What is better than attending Fulton Theatre’s holiday production? Attending Fulton Theatre’s holiday production on opening night! There is a sense of enthusiasm, energy, and electricity present that is impossible to beat. It really helps that the theatre selected a regional premiere of an iconic Disney musical. Fulton’s production of Frozen is red-hot!
Taylor Quick and Kennedy Caughell are perfect as royal sisters, Anna and Elsa. Quick is both charming and funny. She is the definition of “girl power”. I think people unfamiliar with the show believe that Elsa, the Snow Queen is the story’s central character. However, this is totally Anna’s story, and Quick is more than up to the task. Of course, Caughell also puts in one heck of a performance, and her first act closer, “Let It Go” gave me chills (no pun intended!)
Penelope Schulz and Stella Schulz portray the younger versions of the sisters. These two actresses are impressively talented and prove that good things come in small packages.
Owen Scales is very likable as Kristoff. Scales has a solid voice and great chemistry with the rest of the cast. In case you were wondering, I was gleefully looking for a local celebrity in the audience. While I did not see this regal Lancaster native on opening night, it is more than plausible that he may show up during its run. He has an outstanding reputation for merrily supporting hometown theater.
Kevin Toniazzo-Naughton shines as Hans. His duet with Anna, “Love is an Open Door” was really enjoyable. I don’t want to give away too much away, but Nick Moutlon’s Olaf and Chris Palmieri’s Sven are both scene-stealers, and are greatly inspired by another Disney Broadway blockbuster, The Lion King. Speaking of scene-stealers, Will Porter’s Weselton and David Stobbe’s Oaken are both goofy in the best possible way.
Sometimes Disney musicals need a little extra padding to transfer from the screen to the stage, but the script and score of Frozen does an excellent job at trimming the fat. Director, Johanna Mckenzie Miller deserves high praise for keeping the production engaging and moving. I can’t imagine all the planning and effort necessary to keep all of the plates spinning at once.
Kudos to first time Fulton choreographer, Joshua William Green. He brings energy and vitality to dance sequences with numbers featuring diverse movement such as ballet, kick-lines and voguing.
Limited space prevents me from individually recognizing every talented individual both on-stage and behind the scenes. Gratefully, artistic director, Marc Robin’s pre-show speech provided some well-deserved recognition and appreciation for many of the production’s unsung heroes.
Fulton’s Frozen brings imagination, creativity, and positivity to the Lancaster stage. Buy your tickets to this spectacle sooner rather than later.
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