The cast of Belle Theatre’s “Frozen The Musical.” -COURTESY PHOTO
Prepare to melt in the midst of a magically created ice storm as the story of Arendelle royalty Princesses Anna and Elsa, soon to be Queen, transpires with their friend Olaf and others in a quest of sisterly true love, courage, authenticity and connection in the production of “Frozen – The Musical,” premiering on Dec. 18 at The Belle Theatre in Cape Coral.
“We strive to bring outstanding entertainment, a welcoming environment and a place where arts for all is center stage.” The Belle’s Executive Director and Founder, Tyler Young, said. “We make an effort to bring productions that are either new works, underproduced, or newly released to community theatres in SWFL.”
Broadway’s “Frozen – The Musical” is based on Disney’s movie that has songs and dialogue that kids from one to 92 all can belt out and quote by heart.
“Frozen just became available for local licensing earlier this year and I knew it had to make its way to The Belle stage,” Young added. “I’m excited for the opportunity to create something that’s extremely well known but has never been done in a space our size.”
Young says the script is very similar to the “pro shot” version on Disney+ since this is the full-length Broadway version.
Anna and Elsa meet for the first time in forever during the coronation ball. -COURTESY PHOTO
“This creates the opportunity to take the scale of sets, props and effects from the Broadway show and modify and create new ways to adapt them for our space in a way that honors the complexity of the production but complements the performers and material,” he said. “The show has a ton of complex technical pieces that we’ve had to think about creatively to create magical solutions within our budget without losing the message or artistic vision. ‘Frozen’ has a special level of complexity, being that there’s no precedent in the community theatre space as we are the first in our area and one of the first throughout the country to produce ‘Frozen’ in a non-professional space.”
From a staging perspective, audiences are in high expectation of a few key scenes, including Elsa creating the ice castle during the showstopper “Let It Go” song, to the changing of her dress.
One of the actors cast as Elsa is Brittany Ringsdore who as a first-time role says it’s in fact a dream role.
Brittany Ringsdore, who plays Elsa. -COURTESY PHOTO
“I have been singing ‘Let It Go’ since the movie came out when I was in middle school. I was even honored to get a chance to meet the woman behind the voice, Idina Menzel,” Ringsdore reflected. “So, of course, there is so much pressure to be unique, but keep the integrity of the piece. I think audiences will be happy with my version of the iconic song.”
For the much-anticipated dress scene, Ringsdore believes the audience will be impressed.
“It is so amazing to be able to do this theatre magic. Especially someone of my size: being plus size, we are often told we can’t be roles like Elsa or Anna,” she added. “Our amazing costume designer, Makenzie, has made such beautiful costumes with the coolest magic. I can’t wait for the audience to see them all!”
Ashley Gafgen, who is also cast as Elsa for the first time, says this character is fun to portray, partially due to the technical elements involved in her scenes.
“I did have some moments early on in rehearsals where I was thinking, ‘Whoa, I’m going to be that high off the ground while singing and having a dress pulled off of me?’ Thankfully, I’m now at a point that I can just perform the scene and enjoy all of the Disney magic that comes with it,” she described.
When portraying iconic characters such as Anna, Elsa and Olaf, these are often dream roles but allow the actors to tap into their creativity while honoring the authenticity.
“I think that, whenever you’re playing a Disney character, the audience has an idea in their minds that you don’t want to alter too drastically,” according to Gafgen. “I like to keep that in mind specifically while singing ‘Let It Go’ because it is such a highly anticipated moment of the show, while also getting to make it my own in certain ways.”
Tyler explains that none of this production’s cast have ever portrayed the characters in the full-scale Broadway production but have played these parts in “junior” or “kid” versions of “Frozen.”
“Which honestly is giving some of them the opportunity to revisit these characters as adults,” he believes.
Patience Cole, who plays Anna. -COURTESY PHOTO
Patience Cole is one of the actors cast as Anna who is not afraid to her emotions on her sleeve—earnest, brave, awkward and funny.
“There are two key scenes where I feel the audience truly gets to connect with Anna. The first is during ‘First Time in Forever’, which is her big introduction to the storyline,” Cole described. “It gives the audience such a close look at Anna’s quirky side but also her strength and resilience, for someone who has been so alone her whole life Anna is a joyful optimist. She gets goofy with this song, so her personality really gets to shine through.”
Anna is also being played by Grace Koltz, who tapped into the sister’s free spirit while talking with her hands, big facial expressions and removing societal expectations of what a princess should do or say.
“Anna does not censor. Almost every thought is expressed either out loud or in her face and body. Anna also openly expresses her love for chocolate, and I, too, want to stuff some chocolate in my face,” Koltz explained. “Letting go and allowing myself to play into a life without fear of judgment or social rules has become essential in bringing Anna to life. Anna is also impulsive and has a childlike sense of play so leaning into my gut reactions has really helped bring out her funny awkward side.”
Beyond the sisters’ journey and telling of sacrifice, acceptance and love is the glue, or snow, that holds the story together from the young princess’s childhood to adulthood – Olaf.
Ethan Mackay is portraying Olaf, and as in the Broadway version, he is the voice of the puppet that has such a strong connection to audiences.
“I think Olaf represents pure, unconditional love, but he also carries this wonderfully childlike view of the world that people immediately connect to. There’s something about his innocence, his curiosity, and his delight in even the simplest things that tap into a part of us we don’t always let ourselves feel as adults,” Mackay reflected. “When audiences see Olaf, they’re reminded of what it felt like to be a child – open, hopeful, and full of imagination. That sense of nostalgia, combined with his genuine kindness and loyalty, makes him feel like both a friend and a little piece of our own childhoods brought to life.”
Ethan MacKay, who plays Olaf. -COURTESY PHOTO
Olaf puppet being used in Belle Theatre’s “Frozen The Musical.” -COURTESY PHOTO
A cast-agreed-upon poignant stage moment is the duet with Anna and Elsa titled “I Can’t Lose You.”
“This is a heartfelt duet between Anna and Elsa where Anna is pleading for Elsa to talk to her and let her help her,” Cole explained. “It’s a vulnerable moment for Anna where the goofiness drops and you see the full force of the love she has for her sister and the hope that their bond will be repaired.”
This scene takes place toward the end of the production when Anna journeys to find her sister, Young described.
“The two have a deep fear of losing each other again, and this song really lets the audience see the emotional weight of the fear of separation and loss of connection that Elsa and Anna have experienced. The meaning combined with the actual emotions our performers bring to the stage is musical theatre perfection,” he stated.
Koltz echoes how impactful this scene is for audiences. “I think that the audience will be able to relate to Anna here because we all have a friend or family member that we would go to the ends of the earth for and fight to keep in our lives.”
One of Frozen’s most memorable lines is stated by Olaf when he was melting in an attempt to save Anna’s life.
Anna & Hans Meet for the first time while working on choreography for “Love is an Open Door.” -COURTESY PHOTO
“One of my favorite moments is when Olaf expresses his simple but profound understanding of love: ‘Some people are worth melting for.’ It’s small and gentle, but it lands with such emotional weight,” Mackay described. “There’s something magical about playing a character who can speak a line so innocent and yet so wise, and feel the audience absorb it. It’s a reminder that even the smallest characters can make the biggest impact.”
The audience’s connection to these characters extends past the stage.
“I think a lot of people relate to Elsa because we are all scared to really shine and be who we want to be. We are so scared of society’s view of us that we hide all our perks and talents to fit in,” Ringsdore explained. “When in reality we should be doing the opposite. As one of my favorite musicals says, ‘let your freak flag fly. ’ Elsa really shows us that it’s ok to be different and embrace the ones who accept us.”
The original Disney movie, Frozen, has made an impact on so many generations in such a short time, according to Young.
“Whether you’re the grandparent whose grandchild has been watching movies and listening for years, the parent whose child always had to watch Elsa or the child whose favorite movie is/was ‘Frozen,’ you’re part of the audience,” Young reflects. “Aside from the art itself the message in ‘Frozen’ really shows viewers that it’s okay to be your authentic self through Elsa’s journey to accept, embrace and appreciate her powers rather than hiding and fearing them.”
On a personal level, Ringsdore relates to her role as Elsa. “Hiding who you truly are out of fear of people hating you is something I had to grow up with,” she reflected. “So, I try to truly show the truth of living in fear but faking it till you make it.”
Self-acceptance is a dominant theme for the characters, particularly Elsa.
“I feel like we can all learn a lot about self-acceptance from Elsa,” Gafgen explained. “She spends her whole life trying to control her powers, and it’s only when she lets go of that desire for control that she is able to accept herself for who she truly is.”
For Cole, she resonates strongly with the moment Anna chooses Elsa over Kristoff and her true love’s kiss. “I have four younger siblings, two of whom are sisters. There is nothing I wouldn’t do for my sisters,” she reflected. “The love I have for them is immeasurable, and in that moment, I know that is the same choice I would make for any of my siblings. I think that’s why I resonate with Anna’s journey so much throughout the whole show. At the end of the day, Anna’s motivation is the love she has for her sister and the desire to help her and be close to her, and that is such a cornerstone of my life.”
Love is a common thread in this musical between the characters and their own paths.
“Anna’s journey to find and give love has resonated with me the most. It’s the most human thing to want to love and be loved and Anna exemplifies both of those things,” Koltz said.
At the heart of “Frozen” is a true love story, combined with the ultimate sacrifice, that is very relatable.
“I think the fact that the love story centers around two sisters rather than a romantic relationship is what made it so popular,” Gafgen believes. “My own sister and I have such a unique bond, and I love getting to be a part of telling a story that highlights that type of relationship.”
Beyond the scene-stealing costumes and familiar songs, the production’s heart lies in what it hopes audiences take away when leaving the theatre.
“I really hope our audiences will walk away with a new appreciation and deeper understanding of the emotions and meaning found within ‘Frozen,’” Young said. “The production has fabulous new songs as well as the fan favorites and I hope our audiences both young and old will appreciate the production in a live venue.”
Tickets are on sale now and can be reserved by calling 239-323-5533, visiting thebelletheatre.com, or stopping by the box office at 2708 Santa Barbara Blvd, Suite 135 in Cape Coral. “Frozen – The Musical” runs from Dec. 18 through Dec. 28.