St. James Theatre, 44th Street, New York
March 16, 2018

If ever a musical came with a guaranteed audience, it’s Frozen. Not only is Disney’s 2013 musical fantasy the highest-grossing animated movie of all time, its computer-aided design is a masterpiece of sheer craft while its focus on two strong women – or girls on the verge of womanhood – has earned it cult status among females from 4 to 40. Dressing up as Elsa or Anna is quite a thing, I’m reliably informed. Of course, like any good fairy tale – and Frozen is (very) loosely based on Hans Christian Andersen’s The Snow Queen – there is a message for all, men or women, boys or girls, young or old, gay or straight. With universal themes like head versus heart, safety versus risk, control versus spontaneity, Frozen has plenty to teach us, plus it’s a cracking good yarn, so what’s not to like about transplanting it from screen to stage?

The Company in Frozen. Photo © Deen van Meer

Of course, with great power comes great responsibility. The original comes with snappy dialogue and a bag-full of chipper songs, one of which is...