Disney’s Frozen musical – a new stage adaptation for the Nordic countries

Under the direction of Icelandic director Gísli Örn Gardarsson, Vesturport Theatre is creating a new version of Disney’s musical Frozen for Norway, Iceland, Sweden, Finland and Denmark. The production is a collaboration between the Vesturport Theatre and the Oslo-based Det Norske Teatret, the National Theatre of Iceland, the Stockholm City Theatre and the Helsinki City Theatre. The Danish theatre involved will be announced later.

Together, the theaters will create a new stage version of the musical, which was originally produced by Disney Theatrical Productions. Just like on Broadway, this production of Frozen features music and lyrics by Oscar-winning songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, and the script is by Oscar-winning playwright Jennifer Lee. The new stage version is directed by Gísli Örn Gardarsson and designed by a team that includes set designer Börkur Jonsson and costume designer Christina Lovery. Together, they bring the entire Nordic colour palette to the stage.

Frozen is based on the successful Disney film of the same name and the original fairy tale The Snow Queen from 1844 by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. It tells the story of two siblings: Elsa, who is isolated by a mysterious secret, and Anna, who embarks on a journey to save him.

The story draws inspiration from the diverse Nordic geography, mythology and cultural heritage and we are very excited to bring this cultural phenomenon to the Nordic stages in Frozen in a new and exciting theatre event. The songs “Let it Go” and “Do You Want to Build a Snowman” will be heard on stage, along with other hits from the film, as well as 12 completely new songs composed especially for the stage version from the original Oscar-winning songwriters.

The first premiere of the production will be in Oslo on 14 October 2023 and the next one in Reykjavik in February 2024. The premieres in Stockholm, Helsinki and Copenhagen will be announced later.

The participating Nordic theatres are excited about both the musical and the collaboration:

This is what director Gísli Örn Gardarsson says about the opportunity to bring Disney’s Frozen to the stage:
“Getting Frozen home in the Nordic countries is a great sign of trust from Disney. And a great honor! I’m really looking forward to bringing the Nordic version of this hit musical to life.”

Erik Ulfsby, Artistic Director of Det Norske Teatret:
“Creating the adventurous winter magic of the fairytale world of Frozen is a task that our theatre is eager to tackle. We are thrilled that Disney gave us this opportunity.”

Magnús Geir Þórðarson, Artistic Director of the National Theatre of Iceland:
“We look forward to presenting a completely new stage version of this beloved work based on Nordic legends, designed by one of our leading directors, who is known for his imaginative and spectacular theatre work in Iceland and abroad.”

Maria Sid, Artistic Director of Stockholm City Theatre:
“We are very happy to be involved in co-creating a Nordic version of this classic fairy tale by H.C. Andersen. Together with our Icelandic, Norwegian, Finnish and Danish friends, we will be able to bring this musical into a Nordic context.”

Kari Arffman, Artistic Director of the Helsinki City Theatre:
“Over the years, our theatre has seen several Disney musicals, but this is the first time we have been involved in producing one as part of a Nordic collaboration. So producing Frozen in this way is a doubly happy event for us!”

Hans van Rijn, Country Manager and SVP of The Walt Disney Company for the Nordics and Baltics, adds:
“The Nordic audience has taken the stories and characters of Frozen to heart since the first film was released. This year marks the tenth anniversary of this. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate than with the first Nordic production of our musical adaptation, which we have a script and compositions originally created for Broadway at Disney, and which in this case is brought to the stage by a team of creative designers from the Nordic countries. We sincerely look forward to working with Gísli Örn Gardarsson and theatres to bring this cultural phenomenon to life on stage.”

Frozen and the original Broadway production: Frozen was originally produced by Disney Theatrical Productions and premiered on Broadway at the St. James Theatre in March 2018, setting a record in Broadway history for advance ticket sales. Frozen was also the highest-grossing new musical of the Broadway season in its first year on Broadway. The musical has been an international success and has toured Australia and North America, London’s West End, Japan and Hamburg in Germany.

Disney released the animated film Frozen on November 19, 2013, and it became a favorite with critics and audiences alike. The film grossed over $1.28 billion at the box office worldwide and was the highest-grossing animated and musical film until it was surpassed by a new version of The Lion King in 2019. Frozen 2 was the biggest animated film of all time, grossing $1.45 billion worldwide.

The first Frozen film won two Academy Awards: Best Animated Film and Best Original Song (“Let It Go“), as well as two Grammy Awards: Best Visual Media Compilation Soudtrack and Best Song Written for Visual Media (“Let It Go“).

Further information:
Kaisa Pelkonen, Communications Manager, kaisa.pelkonen@hkt.fi, 040 552 3788
Helsinki City Theatre, Ensi linja, 00530 Helsinki