WAYNESBORO – Hurry out, before Olaf melts, to catch the extremely limited run of “Disney Frozen Jr.” at Waynesboro Area Middle School, Friday Nov. 7, at 7 p.m. and Saturday Nov. 8, at 1 p.m., 702 E. Second St.
On average, a professional Disney musical incorporates 40 to over 100 backstage crew. School theater faculty will tell you, with exhausted smiles, that they often pull off their productions with a crew of 5-20, with one to two faculty members carrying the motherlode of responsibility.
Waynesboro Area Middle School is no exception. They have a student cast of 32 and 15 stage crew members and a couple of incredibly dedicated faculty members wearing the rest of the hats that should have been delegated to a small village to raise the show.
The pandemic is the only thing that has thwarted a consecutive seven-year run (for one year) of theatrical partnership between Tina Schaubroeck and Ashlie Funkhauser. Schaubroeck served as producer, director, music director, co-costume designer and co-props master, along with Funkhauser as choreographer, set designer, co-costume designer and co-props master.
Kay Yaukey joined these productions as co-costume designer, bringing the phenomenal resources of the Trinity Costume Loft.
For the last couple productions, student Elizabeth Ray stepped up as stage manager.
“Frozen Jr.” is a one-act musical based on the 2013 animated film and the 2018 Broadway musical, that delves into themes of longing to fit in, developing self-control, self-acceptance and the power of family. Lyrics are by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, book by Jennifer Lee, and the Disney film was written by Lee and directed by Chris Buck and Lee.
Disney Jr. productions move very quickly and can sometimes be confusing if you aren’t already familiar with the more comprehensive versions of the shows. What follows is a summary. Reader discretion is advised if you would like to discover the show without plot spoilers.
Lively townspeople, Isla Kasper, Liam Neff, Emma McChesney, Isa Mentzer and Naomi Gress open the show, joined by royalty. King Agnarr is played by Jaxsyn Shindledecker, and regal Queen Iduna is played by Molly Pagliaro. They are joined by their princesses, Young Elsa, played by Christina Hettich, and Young Anna, played by Amelia Carroll. All come together in a Summer Festival, singing “Let the Sun Shine On.”
With the passage of time, we are introduced to a new cast of Anna and Elsa, now in the middle age of their formative years.
Elsa and Anna, enjoying a royal bonded sisterhood, creating Olaf
Middle Anna is played with enthusiasm by Harper Crable, and Middle Elsa, played by Ella Kemp, renders the sadness and angst of a longing to fit in, while facing the challenge of harnessing self-control.
Pagliaro as Queen Iduna, Kemp as Middle Elsa, Crable as Middle Anna, and Shindledecker as King Agnarr
When Anna is accidentally harmed by her sister Elsa during play, their royal parents, take Anna to the Valley of the Living Rock to seek the healing help of two kindly trolls, Pabbie, played by Lucy Bizzarri, and Bulda, played by Annabelle Collins, who are joined by their tribe of Hidden Folk, including Naomi Gress, Isa Mentzer, Christina Hettich, Amelia Carroll and Christian Goehres.
Bizzarri as Pabbie and Collins as Bulda
These wonderfully played trolls and their healing tribe bring more than original costumes. They play their parts with sincerity and focus that leave you wishing they’d show up under a bush in your back yard the next time you’re hurting for troll tenderness and sage advice.
Anna is healed by trolls: Kemp, Pagliaro, Collins, Bizzarri, Crable and Naomi Gress
The king and queen take additional measures, putting a protective divide between the sisters, allowing them limited exposure to one another. They isolate Elsa, instructing her to keep her abilities hidden.
Goehres as Bishop, and Policicchio as Elsa
Years pass, and the unexpected demise of the king and queen lead to Elsa’s coronation, and a new cast assumes the roles of the sisters: Alivia Martz playing Anna and Annie Policicchio playing Elsa. Christian Goehres portrays the Bishop.
The ceremony puts Elsa on public display with the castle guests, including Castle Staff, Elizabeth Keyes and Willow Kendall; Housekeeper, played by Lindsey Yockel; Butler/Steward played by Naomi Gress; Handmaiden played by Charlotte Cox; and Cook played by Noemi Fahnestock.
Meanwhile, Anna meets handsome Prince Hans, played by Brody Hill. His wooing is enough to sway her into agreement that the two should hastily marry … which they decide in the course of a day. Anna is convinced of her powerful instincts and certainty that she and Prince Hans are ideally matched. She can feel it. How could there be any wrong in that?
Elsa disapproves of her sister’s rash decision. The ensuing arguments trigger her mystical powers, in full view of those at the coronation ceremony, including the Duke of Weselton, an antagonist played by Piper Shilling, who, once realizing Elsa’s powers, views her as a monster.
Shilling as the Duke of Weselton, Policicchio Elsa, Martz as Anna,
Fearful again, Elsa flees to the mountains, where she creates a palace of snow and ice to hide away, but alas, her magic leaves the kingdom of Arendelle frozen in an eternal winter.
Elsa and the Snow Chorus
Anna goes in search of her sister, hoping to sway her return. Along the journey, she meets Kristoff, played tenderly, assertively and truthfully by C.J. Yost-McLaughlin, his reindeer, Sven, played by Giavanna McCarter, who knows how to turn laughter rousing antics, and Olaf, the snowman Elsa created years prior, played by Liam Neff, with an infectious brightness and spot on comedic timing. Princess Anna enlists the help of Kristoff and his crew to help her find Queen Elsa.
Princess Anna (Martz) hires Kristoff (Yost-McLaughlin) to help her find Queen Elsa. Sven (McCarter) and Olaf (Neff) tag along
Along the way, they encounter the Summer Chorus, comprised of Christina Hettich, Amelia Carroll, Noemi Fahnestock, Naomi Gress, Charlotte Cox, Isa Mentzer, Jaxsyn Shindledecker and Molly Pagliaro, and the group sings “In Summer.”
The next colorful character they encounter is Oaken, played by Abram Forberger, whose costume, props and stage family, are a stellar match for his performance. Oaken’s kin, including Ella Kemp, Harper Crable, Naudia Page and Lindsey Yockel, dance and sing in the warming spirit of “hygge.”
Oaken owns a traveling trading post, filled with goods that champion his love of hygge (coziness), so he is just the man to suit the travelers with winter gear for their journey.
Oaken (Forberger), his kinfolk, and his traveling trading post
Oaken’s impossibly charming and well-outfitted family
Oaken family and friends
Finding her sister does not yield the result Anna hopes. Instead, Queen Elsa’s dangerous magic delivers an injurious blow to Princess Anna’s chest, freezing her heart with ice.
Not the sisters’ reunion Anna pined for
The Snow Chorus, consisting of Sienna Carver, Elizabeth Keyes, Willow Kendall, Naudia Page, Piper Shilling, Payten Lynn, Grace Mitchell, Preslee Perry, Ella Kemp, Harper Crable, Annabelle Collins, Lucy Bizzarri and Molly Pagliaro, dance magical numbers of swirling snow and ice, protecting the desires of their queen.
The trolls tender healing advice
Kristoff and friends return Princess Anna to the trolls for healing, where she is advised that only an act of true love can break the spell on her frozen heart and save her life.
Princess Anna rushes back to Prince Hans in Arendelle, seeking the salve of true love, only to discover that her prince is not the man she had dreamed.
Anna (Martz) discovers Prince Hans (Hill) will not produce a Disney happy ending
Worse yet, Prince Hans intends to kill Elsa so he can be king.
Elsa’s life in jeopardy at the hands of Prince Hans
Anna commits a selfless act to save her sister.
It is the very self sacrificing love needed to melt the eternal winter and return Arendelle to summer. (Cue Disney castle and fireworks.)
A reunion of hope and warmth
In one final turn of magic, Elsa creates a snow cloud to follow Olaf and keep him from melting.
Olaf can relax in the protection of his own personal snow cloud
But we simply cannot end there.
None of the magic can happen onstage without those working tirelessly behind the scenes. That dedicated wonder weaving crew included Alyssa Akers, Spencer Anderson, Yaimaris Baez Laureano, Avery Driver, Lily Eckstein, Andrea Flores, Alletha Green, Talan McCrea, Yamilet Munoz, James Policicchio, Elizabeth Ray, Cora Simmers, Brianna Smith, Sage Stitely and Madeleine Sutton. This reviewer was particularly impressed to see students independently running the light and sound boards.
Applause for the stage crew
Last, but not least, those two marvelous faculty leaders, Schaubroeck and Funkhauser, would like to extend their appreciation:
“The production wishes to thank WAMS administrators – Eric DeAngelis, Ben Newhard, Mark Klink and Nicole Embly; parents for supporting their production kids; Sara Breed for designing the snowy mountains; Cora Simmers for designing the orb and scepter; Jason Schaubroeck for designing the Oaken cart; and Ken Carlson for assisting with sound.”
Tickets are available at the door. $6. for ages 12 and up and $3. For ages 4-11. Ticketing is free for ages 0-3. Please allow enough time to claim parking and general seating.
Photo Credit: Kathleen Davison, courtesy of Waynesboro Area Middle School
