Behind the icy magic in 'Frozen'
Many creative minds have come together to transform the musical stage into the magical, icy world that is Disney's "Frozen."
The show's North America Tour, playing at Playhouse Square's State Theatre Thursday through Sept. 11, is a massive Disney Theatrical Productions operation that requires 20 trucks: 16 that travel show to show and four that come in for advance work.
In this Broadway musical, adapted from the 2013 animated Disney film, Princess Elsa of Arendelle has magical powers to freeze objects and people, which she doesn't know how to control. After inheriting the throne, Elsa accidentally releases her powers before the court and flees, engulfing the kingdom in eternal winter in the process. Her sister, Princess Anna, departs for North Mountain in search of Elsa, and in the end, only true love can save the day.
On stage, the icy world created by Elsa is a "perfect storm," so to speak, achieved by Christopher Oram's scenic and costume designs complemented with video background, hazy special effects and lighting. Disney keeps some of its stage magic a secret, including how Elsa transforms her coronation dress into her famously sparkling ice gown right before the audience's eyes each performance.
Paige Grant, the tour's production stage manager, talked by phone from Dallas early this month about how the show's iced-over look is achieved when Elsa creates her wintry storm and uses her powers to build an ice palace on North Mountain.
"We have a massive video wall that's in the back of the scenery. It weighs about 6,000 pounds and contains about 4.7 million individual LED lights" to create icy effects, Grant said.
Six "ice legs" are also key parts of the set. These "ice leg" pieces, each of which weighs 2,000 pounds, include six static pieces plus four traveling ones that shift on and off stage. They contain LED lights that can be projected upon to achieve icy effects.
As Elsa creates her icy world, the freeze spreads across the stage with the help of designer Fin Ross' projections.
"Essentially, Elsa flees and her powers kind of create this whole effect that spreads from the corner of the proscenium all around the proscenium. And while that's happening, the (icy) projection's happening upstage and also an automated scenic piece comes on as well," Grant said.
As all these effects come together, the show's iconic ice bridge emerges. The automated scenic piece, which looks like it's snapped in two, is the same treacherous-looking bridge that Anna and ice harvester Kristoff traverse on the way to North Mountain.
The bridge is about 55 feet wide and weighs 6,750 lbs. The icicles are constructed out of vacu-formed clear acrylic and then given a natural icy finish.
The icy effects don't stop there. A set piece called the "crystal curtains" features more than 20,000 crystals. And Elsa's ice palace is adorned with 53,000 Swarovski crystals.
Elsa's ice dress, which takes one person 41 days to bead, has 44,154 icy crystals and stones. Elsa's wig also has 1,000 icy beads.
The ice itself tells a story in this fantasy, through everything from friendly ice to angry ice to comforting ice. When Elsa is overcome by fear, sadness and anger, her magic is angular and menacing. When Elsa’s magic is uninhibited, ice is represented by sparkling crystals and delicate lacy patterns.
In this story, Elsa mistakenly freezes her sister Anna's heart. Grant said that moment is achieved through a lighting effect: Elsa reaches up, triggering a bright white light to strike Anna.
This large production features 34 actors — including four children — with more than 300 costumes. A motif of a snowflake in a heart, a traditional Scandinavian motif, is repeated in costumes throughout the show.
Grant, who joined the show as production stage manager in April, is working with Disney for the first time. She's a native of Olympia, Washington, and received her degree in theater design and production from University of Cincinnati's College Conservatory of Music (CCM) in 2007.
"It was a very informative four years, and it definitely prepared me for taking on the world outside of school," she said of (CCM).
Grant, who has been touring since 2008, most recently with "Hadestown," is now in charge of scheduling arrangements in advance for tour venues and oversees what happens backstage with "Frozen." She works with a stage manager and two assistant stage managers on "Frozen."
The production stage manager, who's worked with the tour in six cities so far, said she appreciates the "Frozen" show's emphasis on family. She and the cast are looking forward to their long, five-week run in Cleveland.
"Every show has its challenges, and this one is large and lovely and it's an honor to be able to guide it around the country," Grant said.
Arts and restaurant writer Kerry Clawson may be reached at 330-996-3527 or kclawson@thebeaconjournal.com.
Details
Musical: "Frozen"
Where: Playhouse Square State Theatre, 1519 Euclid Ave., Cleveland
When: Opening 7:30 p.m. Thursday, continuing through Sept. 11
Onstage: Starring Caroline Bowman, Lauren Nicole Chapman, Ryan McCartan, F. Michael Haynie, Mason Reeves, Evan Strand, Collin Baja, Jeremy Morse, Aria Kane, Arwen Monzon-Sanders, Natalie Chan, Victoria Chan
Cost: $39-$165
Information: www.playhousesquare.org or 216-241-6000
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: 'Frozen' technical magic creates tour's famous icy effects
