It’s all here, in Diamond Head Theatre’s highly anticipated Disney musical, “Frozen:” the estranged sisters, Elsa and Anna; the hit song, “Let It Go;” the delightful puppet Olaf, the carrot-nosed snowman; the non-speaking faux reindeer, Sven.
The show, with book by Jennifer Lee, and songs by the prolific couple, Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, is based on the animated tale that turned little girls into mini-Elsas, donning ice blue costumes reflecting Queen Elsa, especially at Halloween. Many little girls wore Elsa-inspired dresses and mini-gowns, and their parents bought battery-operated $15 snowflake wands that they could illuminate and wave during the finale.
I was not a huge fan of the Broadway original, which was fueled with Disney budgets that could replicate the ice castle and the wintery wonders of Arendelle, where the Nordic story is set. But a Disney mega-hit always lands on the big screen, then Broadway.
A tip: watch for the production’s splendid moment, when Queen Elsa’s black costume is whisked off in jiffy seconds, revealing her glittery silver gown, it’s literally a keen revelation.
DHT, however, doesn’t fully create the razzle, nor the dazzle, of the icy clime, relying on (like other community theaters) mostly projections of oversized snowflakes and curtain drops and background slides to reflect winter. Thus, it’s a challenge for Deane Kennedy, set designer. One particular set piece — two moveable blocks of stairs – resemble hollow concrete blocks. Perhaps plastic, or translucent tile augmented with icicle drippage, might have helped attain a better mood. Worse, at the performance I attended this past Saturday (July 27), the two-stair segments were locked for a few seconds of sheer anxiety, with struggling handlers trying to free the halves. An isolated misstep, for sure.
Overall, DHT scores high points with the three Cs: casting, choreography and costumes.
Directed and choreographed by Charlie Williams, the lead players bring ample stage presence and winning voices to their roles – reflecting savvy casting.
Alana Clayson (Elsa) and Allana Poelzing (Anna), the estranged princess sisters, are fun to watch; Clayson is the ice queen who acquires magical powers when she’s elevated to Queen after the demise of her parents, who ruled the frozen kingdom. Poelzing is the outgoing, fun-oriented goofball pouring out BFF cheer.
And Kyle Malis (Olaf) is visible as the puppeteer, and he projects and creates humor and personality for his snowman, animating and giving life and voice to the character, right down to his own shoes.
Equally delightful, without uttering a single word, is Jill Jackson (Sven), inside a furry reindeer costume on all fours, in a role shared with Sam Budd.
Speaking of sharing: Kirra Baughn was Young Elsa and Hayden Lau was Young Anna in the performance I saw; Katie Walthall and Natalie Coleman also take turns in the roles.
The other male leads are Legrand Tolo Lawrence (Kristoff), the ice-selling merchant who becomes Anna’s sidekick and eventual husband, and Kimo Kaona (Hans) as the 13th brother in the family from the Southern Isles, who is Anna’s suitor-turned-villain. Kaona has the best voice in the cast, with volume and projection of an ideal Broadway belter.
Williams’ choreography involves and embraces movement and magic with vigor, making his dancers appear to be having joyous fun. It’s a small army, prancing in unity. Like, life’s a party.
The production boasts Madison Gholson’s brilliant costumes, including dressy, flowing gowns for the ladies and equally formal suits for the gents, which fill the stage with elegance. Elsa’s formal white gown is the centerpiece of luxury of royalty. James Martin’s hair and make-up rise to the occasion of glamor.
Jenny Shiroma’s nine-piece orchestra, which includes a trio of keyboarders (she’s one of them) provide depth and delight to the melodics, though most tunes are not particularly singable to fans. Besides the central hit, “Do You Want to Build a Snowman,” rendered by Young Elsa and Young Anna, and “For the First Time in Forever,” an anthem featuring grown Else and Anna and the townspeople of Arendelle, might be hummable.
Technical elements (lights by Dawn Oshima, sound by Jericho Sombrio) are first rate and spot-on perfect.
One final kudo: DHT merits applause and a shout-out for its lavish
“Frozen” playbill, comprising 40 pages including front and rear covers. Such a venture is a tribute to the company of 35 actors, pictured in full color with anecdotal bios, and also is a valuable tool for spectators who can consequently identify the actors. Yes, it’s a costly element to produce and publish but it has to be budgeted along with other necessary needs of putting on a show. The paid ads show support of theater and boost interest in DHT and indicate commitment to show aloha to its crews and its audiences. This one is particularly impressive, concluding DHT’s current season, and prominently showcasing the 2024-25 season. It’s an attractive keeper, and a model for other local theater organizations. To Trevor Tamashiro, executive director, and John Rampage, artistic director, mahalo plenty…
And that’s Show Biz…
‘Frozen’
What: A Disney musical by Jennifer Lee (book) and Kristen Anderson-Lopez (music and lyrics), based on their animated film
Where: Diamond Head Theatre
Curtain times: 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, 3 p.m. Saturdays, 4 p.m. Sundays, through Aug. 25.
Tickets: $68, at (808) 733-0274, or www.diamondheadtheatre.com …