Review: 5-Star Theatricals’ ‘Frozen’ Sparks Snow-Stopping Magic in Thousand Oaks

5-Star Theatricals has a wintry wonderland of a hit on its hands with Disney’s Frozen: The Broadway Musical, now playing at the Bank of America Performing Arts Center (Kavli Theatre) in Thousand Oaks through Sunday, July 20th only. Led by its two vocal superstars Monika Peña and Ellie Smith as Elsa and Anna, respectively, this stage version delivers a blizzard’s worth of entertainment over two hours and fifteen minutes.

Written by Jennifer Lee, with music and lyrics by the husband-and-wife duo of Robert and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, the live production is as coolly irresistible as the film it mirrors with snow-blowing special effects and a story of two sisters and their unbreakable bond.

When the magically powerful Elsa accidentally harms her younger and powerless sister Anna while horsing around, their parents King Agnarr and Queen Iduna sequester the two siblings in the castle; that is, until Elsa’s coronation where, in addition to seeing her older sister Elsa after many years, Anna abruptly falls in love with the seemingly innocuous Prince Hans. However, after withholding her blessing of her sister’s new union, and being pressed by a frustrated Anna, Elsa reacts beyond her control, throwing their town of Arendelle into an irreversible icy tundra. As Elsa flees, Anna inevitably runs after her sister, though now in a snowstorm, she befriends Kristoff and his reindeer as well as Olaf, the talking snowman she and Elsa made in their youth.

Yvette Lawrence directs 5-Star’s Frozen with a sense of purpose, moving the story along without delay and yet also allowing ample opportunity for her cast to shine. Choreographer Cheryl Baxter has crafted movement befitting both the drama that unfolds and the conviviality that transpires, as actualized by the ensemble who ballroom dance in “Dangerous to Dream, toast their cups in “Hygge,” celebrate in “Fixer Upper,” and so on.

The Front Row Theatrical borrowed set mixes a woodsy elegance with an aesthetically fabulous frost that soon envelops. Lighting guru Brandon Baruch, sound designer Jonathan A. Burke, hair/wig crafter Luis Martinez, prop designer Alex Choate, wardrobe supervisor Noelle Raffy as well as musical director Anthony Lucca and his orchestra have created a sonic and snow-capped landscape where the rules and realities of the narrative feel immersive. Deserving of a special mention is projection artist Nicholas Santiago whose artifices communicate a splendorous magic within the confines of a non-Broadway budget.

Still, as important as the technical aspects are in a show like this, it is nonetheless the cast that must bring it to life, which is undoubtedly not an issue here. Peña, as one of Southern California theatre’s most valuable players, leads by example and demonstrates her versatility once more, this time as a refined Elsa whose solemnity and sadness are as gripping as her stirring, pitch-perfect performance of “Let It Go” (in the midst of a crowd-pleasing costume change) and “Monster.” With every gesture, fervent expression and note, Peña offers enough firepower to thaw the biggest icebergs and ice walls, including those comprising her character’s palace.

Similarly, Smith, who wrapped the West Coast debut of Bonnie & Clyde at Ventura’s Rubicon Theatre not two months ago, goes from a gritty Bonnie to an unimpeachable Anna whose crystal-clear singing in “For the First Time in Forever” draws heavy appreciation from an audience who especially have the pleasure of seeing Smith and Peña duet in the vocally hair-raising and emotionally gut-wrenching “I Can’t Lose You.” Not to mention, Smith delivers one of the best knockout punches observed on stage in recent memory (its recipient will have had it coming).

Sawyer Patterson is highly likable as the refreshingly rough-around-the-edges, ice-harvesting Kristoff, as is the hidden Sebastian Guerrero who, beneath an elaborate reindeer costume as Sven, trots as convincingly as the animal does. Together, they form a trusty twosome onstage, winning the favor of onlooking adults, children, and specifically Anna.

Earning cheers upon his arrival is Landen Starkman as fan-favorite Olaf. Starkman puppeteers Olaf with gusto, reminding that this snowman is only as talented as the actor playing him; in this case, Starkman meets high expectations for an august “In Summer” rendition and more.

Frankie Zabilka returns to the 5-Star stage as Hans of the Southern Isles who conveys a confidence in tandem with an audaciousness to be silly, particularly in “Love Is an Open Door.” But where Zabilka really surprises is in Act II when he invokes an antithetical side of his stage persona rarely seen.

Rounding out the rest of the principals are a precocious Amy Sorensen and Catherine Last as the younger analogues of Anna and Elsa, a concerned Eleen Hsu-Wentlandt and Richie Ferris as parents Queen Iduna and King Agnarr, the charming Travis Joe Dixon as the goofy but unapologetic finger-pointing Duke, the prominent Ceron Jones and Jodi Marks as Hidden Folk healers Pabbie and Bulda, and the jovial Javier Garcia as Oaken the shopkeeper whose zest for living comes down to one word: “hygge,” which stands for literally everything.

The only potential downside — not to this specific production of Frozen but as an audience member of shows with a large youth following — is the excited but occasionally distracting chatter from young fans. That said, evening performances are less likely to have this issue than matinee shows.

After having had its last few shows in the smaller Scherr Forum, it’s reassuring to witness 5-Star Theatricals’ return to form on the Bank of America Performing Arts Center’s biggest stage: the Kavli Theatre. After all, a production like Disney’s Frozen can’t conceivably be put on without all the grandeur afforded by a larger auditorium. Certainly, all the glacial and snow-flaked shimmer are on display here, as is elite musical-theatre talent exemplified by Peña and Smith, and the heart-melting warmth of a premise about sisterhood and overcoming the odds.

Cover image caption: (L-R) Monika Peña and Ellie Smith in 5-Star Theatricals’ production of Disney’s Frozen at the Bank of America Performing Arts Center in Thousand Oaks, CA. Photo by Veronica Slavin.

For more information about 5-Star Theatricals’ production of Disney’s Frozen and to purchase tickets, visit 5StarTheatricals.com.