If anyone were to ask me (though they usually don’t, alas), I’d say that while Frozen (2013) is obviously iconic, and the songs are good (and I personally loved how they took the Snow Queen fairytale and spun a tale of their own), I prefer Frozen II (2019) in terms of a whole. I just prefer the plot and songs and the movie in and of itself a lot more in the sequel.

However, enter a discovery from my friendships with musical theater classmates and musical nerds: the existence of Frozen: The Musical (premiered in 2018). Other discoveries include, but are not limited to, Beauty and the Beast: The Musical and Tarzan: The Musical, both of which I need to give proper listens to at some point, and getting to listen to Hamilton for the first time. (For those who are as unfamiliar with the phenomenon as I once was, it’s not just The Lion King^[1] that got a stage musical adaptation – there’s a whole subgenre of Disney musical movies adapted for the stage, where the original songs are kept, the plot is mostly the same, and new songs are added that provide longer runtimes as well as greater depth and characterization).

Despite pondering the subject often, I still do not know exactly why I latched onto the stage musical recording so much, despite not being that obsessed with the movie it’s based on. Frozen: The Musical is almost the same story as the original animated movie, save for a change in the last note of “Let it Go,” new songs such as “Queen Anointed,” “A Little Bit of You,” “Dangerous to Dream,” “What Do you Know About Love,” and “Monster,” a not-quite villain song for Hans (“Hans of the Southern Isles”), and the creation of an overarching central theme through the new intro and finale songs, enhanced by motifs woven into the new lyrics.

I find it quite genius – with the new intro and finale, and a few words here and there, a new/more concrete theme of “Let the Sun Shine On” fits the original existing songs and provides greater depth to the story. So, I do know that this new framing and the awesome new songs play a role in why I love this version so much; however, it doesn’t quite fully explain what makes Frozen: The Musical more compelling and a better story (for me) than the movie musical. Perhaps it’s the added depth of emotion in the way the Original Broadway Cast sing those songs, in conjunction with the new connective tissue of extra character depth/development /insight that also adds to the story’s original theme of the power of love and in all its forms.

Perhaps it’s also me being older (and a bit wiser) than when I first watched (and rewatched) the movie^[2]. I haven’t rewatched Frozen recently, unlike Frozen II, which came out more recently and which I’ve rewatched since at least once. I am not opposed to the idea that I might very well connect to the original movie a lot more now, and find it in and of itself a story to latch on to.

What I do know for certain is that I listened to that album on repeat for most of my last year of undergrad, and that it’s continued to have a high ranking on my Apple Wrapped every year since then. Regardless of the exact ingredients that created this amazing combination, the musical (stage version) is able to bring an extra layer to the story. As I told my friend, who agreed that the true extent of Anna and Elsa’s childhoods comes across pretty well in the musical (though it’s not analyzed in depth), this version definitely makes it feel more real/grounded, so you get that extra angst.^[3]

Whenever I listen to Frozen: The Musical these days, my heart hurts and tears start forming in my eyes The tragedy of their childhood, of a sisterhood torn apart and left to fester as an open wound. The horrifying and sad understanding of how it must have really been like to be alone and essentially locked up, of how most of Elsa’s life was preparing for a single moment (the coronation), and that entire preparation was to try and not feel anything (and failing, and trying harder and failing again…) The emotions at how Olaf is truly a little bit of both of them, of how they build him back together. The beauty of how Anna is still so caring and loyal and so desperate for love and connection, and the bittersweetness of how Elsa has felt a monster for so long — and discovering that she isn’t, that she can be something else. That gut punch from the last line of “Do You Want to Build a Snowman,” the fun banter between Kristoff and Anna in “What Do You Know About Love,” the pain when Anna sings “True Love” after being betrayed, and the catharsis and joy and promise of the finale…

The musical humanizes their story even more, and makes the tragedy, as well as the relationships, lesson, growth, and happy ending, even more poignant.

I remember feeling pretty maudlin when I found out that despite just debuting a few years previously, the musical closed in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Not only did it never have the chance and possibility of becoming as long-running and beloved as The Lion King, it also meant that I’d never get the chance to ever watch it. (I also just discovered that a pro-shot of the musical is now on Disney +, which genuinely makes me happy that it can still be watched and discovered and enjoyed, that it lives on in its full form).

In the end, though, I got lucky. They did a North American tour, which gave me the opportunity to go see this story live and in person; even if it had been allowed to have its deserved long-lasting Broadway run, I’d likely never have gotten around to going and seeing it there in NYC. Attending the musical was truly a phenomenal experience (though a lot raunchier than I’d expected, mostly through Anna’s character), made all the more special for getting to share that experience with a friend.^[4] One of the musicals I’d really loved to have seen came straight to my doorstep.

The only thing is that, not being a kid anymore and also not really predisposed to thinking of dressing up for fandom occasions, I didn’t get the memo at all – and I’m still a bit bemused with myself. Amidst all the little Annas and Elsas, I felt quite out of place, and regretted not realizing I could have dressed up. Who knows? I wasn’t opposed to ordering a costume online or something, and properly being part of the atmosphere/experience. Apart from my lack of foresight, seeing the songs I knew so well come to life was amazing. The thing about Original Broadway Cast Recordings, even in cases such as Hamilton and Hadestown where almost all of the story is within the songs, is that you don’t get the full story until you watch it, whether it be live, through the official pro-shot, or thanks to someone’s quite shaky and quite illicit recording.

I also found it interesting how the version I watched incorporated story elements from Frozen II, despite ostensibly being released before the movie; I can’t say with complete certainty that these story elements and easter eggs were added after in later performances of the show, since the version I watched was in February 2024, but I presume it’s the case. I really enjoyed the added layers and references. I’m just not sure I loved how the trolls were framed/portrayed, and I’m sad they didn’t include “True Love,” though I seem to remember the addition of a new-to-me song.

As an aside, I’m so grateful to have watched almost all of the musicals I’d been dreaming of seeing live: Hadestown, Six, Frozen, Hamilton, Les Mis, Come from Away, as well as fun classics such as Hairspray. Now the only must-see musical currently on my list is Wicked; here’s to hoping it makes its way to my city sometime in the next few years!

Every time I listen to Frozen: The Musical, I not only feel all the emotions, but I get so inspired by the story. I want to know more, and I’m so compelled by both what is said and what is left unsaid. I even wrote a fanfic one-shot at some point, which I’m usually not compelled to do – I mostly prefer to read fanfic, and there’s only one fandom I used to write fanfic for. I think the reason I’ve been listening to the soundtrack less this year is because it gives me all the emotions, because the story is so angsty and hopeful and compelling, because it inspires me to think and to write. If I listen to it too much, I get sucked in, and sometimes I prefer listening to songs that aren’t as emotional and that allow me to daydream about other stories and characters.

The original movie is foundational and iconic, don’t get me wrong, and I still visualize the movie when I listen to the musical. The version I love wouldn’t exist without it. I just find it pretty amazing that we have the original movie, the excellent sequel, and the amazing brilliant stage musical. There is something so special in the energy it brings. The power and emotion you feel just from the soundtrack, and that really comes to life when you see the whole story.

[This newsletter is brought to you by deciding to listen to the Original Broadway Cast recording soundtrack and gushing to my friend about how amazing Frozen: The Musical is.] 😊

[1] Which I’d never listened to previously, until I got to see it in person through Broadway Across Canada. I had a good time, though I much preferred the second act, finding the first act slightly lackluster compared to how Frozen: The Musical elevated and embodied the original movie.

[2] Just lowkey realized when writing this that Frozen came out more than 10 years ago… lol sob

[3] I do love some good angst, though I prefer mine with a happy ending.

[4] We both found the “Let it Go” sequence and the dress transformation pretty epic, though I was just as ecstatic to see a live rendition of “Monster.”