Interview: Wyatt Hamilton, Evanee Dra'a Dokes, Lily Hirscheider, Zynlee Anderson, Raegan Lipsey of DISNEY'S FROZEN at North Little Rock High School Performing Arts Center

Last year, The North Little Rock High School Theatre Arts Department was chosen by a panel of judges from Music Theatre International, the Educational Theatre Association, and Disney to present FROZEN THE MUSICAL, and after taking the time to decide how this magical feat was going to be achieved, the time has come to head to Arendelle this weekend! This is the first time that theatre programs and companies outside of Broadway and the National Touring productions have been allowed to perform this snow-filled show just in time for the holidays. The show begins Thursday, Nov. 9- Sunday, Nov. 12. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased by clicking here.

Broadway World was thrilled to be able to sit down with Director Wyatt Hamilton and actors Zynlee Anderson, Raegan Lipsey, Evanee Dra’a Dokes, and Lily Hirscheider for an interview. 

BWW: So tell me about the process of getting the rights to FROZEN. 

Wyatt Hamilton: The competition was called “The United States of Frozen,” and the theme was based on “Love is an Open Door.” They wanted to know how we were going to work with our community and involve them in the program. They also wanted details about our school, such as what's your free and reduced lunch and what's the diversity of the school. North Little Rock has a good mix of cultures. They also wanted to know what shows we have done in the past and were we capable of putting on a show of this caliber.  

BWW: You guys do amazing work. I am always so impressed.  

Hamilton: Thank you. We pride ourselves in our productions. We have amazing students. It's North Little Rock. We have a history. I graduated here in ‘94. I think there's only one person in our department who is not a North Little Rock graduate.  

BWW: So, this is exciting! 

Hamilton: Yes! Ok, so they came back in September and announced that we were the school. I want to say that there were about 700 schools nationally that applied for the program. We got really excited thinking ‘this is gonna be great’ and ‘Oh my God look what we did’ and all of this kind of cheering and rah rah, and then we started looking at the script, and we went ‘so how are we gonna do this?’ This is a huge show. It really is technical. I mean there's a moment where she throws her glove and it flies through the air. There are all the freezing effects, and the big costume change for Elsa during the middle of a song.  

BWW: I can’t wait to see what all you’ve done with it. The cast has to be having a great time with this.  

Hamilton: Looking at the talent that we have on stage, looking at the kids we've got...it's gonna be pretty neat. One of the first things I wanted to do was include a young ensemble. 

BWW: That’s a great idea. It’s good to include kids while they think the theatre is a fun place to be.  

Hamilton: Honestly, our numbers are dwindling, and it's not just North Little Rock. It’s everywhere. FROZEN piqued an interest in a lot of kids. I believe we have 62 kids on stage and then another 30ish students who have signed up to be backstage. There'll probably be another 15 or 20 that pop in. So, our numbers are coming back.  

BWW: Well, I can’t wait to see what you all do. Is this an expensive show? 

Hamilton: We got three shows for free, three performances for free. They gave us all the materials for free...the scripts, the music, sheet music, all the promotional advertising materials, all of that was free. They said if you want to do more than three shows, that's fine, but you have to pay for it. So, we paid for another six shows for a total of nine, and we're paying less than what we paid last year for WIZARD OF OZ. Through promotions and sponsors, we've already made back the money that we spent on just the rights to the show. So that's great. That's good to go. Now of course, there's thousands of dollars in lumber and materials and paints and all that. So, at worst we'll break even, but I have a feeling we're gonna make money off of this. I mean, I don't see why we wouldn't.  

BWW: Well, I’m sure you will. This is going to be a great show with a great cast. 

Hamilton: Thank you. We think so too. 

After we finished our interview, it was time to talk to some of the cast. First up was little Elsa (Zynlee Anderson) and little Anna (Raegan Lipsey). 

BWW: OK, Zynlee, what grade are you in?  

Zynlee Anderson: I'm in the fourth grade at Indian Hills Elementary School.  

BWW: What got you interested in auditioning for this show.  

Anderson: This summer I was in the ACT (Argenta Community Theatre) program, and I did a play there. I was Fulton from High School Musical 2, and it was fun, so I just wanted to do it again.  

BWW: Are you having fun?  

Anderson: It’s really fun. I love acting. I get to be myself and no one judges me. 

BWW: Cool. So, what has been fun about this process? 

Anderson: Getting to meet my awesome sister in the play, getting the experience, and getting to know people.  

BWW: Were you a Frozen fan before this?  

Anderson: Yes. I love Frozen.  

BWW: What do you love about it?  

Anderson: I just love how the events all line up and how, like, Elsa is insecure about herself, and then through Anna she learns to love herself as she is. I think that's a very important message for everybody to know.  

BWW: Do you relate to your character? 

Anderson: Kind of. Like, I'm different and weird, very weird, and some people make fun of that. Sometimes I have a little bit of trouble fitting in, but here, I found the right crowd of people to hang out with.  

BWW: That's awesome. Theater people are the best! Now, your FROZEN sister is Anna. What grade are you in? 

Reagan Lipsey: Fourth. 

BWW: What school do you go to? 

Lipsey: Crestwood Elementary.  

BWW: What got you interested in auditioning for FROZEN?  

Lipsey: I didn’t think I was going to get a big part, but my mom signed me up for it, because she knew I loved theater. So, during auditions, I just felt like myself, because theater is, like, my place where I fit in. Also, I have always liked Frozen. 

BWW: Cool. Who's your favorite character in Frozen?  

Lipsey: It was Elsa growing up, but over the summer I kind of liked Anna and her energy. 

Anderson: I feel like we're a lot like our roles. Yeah, she's fun, energetic, and goofy. 

Lipsey: Yup. 

Anderson: And I am, like, mature, more mature, a little bossy, melodramatic.... 

BWW: A theatre kid melodramatic? No.... (faking my shock!) Well, cool. So, you two have a lot of scenes together?  

Lipsey: Yes.  

BWW: How's that going?  

Lipsey: They're going really well, and I'm having a lot of fun with her.  

Anderson: Yeah, it's a lot of fun, and getting to be with the older kids is super fun. I am having the best experience. 

Lipsey: I feel like I match my role, because I am literally an extrovert.  

Anderson: I’m an extrovert, but I get shy and shut people out.  

Lipsey: I have made a lot of high school friends.  

Anderson: Yeah, the high school kids are really fun, and they like us.  

BWW: Awesome. What do you think about your older counterparts? What do you think about your Elsa?  

Anderson: Oh, I really, really, really like her. She's really nice and enthusiastic, and she's not one of the mean high schoolers.  

Lipsey: I really like older Anna. We are basically the same.  

Anderson: Yeah, they call each other mini mes.  

BWW: What do you like about her?

Lipsey: I guess she is just better with the youngers. She can get along with a lot of people.  

BWW: Do you think you might want to keep doing this after Frozen?  

Lipsey: Definitely.  

Anderson: Absolutely.  

Lipsey: I love to do theater.  

BWW: How do you feel about your directors? 

Anderson: Mr. Hamilton is passionate. Hamilton is one of the main reasons why I wanted to do this, because I love working with him.  

BWW: Aaawww.....that’s very nice. How do you feel about Mr. Hamilton? 

Lipsey: He’s good. I really like him. The only time I got mad at him is when he threw my squishmellow and kicked him...or her. 

BWW: What about Mrs. Pitts? Are you working with Mrs. Pitts? 

Anderson: um hum...I like Mrs Pitts. We don't really get to see her, because we don't really dance. A lot of our stuff is throwing snow. It's mainly just playing, which we do all the time.  

The littles were fun. Next, Evanee Dra’a Dokes sat down with Broadway World, who we just saw in ONE NINTH at The Argenta Community Theater.  

BWW: That was a amazing show.  

Evanee Dra’a Dokes: Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed it.  

BWW: That must have been very powerful for you to go through that process.  

Dokes: It was really, it was really tough, but luckily the whole cast was really close, and we were able to keep things warm backstage.  

BWW: Right. Work it out, hug it out after each scene.  

Dokes: Yeah, pretty much. but it was nice. I enjoyed doing it. It was an important show to do. 

BWW: Great. So, what grade are you in?  

Dokes: I'm a senior. 

BWW: Are you enjoying your senior year so far?  

Dokes: Yeah, It's been a little stressful because I've been doing so many shows back-to-back, but it's going well.  

BWW: What are your plans after this?  

Dokes: I have some colleges on my list. It's a long list, but I'm hoping to go to college- major in musical theater, probably minor and like psychology or something. That's what I hope to continue doing, because this is pretty much all I've ever done my whole life.  

BWW: Good luck to you. So tell me about Frozen.  

Dokes: It's a lot. It's different. I will say it's very different. This is only the second show I've done at the school. The last one I did was Matilda and comparing that to this, it's very different. It's definitely much bigger. We have little kids, which is amazing, because I love having new people do theatre, and people learning that they love theatre. It's the best feeling ever. I remember when I felt it, and I think that it's great to do that with kids and bring them in and have them experience being on stage in front of an audience and then learning to love it through this, which is great. And then it's also FROZEN, which is a great movie. I remember when it came out, I was in the first grade. It was amazing.  

BWW: How has the process been? 

Dokes: It's been a very fun process. I love the director. He's an amazing person. And the choreographer Christen Pitts., I've known her since I was teeny tiny, and she's just always been a really good mentor for me. So, it's going pretty well. It's difficult being Elsa as far as songs and stuff. 

BWW: She gets pretty high.  

Dokes: Yeah, she gets up there, but I do my best.  

BWW: Mr. Hamilton says you do great. He has all the faith in you.  

Dokes: Well, I try.  

BWW: Are you having fun? 

Dokes: It's been very fun. We started off with simple music rehearsals, dance rehearsals. It hasn't been crazy or intense at all. I've been doing two shows at once, you know, and I don't feel stressed doing this. It's been a smooth process so far. It's a very caring environment, and I appreciate that, because I get stressed super easily. I'm super high strung. So it's been a very smooth process so far, and I appreciate that.  

BWW: So how did you manage to do Argenta and do this at the same time?  

Dokes: That's a great question.  

BWW: That sounds like a lot.  

Dokes: I don't even know how I'm doing it. I mean I'm done now. We closed ONE NINTH on Sunday, but as Christian Pitts said, we just live by our schedule. I was already cast in ONE NINTH when I auditioned for FROZEN, but we didn't have our schedule yet. So, the directors here for FROZEN have been very understanding. They have not, you know, put any pressure on me or anything like that, because they know that it's difficult. I feel like both of these shows are important for me to do, because ONE NINTH is, you know, ONE NINTH, but FROZEN is this massive show, it's also at my school, and our theater department is just so grateful to be given this opportunity. So, I think that I needed to do this. I need to do both.  

BWW: That’s an impressive undertaking. 

Dokes: I wasn't even sure if I was going to do either, because I was scared that I was gonna get stressed. But I'm glad I made the decision and took the risk. It's been hard, but I made it through.  

BWW: That’s awesome, and now you have the lead role. How did you prepare for that?  

Dokes: We had the luxury of knowing that we were going to do FROZEN back in November of last year. Normally they don't even release the shows that we're doing for the school year until August of that school year, so I knew immediately that I wanted to play Elsa. I practiced “Let It Go” every day from November up until audition. There was a point where I was like, ‘OK, I'm sure I can get it. I'm so sure I can get it.’ And then there's always that split second right before auditions where it's like, ‘oh, what if I don't?’ and it sykes you out. I feel like there's always that little moment in an audition.  

BWW: Auditions are scary. 

Dokes: But, you know, I got the call back and I was like, OK, one notch down.  

BWW: So, you want to major in musical theater in college?  

Dokes: Yes.  

BWW: And your 10-year goal is Broadway? 

Dokes: That's definitely been a goal of mine, like all my life, pretty much. So, I hope to get to that point. I'd also like to do film. I've been in one short film, and I'm about to be in another one in December. I also play music. I would love to do music. That would be great, you know.  

BWW: Well, I can't wait to see you in FROZEN.  

Dokes: Yes, it's almost overwhelming. Like, there's excitement and then there's anxiety, but it's mostly excitement over anything.  

BWW: So, what's your favorite part about doing this?  

Dokes: My favorite part is that I love it when the kids come to me, and they say that I'm doing so well. I don't know why, but a child’s approval is better than any director. If the kid comes up to you and it's like ‘you're Elsa,’ I love all of it. I like seeing that excitement. It makes me happy. It's. the best part for sure. 

BWW: Theater magic is my favorite as well.  

To finish out our interview, Lily Hirscheider, who plays older Anna, visited with Broadway World.  

BWW: Are you a senior?  

Lily Hirscheider: Oh no, I'm a sophomore.  

BWW: A sophomore? Oh wow. So you still have a couple of more years to go?  

Hirscheider: Yes, ma'am.  

BWW: Awesome. So, how has everything been going? 

Hirscheider: FROZEN has been a pretty daunting task for a high school to take on, I think, but Mr. Hamilton, Mrs. Pitts, Ms. Spigner, Mr. Klinger, Mr. Klutcher, just everyone who helps out, all the adults who are on crew, and then also all the students who are on crew, costume, makeup, student directors, the cast, everyone has just really been willing to, like, step it up and like help out, and I just think that, hopefully, I think we will pull it together. I think it's gonna be really good in the end.  

BWW: What has been something that you’ve loved about doing this show?  

Hirscheider: I've really loved doing this with my friends. I'm close with Evanee, who's playing Elsa, and a lot of people in the ensemble. It's just been a really great bonding experience. Playing Anna specifically has been like something that I didn't think I was ever gonna get to do, especially as a sophomore. So like, whenever the cast list came out, I was thrilled, because she's just such a fun character and like, so bubbly and like fun. I don't know, I think she'd be fun to be around. So, I'm so happy that I get to do that and portray her in this show, and I just think it's gonna be a really great experience.  

BWW: Have you done other things besides this before?  

Hirscheider: Yeah, I started in community theater when I was nine. I've done a couple shows at Argenta, Wildwood, one at The Studio, and last year I was the Tin Man in WIZAR OF OZ here, and ensemble in CLUE. So I've done a lot of theater in the past, but I've never gotten to do something this big, so I'm really excited about it.  

BWW: Cool. And you identify with her? Little Anna said you two are the same. I can see that.  

Hirscheider: Yes. I see a lot of myself in her when I was her age. She's so eager and ready to take on anything. She's so determined, and she just has so much energy. It's amazing. We've gotten really close, which is really special. 

BWW: Especially for her.  

Hirscheider: Yeah, I'm really happy that I get to be that person for her.  

BWW: Yeah, they were just raving about their high school counterparts. They love you guys.  

Hirscheider: Well, we love them.  

BWW: What do you like to do besides theater?  

Hirscheider: I do a lot of crafting. I really like to draw, paint, crochet, like anything, I guess, with my hands. It's fun. I hang out with friends a lot. I like to read. So, pretty much anytime I don't have rehearsal, I'll be doing one of those things. 

BWW: Is there anything you would like to do in the future?  

Hirscheider: I would really, really like to be able to do a TV show or a movie. I've never done anything like that. I've never done anything that's not live theater, but I know a lot of people who have been in short films. One of my good friends, Piper, was in a Disney movie, and that is something really cool that I'd like to get to experience at some point. 

BWW: We know Piper. 

Hirscheider: I love her. She's one of my best friends.  

BWW: Well, thank you. I will let you get back to rehearsal.  

For more information about DISNEY’S FROZEN at North Little Rock High School, visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/nlrtheatrearts. 

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