Review by David Treadwell – Photos by Jared Morneau Photography
Do you believe in magic? Have there been times in your life when the power of love has overcome your fear of doing what you need to do to be who you really are? Do you remember the sheer joy of building a snowman? Do you savor the exhilaration of musical theater performed at its absolute best? If so, then treat yourself to “Frozen,’ currently playing at Pickard Theater on the Bowdoin College campus.
The show begins on a heartwarming note as two young sisters Elsa and Anna (beautifully portrayed by Estella Wigg and Rya Redding) decide to build a snowman. As one audience member noted after the play, “I felt like I was six years old again.”
Then, as inevitably happens in life, the sisters face hurdles. Elsa fears what will happen to her kingdom if she can’t control her power to make things as cold as ice. Anna can’t understand why her older sister has turned on her and she wants to rekindle their childhood bond.
Maria Eife (as the grown-up Elsa) and Liz Leclerc (as her sister Anna) showcase their superb voices to convey the raw human emotions they experience along their journey. Each of them nailed the performance, each owned the stage.
Space precludes offering kudos to all the major players, but special citation must be given to Chris Palmieri, who plays the reindeer puppet Sven, and Nick Moulton, who plays the lovable snowman puppet. They tickle the heart with their wisdom and patter.
But Frozen, in truth, is a musical blessed with show-stopping numbers like “Let it Go,” “For the First Time in Forever,” “Hygge” and “Fixer Upper.” Everything works to perfection: the singing, the dancing, the costumes. The energy and exuberance conveyed by every single performer on stage is breathtaking. Incidentally, if you love tap dancing, then be prepared to be blown away. It just doesn’t get better than that.
Marc Robin, the Director/Choreographer, skillfully involves the audience in the production by having actors parading down the aisles throughout the performance. You can almost touch them. They certainly touch you while sending the message; “We’re all in this together.” At one point, “snow” came fluttering down over the audience, much to the delight of all.
The technical marvels enhance the impact. The ever-changing and evocative visual backdrop. The special effects, such as the changing of a dress at an instant. How do they do that?
The MSMT Orchestra, led by Conductor/Keyboard1 Brian Cimmet, adds just the right musical touch to every number, every singer.
At the cast party after the show, Liz Leclerc (Anna) said, ‘I’m so happy to be part of this fabulous cast and to show how important it is to find your true love.”
Marc Robin, who was exhilarated after the opening night performance, said, “This is a challenging show, but after meeting this amazing cast, I knew we could do it.”
Curt Dale Clark, MSMT Artistic Director, was equally thrilled. As he said to the performers after the show, ‘You shouldn’t have been able to do what you just did.”
As a member of the audience sitting in front of me said after the standing ovation, “We are so lucky to have something like this right in our own backyard.”
Indeed.
(NOTE: “Frozen’ runs from July 15-August 1 at Pickard Theater at Bowdoin College.)
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