Robert Lopez & Kristen Anderson Lopez Reveal New Details On FROZEN On Broadway

New details on FROZEN on Broadway and much more!

Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson Lopez, the Academy Award-winning songwriting team behind the songs for Disney's biggest animated film to date, FROZEN, share that they have written "about a dozen" new songs for the upcoming stage version of the movie musical smash as part of a brand new interview with The New York Times about their brand new musical UP HERE, available here.

In my InDepth InterView with the composing team earlier this year, they relayed several updates on the currently developing stage version of FROZEN, with Mr. Lopez offering, "We're working on FROZEN the musical right now. And, we very much remain New Yorkers and Broadway lovers, too...," and Mrs. Anderson Lopez sharing, "We have nothing if we don't have our love and passion for Broadway - that's where it all comes from for us."

As for whether or not the stage version would contain cut songs, Mr. Lopez shared, "Oh, I don't think anything from the bottom drawer would really fit - those songs were all meant for moments that were eventually cut. But, never say never...," whereas Mrs. Anderson Lopez said, "There's always fabric there, though. In everything you do for these characters there are pieces and motifs and feels and tempos that you can say, 'Oh, remember that one?' about when you're writing something new. We do recycle things, but they just aren't always recognizably recycled."

No further details are available at this time on what material the new songs will musicalize.

Also, check out my complete InDepth InterView with Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson Lopez, available here.

Earlier this year, Disney Theatricals top executive Thomas Schumacher revealed his thoughts on the project to The Hollywood Reporter, offering, "There's something purely theatrical about the relationship between these two women [characters, Elsa and Anna]. You can see it. My job is to corral the writers of the movie. I'm already talking to directors, and I have a design concept, and we have to begin to fashion this idea. It doesn't need to be fast. It needs to be great."

He added, "It was very natural that BEAUTY AND THE BEAST would make that transition. But then I'd argue it's probably not very obvious that THE LION KING would make that leap. For the most part, what has separated us from others who have tried to adapt film titles is that we're starting with something built around the idea of music, whether it's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST or MARY POPPINS."

Schumacher also stated, "You're not trying to think how to musicalize it; you try to figure out [whether] it would be appropriate for the stage. ALADDIN took 22 years from the time the movie opened to tell that story theatrically."

Check out BroadwayWorld's coverage here.

As for the original film actors being involved, Idina Menzel has shared that she would "love" to be a part of a Broadway mounting of the movie musical, as BroadwayWorld reported here, positing at the Billboard Music Awards recently, "I don't know how I feel about hitting that high note eight times a week! I did it in WICKED a lot. We'll see. I'd love to be a part of it. It's a great family of people - great creative team - and you never know."

Josh Gad was less enthusiastic, sharing with USA Today, "I think I have a busy enough slate ahead of me without considering the ramifications of putting a snowman outfit on and traipsing across a Broadway stage. At this time, I don't necessarily have an expectation that I will be playing Olaf on Broadway... That's not to say the door is absolutely closed... But there's so much in front of me right now."

Check out BroadwayWorld's coverage here.

In my InDepth InterView with Santino Fontana earlier this year, we discussed the film sequel to FROZEN and his thoughts on participating in future FROZEN-related properties, with Fontana offering, "Yes, of course I would love to be a part of it. I don't know if I will or not - I don't know what they are planning. I know that they are going to take their time and make sure that they come up with the story that they want to tell that they think will really please the most fans and also surprise everybody at the same time - and, I totally trust that they will do that. I don't know if I will be involved, but I would love to be - but, I don't know."

Check out my complete InDepth InterView with Santino Fontana here.

Jonathan Groff also discussed the Broadway adaptation here, commenting, "BEAUTY & THE BEAST was the first Broadway musical I ever saw and now they're turning FROZEN into a Broadway musical."

He shared of landing the job, "It was a huge deal. My mom was the first person I called when I found out I got that job and she was like, "Oh, my God! If we could tell the 5-year-old you you were going to be the voice of a Disney character."

Kristen Bell also expressed her desire to continue with the project to Broadway in an interview with EW Radio here.

Of note, no concrete timeline is currently in place for bringing FROZEN to Broadway at this time, although the Daily Mail reported that 2017 was the current date being considered by the creative team, with UP HERE director Alex Timbers directing, as BroadwayWorld reported here.

View Idina Menzel's "Let It Go" as seen in FROZEN - which has amassed nearly 475 million hits - below.