Stopped cold: Frozen musical on Broadway won’t reopen after pandemic

Until now, only reveals that were ready to officially open have announced postponements or cancellations. Disney however has The Lion King and Aladdin on Broadway and five productions of Frozen worldwide.

Citing the “international pandemic,” Thomas Schumacher, president and producer of Disney Theatrical Productions, said Thursday that operating three Disney reveals on Broadway was “untenable.”

Caissie Levy, the Canadian actress who originated the job of Elsa on Broadway, tweeted that the news was a “heartbreak,” including “We will normally be a family members. Sending enjoy to all the devoted admirers of our beautiful present.”

Actors’ Fairness Association, which represents fifty one,000 actors and stage managers, reacted with dismay to the news and urged New York and countrywide politicians to rescue the arts sector. Mary McColl, govt director, termed it an “all fingers-on-deck minute” for the governor, mayor and users of Congress.

“The arts and leisure sector drives the economy of New York, just like it does in towns and cities throughout the country. Selections created in the days and weeks forward will condition the long run of the arts sector for many years to come,” she said.

“Community officials at all ranges have to think considerably far more boldly about supporting the arts or our entire economy will be slower to recover.”

Disney Theatrical receives no company subsidy from the Walt Disney Corporation and its stage reveals have to be fiscally self-sustaining. The Frozen musical is based on the Oscar-winning Disney motion picture franchise, with new music and lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez.

Watch | Caissie Levy presents recommendations on how to sing Frozen’s powerhouse tune, Let It Go 

Of the three Disney properties on Broadway, Frozen was technically the weakest at the box business office but was fiscally however considered a accomplishment. The visual appearance of the movie Frozen 2 in late 2019 actually boosted the show’s fortunes, with profits spikes recorded in the months pursuing the film’s release.

Even though an actual day for performances to resume on Broadway has nonetheless to be established, Broadway producers are now offering refunds and exchanges for tickets bought for reveals by way of Sept. 6.

Broadway performances were suspended on March 12 just after Cuomo imposed a ban on gatherings of 500 or far more folks. There were 31 productions operating, which include eight new reveals in previews and yet another eight reveals in rehearsals planning for the spring period.

Some reveals like an upcoming revival of Neil Simon’s Plaza Suite starring Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker, as very well as a musical about Michael Jackson, have pushed their output to following calendar year.

Other reveals scheduled to open this spring have deserted their options, which include Hangmen and a revival of Edward Albee’s Who’s Frightened of Virginia Woolf?