Frozen - Theatre Royal, Drury Lane

Some friends of mine in Sydney saw it and said the tickets for their family of four cost more than their first car! Even so, they said it was worth every penny.

DOMINIC!!!!! This is very poor form. Educate yourself immediately as some of the songs are great. 😬

I’m not that hopeful for BTTF other than for Olly who I’m sure will carry the whole thing. I’m not that interested in 9 to 5 or Prince of Egypt. Mary Poppins is a delightful film & Lion King is Lion King. But both Frozen films have some excellent songs and are enough to sell the movies. ‘Show Yourself’ from 2 and ‘Love is an Open Door’ being my faves.

A discussion I can get into. I've seen the following musicals before / without ever seeing the film on which they were based: Kinky Boots, Lord of the Rings, Made in Dagenham, Hairspray, Billy Elliot, 9 to 5, Bend it Like Beckham, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels From Here to Eternity, Little Shop of Horrors, The Producers, Sleepless in Seattle, Sunset Boulevard, Waitress and Whistle Down the Wind. I will add to that list unless I watch the film of The Prince of Egypt soon!

I really wish I could go into Frozen without knowing the twist. I'm sure unlike when I saw the film everyone will know it is coming.

I would maybe just familiarise yourself with the soundtracks to both Frozens to save any spoilers or miss out on some lovely songs.

The last time I went to the cinema to see a film, rather than a streamed opera or ballet, was in 2002 (Die Another Day).
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Jeez, no wonder you’ve never been back! 😂

Admittedly it was far from the best Bond but I don't think there was a direct correlation! It was more that I'd started to get interested in theatre, especially opera, and in 2004 started regular theatregoing so I preferred to spend my time & money on that rather than going to the cinema. Not that I went to the cinema that often before 2002 either. Films on the big screen have always been too big & loud for my taste, ever since I was terrified by Ursula the Sea Witch the first time I went to the cinema aged about 6.

You know a shows bad when the chorus of ‘naked’ people is the best thing about it.

The bridge is going to be the length of the Drury Lane stage.... what else would it be?

If substantial word gets out that this is a disappointment, they’ll be looking at another ‘Aladdin’ rather than a ‘Lion King’. It’s all about ice magic (no, not that chocolate sauce that went hard on top of your ice cream) and failure to represent that on stage will result in only just limping over the year mark once their advance has dried up.

People want to see the film recreated live on stage. Lion King used the magic of puppetry to suggest the animals so it was creative and absorbed you in by having them move amongst the audience. I’m not sure that a few overused Gobos and a cracking sound every time they want to freeze something will cut it. Is there something effective for the troll & the little rock people at least?

No. Well, yes, to some extent. But stage versions need to have a little extra magic - like Lion King did both its imaginative puppeteering and bringing authentic African sounds to the stage. 

Everything else Disney has churned out since has been pretty bland, Aladdin included - which didn't feel or sound "oriental" at all except in some very scrubbed-up sterilized Disneyland version.  Most of the Disney stuff I've had the misfortune to sit through hasn't even made it to London - for some good reason. Little Mermaid was just dire and unimaginative, Tarzan tried with its bungee-jumping lianas but was far too long and Newsies was so saccharine it sent you into a sugar coma. 

Sadly I think Frozen is more Aladdin than Lion King. Another movie slapped onto the stage without bringing something new or extra to it that convinces people to fork out for it instead of seeing the movie for the 244th time at home, especially when tickets for a whole family cost more than a daytrip to Disneyland including train fare and food. 

A spectacular ice castle might have done quite a bit for it, but it wouldn't save it on its own. They lucked out with a slightly mad visionary like Julie Taymor back then and never found someone similar who could have given things a completely different spin.