It may be April inbrOmaha, but it still feels like we could build a snowman out there. However,brafter seeing Frozen at the Orpheum Thursday night, I felt like I’d been defrosted with a warm hug from Olaf.
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Actress Norah Nunes, who plays Anna as a child in Act One, convincedbrme from her first few mischievous minutes on stage that this show would bebrextra special, drawing in the crowd immediately. When a show starts with thatbrmuch enthusiasm and humor, that feeling radiates throughout the theater. Then,brsprinkle in a little Disney fairy dust and the 2-hour, 12-minute productionbr(plus a 20-minute intermission) flew by as fast as summer.
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There’s grand theater lore about how epic Disney sets are,brand the stories definitely hold true. How did a glove magically float acrossbrthe stage? We'll never know. The icy-cold desolation of the castle duringbrElsa’s exile is expertly conveyed though phenomenal stage lighting andbrbackdrops. Disney used all the theater tricks for this production. Withbrcostuming that transforms characters into animals (reminiscent of Lion King)brand expert puppetry (a la Avenue Q), the audience is transported to thebrkingdom of Arendelle. The costumes sometimes play key roles in the visual trickery,bras in one scene where people actually look like frozen rocks. Some of thebrtricks are done in full sight. At one point, Anna, played by Lauren NicolebrChapman, sings and dances while doing a complex costume change on stage. It wasbran incredible feat which the actress made look effortless.
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“Conceal, don’t feel” was not an option as Act One closedbrwith an emotional rendition of “Let It Go.” Even if you’ve heard it a millionbrtimes, seeing the song performed in person is like hearing it for the firstbrtime. Caroline Bowman singing as Elsa is breathtaking! The outstanding setbrshimmers and, of course, there’s jaw-dropping magic that will leave youbrawestruck.
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If you think because you saw the film you don’t need to see the live performance, thinkbragain. There are some minor variations that only a 5-year-girl in 2013 who sawbrthe movie on a loop would be able to spot, so it feels very familiar, but notbrstale. All the best songs from the movie are performed. Four new songs havebrbeen added to adapt the story to stage. The costumes follow the Nordic vibe ofbrthe movie. Kristoff, played by Dominic Dorse, is humorous and always helpingbrhis reindeer, Sven (played by Dan Pleural), who sometimes appears a bitbrmechanical but regardless, keeps the audience entranced. If I had the chance, Ibrwould see every Omaha performance of Frozen. I can’t let it go.brIt was a captivating, fun night of theater that I will not forget.
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Disney’s Frozen runsbrApril 19-30 at the Orpheum Theater. Tickets are available atbrhttps://ticketomaha.com/Productions/frozen
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