Disney Theatrical Productions has announced that “Frozen” will not return to Broadway following the COVID-19 pandemic. It effectively took its final bow March 11 (the eve of the New York State-mandated shutdown), running for 26 previews and 825 regular performances, and lasting just shy of two years.
The musical’s national tour will return, however, once the pandemic passes. International stagings of the show—including West End, Australia, Japan, and Germany productions—have all been pushed to next year. Elements from the now-closed Broadway production will be repurposed for these engagements to reduce cost and waste.
When the musical, based on the 2013 Oscar-winning animated film, opened March 22, 2018, Caissie Levy and Patti Murin starred as Elsa and Anna, respectively. In February, Ciara Renée and McKenzie Kurtz became Arendelle’s new royal sisters.
“The extraordinary contribution of Broadway’s original company plus those who have joined more recently cannot be overstated,” said Disney Theatrical Productions President Thomas Schumacher in a statement. “Frozen, like all shows, is wholly dependent on those who create and perform them but this was an uncommonly close and talented group and they’ll be missed. Finally, I have to acknowledge our incredible audiences; night after night, the fans showed us how much they loved this show and we look forward to seeing them at Frozen around the world.”
The Michael Grandage-helmed musical earned Tony Award nods for Best Musical, Best Score for Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, and Best Book for Jennifer Lee.
The musical is the third Broadway title (though the first musical) to officially announce that its marquees have been dimmed for good. “Hangmen” and the revival of “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” have also closed, even though both shows hadn’t officially opened.
“Frozen” also features choreography by Rob Ashford, sets and costumes by Christopher Oram, lighting design by Natasha Katz, sound design by Peter Hylenski, video design by Finn Ross, puppet design by Micahel Curry, hair design by David Brian Brown, makeup by Anne Ford-Coates, and special effects by Jeremy Chernick.
Stephen Oremus is the music supervisor, creating vocal, incidental, and dance arrangements; joining him on the music team are orchestrator Dave Metzger, music consultant Chris Montan, and music director Brian Usifer.
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