While an official live-action adaptation hasn’t been announced, a filmed version of Frozen: The Hit Broadway Musical is now streaming on Disney+.

Obviously, the Broadway show concluded as a result of the pandemic so the filmed version here is a 2024 performance at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London’s West End. I was only really familiar with the animated film. As such, it’s still an adjustment watching it being performed in live-action, even on stage. Still though, the stage musical leaves me curious as to how Disney would approach casting a live-action film.

If you’ve seen the film, the plot hasn’t really changed. As we all know, Elsa sets off an eternal winter in Arendelle, much like she did in the classic 2013 film. What has changed is that there are 12 new songs written for Frozen: The Hit Broadway Musical by Oscar-winning songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, joining eight songs from the original film. One reprise was dropped in 2020, replaced by a new song. When an animated film is adapted into live-action, there’s usually maybe one or two new songs for Oscar purposes. I’m not as familiar with Broadway rules so I still wasn’t sure what to expect in that regard.

We know the story. It’s Coronation Day for Princess Elsa (Samantha Barks). Younger sister Anna (Laura Dawkes) is just thrilled that the doors are opening for the first time in forever and hoping to meet the one. We all know how that went and it plays no differently in Frozen: The Hit Broadway Musical. The recently engaged Anna sets out to find Elsa in order to save their kingdom. She meets Kristoff (Jammy Kasongo), Sven (Ashley Birchall, Mikayla Jade), and Olaf (Craig Gallivan). Elsa accidently ices Anna’s hart and only true love can thaw her frozen heart.

To say that both the costume and production design are especially stunning in Frozen: The Hit Broadway Musical is not an understatement. Seeing Elsa’s transformation during the “Let It Go” sequence is one alone is a show-stopping number in and of itself. In fact, it marks the end of Act 1! But still, how they even pulled it off is something that astounds me. Again, you can get away with something like this in film through the magic of editing and CGI. But on Broadway? Not so clear cut.

In the film, “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?” was the song that put time in motion by driving the plot forward from childhood until Elsa and Anna became adults. But again, Broadway translates this somewhat differently on the stage. And again, there are new songs that fill in some of the time, too. Keep in mind that Frozen: The Hit Broadway Musical runs 1:51, including end credits–the animated film was 1:42. Watching the Broadway musical does give one an idea of what a live-action feature could look like to some extent.

It’ll never not be weird watching Olaf with a human controlling the moves like a puppet. But alas, that’s the difference between animation, live-action, and Broadway. In a live-action film, an actor would be wearing a motion-capture suit. That’s clearly not the case in Frozen: The Hit Broadway Musical. The scene after they leave Elsa’s ice palace plays very differently because of this.

Disney has been bringing some number of musicals to Disney+. However, Frozen: The Hit Broadway Musical is by far the biggest one to date. I’m honestly surprised that they haven’t brought a filmed version of The Lion King to Disney+ yet. They released Newsies: The Musical on Disney+ after the film marked its 25th anniversary.

If you loved Frozen, you’re going to love Frozen: The Hit Broadway Musical.

DIRECTOR: Brett Sullivan
DIRECTED FOR THE STAGE BY: Michael Grandage
BOOK: Jennifer Lee
MUSIC & LYRICS: Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez
CAST: Samantha Barks, Laura Dawkes, Craig Gallivan, Jammy Kasongo, Oliver Ormson, Richard Frame, Ashley Birchall, Mikayla Jade, Martha Bailey Vine, Elizabeth Lyons, Ben Irish, Lizzy-Rose Esin-Kelly, Jak Skelly, Jacqui Sanchez, and Ashley J. Daniels

ENSEMBLE: Rhianne Alleyne, Marianne Bardgett, Rebecca Botterill, Oliver Brenin, Gabrielle Cocca, Maddy Collings, Laura Emmitt, Wren Erskine, Jemal Felix, Jordan Fox, Molly Francis, Matt Gillett, Dominic Adam Griffin, Justin-Lee Jones, Azaelea Zona Omar Harris, George Hinson, Ben Irish, Aoife Kenny, Jordan Livesey, Jonathan Milton, Phoebe Penfold, Jacqui Sanchez, Isabella Glanznig, Harriet Samuels, Santos, Jak Skelly, Aanya Shah, Tabitha Storton, Caitlin Tipping, Rodney Vubya, Ed Wade, Anna Woodside

Disney+ released Frozen: The Hit Broadway Musical on June 20, 2025. Grade: 4/5

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