New Stage Adaption of Frozen Presents a Darker Vision with More Music

New York professional Janina Casey has an extensive background in equity research and sales and appeared in a number of commercials and theatrical productions as a child actor. To this day, Janina Casey maintains an interest in the theater and current Broadway productions. 

A recent New York Times review brought focus to a new “pre-Broadway tryout” production of Frozen at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. Following in the footsteps of successful Disney film-to-Broadway productions such as the Lion King, the musical is based on Frozen, a $1.3 billion behemoth that stands as the world’s highest-ever grossing animated feature. 

One major change is that a dozen songs written by Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez have been brought into the theatrical production. These songs were not included in the movie, which featured seven of the songwriters’ compositions. This results in a “nearly sung-through” first act that uses music to flesh in characters and relationships that were not delineated in as many fine strokes in the movie. 

As reviewed, the adaption faces struggles in capturing the magic that seemed effortless on the screen. In another change, the movie presents a darker take on the central narrative, with gloomy sets mirroring the harsh Norwegian landscape and the inner turmoil portrayed.

Urban Tech GHGS Module Components

An equity research sales professional in New York City, Janina Casey stands out as an active philanthropist who has has mentored and sponsored two high school students through four years of private school. Janina Casey also supports fundraisers for Urban Tech and was recently added to the organization’s board.

Urban Tech, also known as the National Urban Technology Center, prepares students for the 21st century by improving education through unique learning strategies. The organization accomplishes this through numerous programs, such as Get Healthy, Get Smart! (GHGS), a holistic wellness program that increases awareness of childhood obesity in middle schools and high schools in New York City. The program operates under the rubric of Urban Tech’s Youth Leadership Academy (YLA) and consists of lessons related to self discovery, conflict resolution, and personal relationships.

Each module within GHGS consists of several activities. Most students first watch an animated short film about the theme. These videos feature characters that students can relate to and provide questions about personal growth and problem-solving. Once students have watched the video, they can review specific parts that have been chosen by YLA Team Leaders as a lesson focus. These portions highlight specific issues and help students learn strategies for effective communication. 

GHGS also features a writing, game, and quiz component. The writing activity serves as a journal that allows students to express their views and reinforce the lessons. The game activity uses role playing and puzzle games to encourage group work, and the quiz component measures how well students retain the information they learn over the course of the module.