"Frozen Junior" lets it go at the Paramount
Originally posted in the Rutland Herald | Story by Gordon Dritschilo | December 12, 2019
Do you want to build a snowman?
Actually, there’s not much snow at the moment — how about seeing one tap dance?
Rutland Youth Theater’s production of “Frozen Junior” takes to the Paramount Theatre stage for the first time in forever this weekend. A cast of 64 performers from ages 6 to 18 star in the show, an abridged version of the Broadway adaptation of the hit 2013 Disney film.
Rutland Youth Theater’s production of “Frozen Junior” opens at the Paramount Theatre this weekend with a cast of 64 performers from ages 6 to 18. From left to right above, Cordelia Senecal as Anna, Sarah Bloch as Sven and Hunter Postemski as Kristoff.
Photo by Kevin White | Rutland Herald
“It doesn’t have a handful of the songs of the Broadway show, but it has all the magic and all the fun,” Rutland Youth Theater creative coordinator Sarah McGee said.
For those who have somehow managed to avoid exposure to “Frozen,” it tells the tale of two orphaned princesses — Elsa, destined to become queen and possessing powers relating to cold, and Anna, her younger sister — as they come of age, struggling with fear, feelings of isolation and desire for love and approval. The stage version adds songs absent from the film, and McGee said the junior version onstage this weekend retains some of those.
“Elsa’s character — you can see inside her head in a way you don’t get in the cartoon,” she said.
McGee said representing Elsa’s powers posed a special effects problem, and the production team stepped up.
“We have a quick-change that has to take place on stage in front of everybody, and we have it down to one second,” she said. “There are moments we really capture the magic of the cartoon and the Broadway show on a youth theater budget.”
McGee said lead actress Haley Lassen knocks Elsa’s big number, “Let it Go,” “out of the ballpark,” but there are smaller moments that should delight audiences.
“Because it’s a junior, we have nine dancing snowflakes who perform as her magical powers personified,” McGee said. “It’s not just one person on stage. It’s 10 young ladies of staggering talent.”
McGee said to also watch for Sophie Hammond tap dancing as Olaf the snowman in “In Summer.”
“It brings the house down,” she said.
With “Frozen 2” having just come to theaters, McGee said there is a lot of excitement for the stage show.
“We had a ‘Frozen’ extravaganza at Giorgetti Park, and we had 200 people come to ice skate with the cast members,” she said.
Shows are at 7 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $10 to $12.
“The Rutland Rec Department is doing something really special with this programming,” McGee said. “We’re going to have two more full-stage productions. If people have a kid that’s passionate about the arts, check out the rec department.”
gordon.dritschilo @rutlandherald.com