Olaf is taking the stage at Leon High School this summer — but you won’t find him online.
When the school’s production of Disney’s “Frozen” opens June 25, there won’t be a single official photo of the Olaf and Sven puppets. Under the show’s licensing contract, no images of them can be released. The only way to see them is to buy a ticket.
That’s reason enough to go, but it’s far from the only one. This is the North Florida premiere of the full Broadway musical — not the abbreviated “Frozen Jr.” that most schools stage. Producer Tabitha Peck applied for the rights the day they were released last July and secured them for Tallahassee.
“This show hasn’t been on a stage between Pensacola and Jacksonville,” she said.
It’s also a genuinely all-county affair. The Leon Choral Department’s annual summer musical — directed this year by Chiles theater teacher Betsy Penn — draws top high school talent from across the area. This year, 47 students from Leon, Chiles, Lincoln, Godby, Florida High, Maclay and homeschoolers are building one Arendelle together, backed by a 15-member crew. The principal roles are double cast, with two students alternating each lead across the run.
For Zola Geyer, who shares the role of Elsa with Maria Malley, the part is personal. This is her fifth Leon summer show — more than anyone else in the cast — and this fall she heads to Coastal Carolina University, eight hours from home.
“I’ve really been able to relate to Elsa because I’m about to leave my little sister behind,” she said, recalling the two of them “belting our little hearts out” to “Let It Go” as children. She hopes the youngest fans in the audience come away feeling free to be themselves.
“I just hope they feel joyful and happy,” she said.
This year’s staging makes leaps these summer productions never have before. High-powered rented projectors conjure swirling blizzards and sweep the audience from a sunlit summer castle to a glittering ice palace.
No less elaborate are Olaf and Sven themselves — large, heavy puppets their operators run with internal hand controls, working the mouths, arms and even blinking eyes while acting in character. The costumes are striking and true to the film, and one quick change is so seamless you’ll spend the rest of the show wondering how they did it.
Down in the orchestra pit, clarinet and tenor sax player Brandon Mullane is playing every page of a 100-page book. About a third of the musicians are seasoned professionals; the rest are high schoolers and recent grads, learning how to vamp a passage until the cue comes and follow a conductor locked to singers onstage.
“Disney has notoriously difficult music. We go through every single key, so many different styles, and you’re expected to know everything from the second you start,” Mullane said. “It’s a big responsibility. We take it seriously, but we still have fun with it.”
That spirit is what Peck hopes audiences come for.
“These kids are so talented, and they’re gelling like an ensemble,” she said. “It’s such a good picture of what community is. Come see it for that reason alone.”
For a full Broadway production making its regional debut, it may be the most affordable trip to Arendelle a family will ever take.
If you go
What: The Leon Choral Department presents Disney’s “Frozen” — the full Broadway musical
When: 7 p.m. June 25, 26, 27 and July 2, 3; 1 p.m. July 4; 3 p.m. June 28 and July 5
Where: Leon High School Auditorium, 550 E. Tennessee St.
Tickets: $20, $30 and $40 by section; all ages; reserved seating at teachtix.com/leonhs
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Broadway ‘Frozen’ makes a North Florida debut at Leon High School
Reporting by Special to the Tallahassee Democrat, USA TODAY NETWORK – FLORIDA / Tallahassee Democrat
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Special to the Tallahassee Democrat, USA TODAY NETWORK – FLORIDA | USA TODAY Network
