The Broadway musical adaptation of “Frozen” was one of the earliest casualties of the pandemic, with Disney announcing early on that the production (which opened in 2018 to mixed reviews) would not reopen following the shutdown. However, since the pandemic, it has been produced internationally and received a national tour.
On a trip to Philadelphia last weekend, I was able to catch the national tour of “Frozen” at the Academy of Music along with my seven-year-old son (who had previously seen “The Lion King” and “Aladdin” on Broadway) and three-year-old daughter (marking her first time attending a two-act musical). Impressively, my son, who has expressed a strong aversion for “Frozen” in recent years, got into it again, going so far as to reread a “Frozen” guidebook he received years earlier the following day.
The national tour faithfully recreates the Broadway production, with direction by Michael Grandage, choreography by Rob Ashford and extensive digital effects to create the transition to a wintry wonderland. While I still have lukewarm feelings about the musical’s stage adaptation, I enjoyed the experience of taking in a first-class, Equity national tour of a recent Broadway hit at a stunning historic theater I had never been to before.
The rights to produce “Frozen” will next be released to regional theaters and amateur groups. I look forward to seeing how it will be reinvented visually.
Ben Platt and ‘Tammy Faye’ will play the Palace
The Palace Theatre on Broadway, which has undergone extensive physical refurbishment and restoration (including raising the venue 30 feet into the air), will reopen with an 18-performance concert residency by Ben Platt (who will perform his own music and introduce his new album) from May 28 through June 15. This will mark Platt’s return to Broadway following his breakout performance in “Dear Evan Hansen” in 2016. Michael Arden (“Parade,” “Once On This Island”) will direct the concert. Famous entertainers who have previously played the Palace include Judy Garland, Liza Minnelli, Josephine Baker, and Bette Midler.
Following Platt, the next tenant at the Palace will be the Broadway premiere of “Tammy Faye,” Elton John’s new musical about the life of televangelist Tammy Faye Messner, which has lyrics by Jake Shears and book by James Graham. The musical received mixed reviews when it received its world premiere in London. Katie Brayben and Andrew Rannells, who originated the roles of Tammy Faye and her husband Jim Bakker in London, will reprise their performances on Broadway. (The roles were played by Jessica Chastain and Andrew Garfield in the 2021 film “The Eyes of Tammy Faye.”)
Paper Mill Playhouse announces new season
The new season at Paper Mill Playhouse a lot like the New Jersey theater’s recent seasons, including a bio-jukebox musical (“Jersey Boys”), a holiday show (“White Christmas”), a Disney show (“The Little Mermaid”), and two new musicals: “Mystic Pizza,” which is based on the 1988 rom-com and has a jukebox score of hits from the ’80s and ’90s; and “Take the Lead,” which is based on a 2006 dance film starring Antonio Banderas that will be directed and choreographed by Christopher Gattelli (“Newsies”). The current Paper Mill season will continue this week with the new musical “Gun & Powder” and will be followed by the Carole King bio-jukebox musical “Beautiful.”
‘Left on Tenth’ will play Broadway with Julianna Margulies and Peter Gallagher
“Left on Tenth,” a new play by novelist and screenwriter Delia Ephron (“You’ve Got Mail”) based on her romantic comedy-style memoir “Left on Tenth: a Second Chance at Life,” will open on Broadway in the fall with Julianna Margulies as Delia, who will be joined by Peter Gallagher. Susan Stroman (“The Producers”) will direct. In a statement, Ephron described “Left on Tenth” as being about “a perilous and wondrous time of my life.” In 2013, “Lucky Guy,” a play written by her sister, the late Nora Ephron, about journalist Mike McAlary was produced on Broadway with Tom Hanks.
