PACA Productions: Frozen - Review by Benjamin Olivera

The classic 2013 Disney film “Frozen” was an absolute hit amongst audiences of all ages for many years after its original release and lives on as a classic staple children’s film for many households worldwide. Therefore, when I found that it was turned into a musical for the stage 5 years later, I was absolutely over the moon. I am so glad that this show has finally transferred into amateur theatre companies across Australia over the coming years and I am privileged to be able to see the Australian Amateur Debut by Paca Productions at the Concourse Theatre, setting the foundation and standard for future productions to come.

As mentioned by the director Kaitlin Hillier in her note, Frozen is a plot deeply rooted in love; “a love that is sacrificial, where our actions are not driven by what we gain, but how much someone means to us”. Hillier, assisted byJanina Hamerlok achieves this in tenfold with tender moments of beauty and family that resonate with all audiences, pulling together a cast of many talented people that were able to clearly display this strong vision. Directing the amateur premiere of a show is a mammoth responsibility and Hillier & Hamerlok should be proud of the show that theyhave brought to the Concourse stage. It is so amazing to see up and coming directors being given the opportunity to bring ideas to life on the stage supported by amazing communities. This is what community theatre is at its core and I commend Paca Productions for empowering creatives in this way and I look forward to seeing them continue to pioneer this in the future!

As mentioned before, no director alone is fully complete without the amazing casts that they cultivate and this cast is no exception whatsoever. Heading up this cast are two exceptionally talented women who defy description. Cassidy Lobb was truly born to play Elsa. She embodies the emotional arc that creates the story so well and her vocals show every shade to the complex character that she portrays. Lobb has a presence that is truly magnetising and commands the stage in a way that immerses the audience in the world of Arendelle. Sophia Duncan as Anna is comedy gold and is truly a masterclass of authentic character acting. Her time spent researching and becoming the character is showcased clearly in her portrayal and is so grounded which is refreshing to watch in theatre. Often there is so much emphasis to overplay and ‘ham up’ comedic moments. Duncan is not only clever in her portrayal of her characterisation but also navigates exceptionally difficult vocals with precision and ease. Both of these women are truly incredible to watch and will have you raving about their performances long after departing the theatre.

It is never easy to play a villain, let alone a villain that is audibly hated by the children in the audience by the end, but Alexander Billet does this job wonderfully, completely deceiving the audience with his natural charm and gravitas playing Hans of the Southern Isles. He feigns this innocence until the perfect time in the show, where he lowers his speaking voice and adds a gravel that is a transformation which is engaging and captivating to watch. Along with this he has a beautiful classical baritone sound that soars above the ensemble of Arendelle villagers that rally behind him. The other leading man in this show is Kristoff, played by the talented Blake Lovely. He brings to the stage such a genuine personality which is refreshing in this fictional land. His blunt dialogue pairs wonderfully with his loveable nature and is topped of by amazing chemistry with Duncan both physically and vocally.

Jack Fahd has the crazy job of becoming an animal on the stage and also never showing his face on the stage; a harder task than the audience can ever see. He does such a good job at physically expressing the beautifully sweet nature of Sven the Reindeer. How on earth he moves in that manner for the whole show I will never know and my hat is tipped to him. Similarly, Lachlan Ceravolo brings the lovable Olaf to life in a way that is only described as wondrous, both in vocals and charactisation and even down to the physicalities. It takes an exponential amount of skill to master using a puppet whist last having the headspace to create and maintain a character persona that audiences can connect with. Ceravolo and Fahd should be incredibly proud of what they have brought to the stage as they have twice the task of the rest of the cast.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the impeccable talents of the children in this show. I saw the show that featured Penelope Mortimer as Young Elsa and Maya Tobin as Young Anna. Boy oh boy was I not expecting what they brought. Mortimer brought fantastically precise and beautiful vocals that matched the calibre of the rest of the cast and was so clear and strong in her portrayal of Elsa. Tobin was a true scene stealer, wholeheartedly embodying Anna with all of her being and had me wrapped around her finger. I also found it admirable how her portrayal of Anna matched so well with that of Duncan’s adult interpretation, which made a difficult transition clear and powerful from an audience perspective. I’m sure that the other two children are equally as talented and I can’t wait to see where the future leads for them as young artists in this industry.

There were countless supporting cast members and ensemble that stood out in various points of the show which I will go through briefly here, but make sure you get tickets so that you can see this fantastic cast shine as they are ALL putting in so much effort to transport the audience and take them on this magically chilly journey. Luke Arthur brought a Broadway standard vocal performance as Oaken at the beginning of Act 2, distracting the audience from the tense A plot, giving them a comedic reprieve before the resolution of the story. Daniel Lavercombe & Marika Zorlu brought a powerful portrayal of Pabbie and Bulda the rock trolls, infecting the remainder of the ensemble with their energy and up-tempo dance moves.

Uniting this cast was musical director David Catterall and his grandiose 21-piece orchestra and 6-piece vocal booth. Frozen as an incredibly musically challenging show from a vocal and instrumental perspective as it incorporates songs that are beloved by many from the movie whilst also adding more musical motifs to the score that carry the storyline along for audiences and portray that extra layer of emotion. To say that Catterall has mastered this, almost to perfection would be accurate. The band was tight and all of the harmonies were clear and present, regardless of some audio mixing errors that were present. I also love to see shows were the cast are clearly enjoying singing and you can’t see the cogs turning in their heads trying to figure out their harmonies. Catterall’s love for the show is so evidently clear and it is such a joy to be an audience member and watch this flourish throughout the course of the show.

Layla Bonny Owen, skilfully assisted by Amelia Keith, created choreography in this show that featured all types of skill levels and talent which is great to see, especially with a cast of this calibre. The featured dancers were used very well with a variety of dance styles showcased throughout the course of the show. One of my favourites would have to be the stylised movement throughout the scenework at the ball. It was clean, precise and added a magic-filled theatrical dynamic to the space. There was some precision and energy missing from some other numbers, but that is because of how hard the cast had been working. Performing such a big show with such a long show run is no easy feat and the cast and creative team should be extremely proud of the work that they put on stage.

William Pulley’s set design for this show was quite strong and true to the director’s vision of honouring the 2013 Disney movie whilst also adding to the theatricality of the stage production. There were moments where I feel that the blocking of scenes/choreography wasn’t accommodating to the set that was present and there were other times where I felt the opposite and that the set wasn’t right for the chosen scene or dance number. That being said, I really appreciated the attention to detail that was present, specifically with the LED screens and also the trinkets and handprints in Oaken’s hut and sauna. That detail is the magic of theatre that transports the audience fully, turning a good show into a great show.

The costuming, led by Erica Williams & William Pulleywas regal, clear in purpose and supported the world building that the show was creating. I loved that multiple creators were credited in the costuming the individual elements for this show, proving that it truly takes a village to run the arts industry, specifically theatre. I also loved that there was so much detail and attention in everyone costume regardless of role. My only wish is that Elsa’s coronation dress had more detailing and embroidery on it. I understand that this is often done to aid with the ease of the quick change that comes in let it go, but when you have such a strong costume department with everything else, it really stood out and was quite jarring to the vision of the show, especially considering how long it was on her for.

Where I found that this show suffered the most was in the sound design/engineering and with the lighting. Loud and Clear created an audio mix that was unfortunately inconsistent throughout the show. There were many moments the ensemble vocals or band would drown out lead vocalists, which in turn meant that I couldn’t follow the plot. That being said, engineering a show, specifically of this size, is extremely difficult as there are so many variables that can go wrong so the audio team should be commended and I am sure I just watched a show with some issues. Dean Barnett & the Latarka team used beautifully technical lighting which was so interesting to see what the various gobos could do. It was very in theme with the world and used angles that interested and excited the audience. Unfortunately, the stage was often flooded with lots of lights in various patterns which look wonderful on camera but unfortunately wash out the faces of the actors on stage, meaning that I lose their expressions and also am not directed to look anywhere. In future, I think that more time should be spent between the director and lighting techs and designers to ensure that there is clarity in every department of the theatre and that no one is left behind. Lighting can be such a powerful tool to add to driving the plot or to include motifs and stories that are memorable and dramatic for the audience and I personally feel this was a bit missed.

I’m not often one to enjoy the winter time, but I’ve never been so happy to be surrounded by so much snow and ice because the warmth of PACA Productions presentation of “Frozen – The Broadway Musical” making me a puddl- I mean a happy reviewer! With such a stellar cast and team, it left me cheering for joy as the curtain closed and the snow fell over the audience. This show is perfect for all ages and it was so refreshing to attend a show with such a widespread demographic filling the seats of the auditorium, reassuring my hope for the future of Australian amateur theatre. Don’t let your chance to get your tickets go, because they are almost sold out! Playing at the Chatswood Concourse until March 15. Book tickets at their website or through the Concourse Box Office.