London's Frozen the Musical Filmed for Disney Plus Release

The recording is slated for eventual release on the entertainment giant's streaming platform, Disney Plus. The filming took place at the production's London home during the first week of February, a period when closing out an entire week of sales would not incur as much cost as during the summer performances.

Performances were halted for several days while close-ups and wide shots were taken, similar to Disney Theaterical Group's capture of Aladdin in 2019. This weekend's performance was filmed with an audience for wide shots and audience reactions, with cameras visibly present on stage during key moments.

Starring Samantha Barks, renowned for originating the role of Elsa in the West End, this filming event marks the second time Disney has captured one of its London productions for release.

The first instance was "Aladdin," filmed immediately after its West End run concluded in August 2019. Despite Disney's initial plan for a 2020 release, the live capture's premiere was postponed multiple times and remains pending, mostly due to the box office success of the Broadway production.

Initially, producers planned to close the Broadway production of "Aladdin" during the pandemic hiatus (together with the group's Broadway production of Frozen the Musical), but when Disney opted to bring back the show in 2021, plans for the streaming premiere were put on hold.

Aladdin continues to perform well at Broadway's New Amsterdam Theater, and with producers trying to avoid the release of the filmed production competing with the live Broadway show, we might not see the musical release soon on the streaming platform.

By the time of closing, however, Frozen the Musical is not planning any future productions, and it is likely Disney Theatricals plans to release the capture when the musical shuts down in September, giving editors the needed 6 months to work on the capture.

Compared to its Broadway counterpart, Frozen the Musical has enjoyed success in the West End, despite a relatively short Broadway run. The London production recently announced its final extension, with a scheduled closure date of September 2024.

The cast featured in the filming of Frozen the Musical includes Samantha Barks as Elsa, Laura Dawkes as Anna, Jammy Kasongo as Kristoff, Craig Gallivan as Olaf, Oliver Ormson as Hans, Richard Frame as Weselton, along with a talented ensemble including Ashley Birchall, Mikayla Jade, Rhianne Alleyne, Marianne Bardgett, Rebecca Botterill, Oliver Brenin, Gabrielle Cocca, Ashley J Daniels, Laura Emmitt, Lizzy-Rose Esin-Kelly, Jemal Felix, Jordan Fox, Molly Francis, Matt Gillett, Isabella Glanznig Santos, Dominic Adam Griffin, George Hinson, Ben Irish, and Justin-Lee Jones.

Under the direction of Michael Grandage and choreography by Rob Ashford, the production features set and costume design by Christopher Oram, lighting design by Neil Austin, sound design by Peter Hylenski, video design by Finn Ross, puppet design by Michael Curry, and musical supervision and arrangements by Stephen Oremus. Frozen the Musical boasts music and lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, with a book by Jennifer Lee. Opening on Broadway in March 2018, the musical garnered a Tony Award nomination for Best Musical. It narrates the story of Elsa, endowed with ice-manipulating powers, and her intricate relationship with her sister Anna as they navigate the challenges of ruling a kingdom.