryout ran at the Buell Theatre in Denver, Colorado, from August 17 to October 1, 2017, directed and choreographed by Grandage and Ashford. Caissie Levy and Patti Murin starred as Elsa and Anna. The cast included Jelani Alladin as Kristoff, Greg Hildreth as Olaf and John Riddle as Prince Hans. Designers included Christopher Oram (sets and costumes), Natasha Katz (lighting) and Michael Curry (puppets). Stephen Oremus served as music supervisor.
Broadway (2018–20)
Previews on Broadway at the St. James Theatre began on February 22, 2018, with an official opening on March 22, 2018. The cast and creative team was the same as in Denver. A reported 30% of the show was rewritten between the tryout and the Broadway opening, with the musical taking a "deeper dive into the princesses' psyches" and aiming at a more adult audience; Disney research shows that 70% of the audience for its musicals are adults without children. Anderson-Lopez noted that "examining how the ... princesses' psychological scars drive them to make certain decisions was the next logical storytelling step." The onstage technology included lighting effects for Elsa's magic, as well as such adaptations as a full-body costume to represent the reindeer Sven, with a ballet dancer inside holding stilts in his hands and walking on tiptoe; the role is so strenuous that a second ballet dancer was hired to play it at some performances to give each dancer some days of rest.
The production played 825 performances and 26 previews at the St. James Theatre, ending on March 11, 2020, when performances were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The closing cast included Ciara Renée as Elsa, McKenzie Kurtz as Anna, Ryan McCartan as Hans and Ryann Redmond as Olaf.Millward, Tom. "Ciara Renée, McKenzie Kurtz & Ryan McCartan to join cast of Disney's Frozen" , New York Theatre Guide, January 15, 2020. The production cost about $35 million to mount, attracted attendance of over 1.3 million and grossed over $150 million, often grossing 80% to 90% of box office potential. It did not perform as well, however, as Disney's The Lion King or Aladdin. Therefore, Disney chose not to reopen Frozen, judging that after the pandemic running three of their shows on Broadway simultaneously "would become untenable".
North American tour (2019–2024) A North American tour began on November 10, 2019, at Proctor's Theatre in Schenectady, New York, starring Caroline Bowman as Elsa and Caroline Innerbichler as Anna. It was also suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Performances resumed on September 9, 2021 at Shea's Performing Arts Center in Buffalo, New York.Chase, Anthony. "Theatrical winter thaws at Shea's reopening with a magical Disney’s Frozen" , Buffalo News, September 16, 2021. During 2022, Kurtz and McCartan joined the tour to reprise their Broadway roles of Anna and Hans.Brunner, Raven. "Ryan McCartan Joins Frozen North American Tour for Limited Run starting March 17" , March 1, 2022.Moynihan, Caitlin. "Ryan McCartan Returns to Frozen National Tour for Limited Engagement" , Broadway Buzz, June 28, 2022. It closed at the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts on September 1, 2024, having played 1,225 performances in 62 cities.
Australia and Singapore (2020–23) An Australian production began previews on December 1, 2020, at Sydney Australia's Capitol Theatre, with Jemma Rix as Elsa, Courtney Monsma as Anna and Matt Lee as Olaf.Rugendyke, Louise. "Sweat linings and 14,000 beads: How Frozen the Musical made it to Sydney" , The Sydney Morning Herald, November 28, 2020. Following an outbreak of COVID-19 in New South Wales, performances of the production were suspended from 21 December 2020 but resumed on 26 December. The run closed on May 23, 2021.
The production moved to Melbourne's Her Majesty's Theatre in previews on June 25, 2021, with the same cast,Russell, Stephen A. "Frozen" , TimeOut, June 24, 2021. opening on July 14, 2021, and closing on January 26, 2022Brook, Stephen, and Samantha Hutchinson. "Chill-out party: Frozen premiere stops traffic" , The Age, July 15, 2021; and Maunder, Patricia. "Ooh la la!: How to supersize your night out at Moulin Rouge!" , The Sydney Morning Herald, November 20, 2021. after some performances were cancelled due to the pandemic. It transferred to Brisbane's Queensland Performing Arts Centre on February 10, 2022O'Brien, Kerrie. "The best feeling in the world: Jemma Rix on playing Frozen's Elsa" , The Sydney Morning Herald, January 6, 2022. and closed on May 8.Wild, Stephi. "Frozen Will Come to Adelaide in May 2022" , BroadwayWorld.com, January 31, 2022. It then played at the Adelaide Festival Centre beginning on May 26. The final stop of the Australian tour was Perth, where the show opened at Crown Theatre on August 25, 2022,Rudd, Matilda. "Star of Disney’s Frozen the Musical Jemma Rix shares her day on a plate" , Express Digest, May 12, 2022. and closed on November 13, 2022.MacNaughton, Tanya. "Behind the scenes with Disney’s Frozen songwriting couple Bobby Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez" , The Western Australian, November 4, 2022.
A limited run of the Australian production played from February 5 to March 19, 2023, at the Sands Theatre in Marina Bay Sands, Singapore. Rix and Lee reprised their roles as Elsa and Olaf, respectively.Oliveros, Oliver. "Frozen Lights Up Singapore!" , BroadwayWorld.com, February 6, 2023.
Japan (2021–present) Shiki Theatre Company produced the musical at the Haru Theater in Tokyo owned by Shiki. After a postponement due to COVID-19, it opened on June 24, 2021.
West End (2021–2024) After delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the show began previews on August 27, 2021, at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, in London's West End, and opened officially on September 8. It was again directed by Grandage, with choreography by Ashford, and starred Samantha Barks as Elsa and Stephanie McKeon as Anna; set and costume design were by Christopher Oram, with lighting design by Neil Austin. The production was nominated for four Olivier Awards, including Best New Musical and Best Actress in a Musical for McKeon. On February 8, 2024, it celebrated its 1,000th performance."Tonight marks 1000 snow-mazing Frozen London performances", instagram.com, February 8, 2024. By January 2024, more than 2.8 million people had seen Frozen in London. The production ran until its third anniversary, September 8, 2024. Laura Dawkes played Anna from 27 September 2023 to the closing."Video: Disney’s Frozen – Meet Laura Dawkes the new Anna in Frozen", WestEndTheatre.com, 27 September 2023. A film of the production was released on Disney+ on June 20, 2025, starring Barks and Dawkes."Review of Frozen The Musical on Disney+ – Melts the screen with pure, snow‑dusted joy", WestEndTheatre.com, June 21, 2025.
Germany (2021–present) A German production titled Die Eiskönigin opened in November 2021 at the Stage Theater an der Elbe in Hamburg, in German, with Sabrina Weckerlin as Elsa and Celena Pieper as Anna. The production was produced by Stage Entertainment."The Ice Queen – Pictures of the magical musical in Hamburg" , Norddeutscher Rundfunk, November 9, 2021; and "Die Eiskönigin - Das Musical" , stage-entertainment.de. Retrieved December 30, 2019. On October 18, 2023, Willemijn Verkaik, who provided the singing voice of Elsa in the German and Dutch versions of the films, took over the role of Elsa. It closed on September 29, 2024.
On November 26, 2024, the production transferred to the Apollo Theatre in Stuttgart.
Nordic productions A series of five Nordic productions of the musical are planned to be directed by Icelandic film director Gísli Örn Garðarsson, who was given the task of making them "more Nordic" in terms of story, music, and culture. The shows are being produced by Icelandic theatre group Vesturport in collaboration with theatres in the capital cities of the five Nordic countries: Det Norske Teatret in Oslo, Þjóðleikhúsið in Reykjavík, Stockholm's stadsteater, Helsinki's Kaupunginteatteri, and Falkonersalen in Copenhagen.