Laura and Samara spend their days as non-profit unicorns and fill every spare minute exploring the world of musical theatre as BFFs (that’s Broadway Friends Forever). Follow @bffs613 on X, Instagram and Facebook.
Temperatures may be rising, but a cold front is heading to Ottawa. Broadway Across Canada brings the touring production of Frozen to the National Arts Centre starting February 22. The stage adaptation of the hit film promises to bring just as much magic, awe and belt-worthy tunes to the stage. We got to chat with Jack Brewer, who plays the role of Hans in Ottawa and Oaken throughout the rest of the show’s tour, to get a bit of a behind-the-scenes peek at what audiences can expect from the production.
Frozen is an incredibly beloved film; what can the movie’s fans expect from the stage adaption?
Disney, as a company that has brought a lot of shows to Broadway before, obviously knows how to very effectively translate the magic you see on screen to stage, and so you’re going to see a lot of familiar faces even when that’s in snowman or reindeer form. They know how to make these things look incredible in real life. You’ll see all of the same people, you’ll hear all of the same numbers, and you’ll step into Elsa’s ice castle—you’ll get all of the magical effects even though there’s no animation. We’ve added more songs you’re going to probably hear for the first time when you see this. You will not leave feeling as though you didn’t get everything you were expecting to get from Frozen. You’ll get all of the magic you expect.
You’re making your tour debut with this show—congratulations! What has your experience been like so far, and what are you most excited about for the rest of the tour?
The experience has been crazy. It’s not only a tour debut, but I’ve never done a long-running show like this before–I’ve done runs for a month at a time–but I’m now on about show 400! There was a whole learning curve that came with that. Touring can be challenging: being away from your home and your friends and family, living out of a suitcase, and moving every other week. It’s a crazy life that we lead, but I have a lot of fun. I love the people I get to work with, and doing this show every night. This job is, although challenging at times, incredibly rewarding. I am having a blast and excited to go to these cities. It’s a lot of fun.
Company of Frozen North American Tour. Photo: Deenvan Meer
You’re getting to play a few different roles during the tour. What is the biggest difference in how you approach playing Hans and playing Oaken? Is there something from each character that you enjoy getting to do?
When I’m in my typical track that I do every night, Oaken’s only on stage for about six minutes, so for the rest of the show, I am wearing a lot of different hats. I am also the bishop, so I’m in long, beautiful gowns tied up to my neck, and I’m wearing hats and medallions. I have to be this stoic figure overseeing all of Arendelle. But then I’m a member of the hidden folk rock people who sing Fixer Upper, and I am down on the ground, acting crazy and yelling. So I do kind of have to bounce around into a lot of different characters. I think that it just gets easier with practice. You know who these characters are at this point, you figure out what you need to do to be able to sort of play them truthfully. Now that I’ve done the show so many times, it’s easy for me to put on the correct costume and know how to step out on stage to sell the characters how they need to be. In particular, when I go in for Hans’ shows, it requires a different thing of me. I have to warm up my voice differently. I have to stretch my body differently because I’m doing different physical things in the show. It takes a little bit of different preparation doing that one in particular, but generally, I’m used to stepping into different people’s shoes quickly.
The staging, costuming, puppetry and effects are pretty magical, without giving too much away, is there a moment in the show that you enjoy seeing audiences react to each night?
I get to stand in the wings and watch a lot, and I can kind of get the reactions of a few people in the front row. We all know in the movie how Elsa transforms her dress into an ice dress. There is a cool costume change that happens during Let it Go—don’t blink because you’ll miss it! Elsa’s dress change is an exciting moment of the show, and I love watching people in the front row drop their jaws. That is probably my favourite technical moment. Although she is the only person on stage, there are 30-plus people in the wings making all of the magic happen. Watching Elsa and watching the crew and seeing the entire thing come together is cool.
Frozen has a strong focus on the sibling relationship. Do you think that plays a role in how it appeals to such a wide audience?
I think that Frozen, in particular, is unique to a lot of other Disney shows that have traditionally been more centred around romance and love, although we do have those themes here. The biggest pillar that we have is just about sisterhood, friendship, family and connection. That’s why I think it rings true for so many people. I think a lot of people expect Frozen to be a kid’s show and end up walking out surprised that it is a full-scale Broadway production. I would say even if you’re not coming with kids, it’s going to be a good time for people of all ages.
Broadway Across Canada’s presentation of Disney’s Frozen takes place from February 22 to March 3 with evening and matinee performances, and it runs two hours and 15 minutes with one intermission. Tickets start at $56. Disney recommends its productions for ages six and up. Children under the age of two will not be admitted to Frozen performances.
.gif)
