You Can Now Watch Frozen The Musical at Home!

For the last thirty years or so, Disney on Broadway has been protective of their live shows, encouraging fans to come to New York City and watch them with their families at high costs. A lot of things changed during the COVID lockdowns. For one, it has become more common for professional recordings of live theater to be made available for people to watch in the comfort of their own homes. In 2020, Disney shared their proshot of Tangled: The Musical, which had previously only been available on their cruise ships. They also tested the waters by releasing a proshot of the record-breaking Hamilton on Disney+. The lockdowns may be over, but their effects have had lasting changes on the media, making it more common than ever to watch live theater from home. The most recent example of this is their West End proshot of Frozen: The Musical, which is available to stream starting today on Disney+.


I have my issues with the Frozen movie, but in my opinion, the stage show is the best adaptation that Disney on Broadway has ever done. It's comfortably paced, isn't afraid to get a little dark despite being a children's production, and goes above and beyond with its dazzling costumes and sets. If there were only one Disney on Broadway show I would recommend for home viewing, this would be it. This recording was filmed in England's West End as opposed to Broadway, but the show is virtually identical, and the actors speak with American accents. The performances were on par with the performance I saw live, though I thought the guy who played Hans was a little too goofy to take seriously, especially considering the sharp turn his character makes at the end of the show.

This recording is slightly shorter than the original stage show. The only scene that I noticed was missing was the controversial nude "Hygge" dance, which I doubt anyone missed. Like most proshots, it uses multiple cameras and angles to give at-home viewers as close an experience to being in the theater as possible. Some shots showed the whole stage, while others peered behind he actors to overlook the audience beneath the stage. Overall, the editing was fine, but I have seen better. Some of the audience shots got distracting when I was trying to enjoy the story, and kept getting reminded I was watching a play. It was also a weird choice to have text appear onscreen indicating the end of Act 1 and the beginning of Act 2 when there was no entr'acte in between, since the filmed version has no intermission and could be paused at any time. Besides, everyone knows "Let It Go" signifies the end of the first act.

This recording sufficiently captured the magic of Elsa's dress transformation, the creativity of the puppets used for Olaf and Sven, and the grandeur of the royal and wintry sets. Having also seen the show live, I observed that it's harder for cameras to capture the glitzy sparkles reflecting off the beaded icicles on the stage and Elsa's dress than with the bright stage lighting. The sparkle effect was still visible on camera, but it wasn't as dazzling as in real life. Overall, this recording comes pretty close to seeing the show live. Frozen fans watching the musical in this format for the first time are unlikely to be disappointed. The proshot even uses footage during the end credits to enhance the "live" experience with shots from behind the scenes, including the actors interacting with groups of little girls in costume.

The Disney+ proshot of Frozen: The Musical makes the show more accessible to fans of the stage show and the movie alike who may lack the budget or resources to travel. With its stunning costumes, sets, and beautifully paced storytelling, this recording brings the magic of the West End to your living room. While some aspects of the proshot, such as the editing and camera angles, may not be perfect, the overall experience is relaxing and enjoyable. The emotional story resonates with audiences of all ages and does not pander to children like some of Disney on Broadway's earlier productions. If you're a fan of Frozen or live theater in general, this proshot is definitely worth checking out.
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