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When Carlee Brazil was cast as Young Elsa in CYT Tri-Valley’s upcoming production of “Frozen,” the 12-year-old didn’t need much time to familiarize herself with the role. Disney’s 2013 smash-hit animated musical was an integral part of her childhood.
“My earliest memory is when my mom painted our nails and we would binge-watch ‘Frozen’ until they dried,” she said. “I’m so thrilled to play this role because I low-key grew up idolizing her. I even used to take a life-size Elsa doll to bed with me.”
Brazil and her castmates will transport audiences to the kingdom of Arendelle with seven performances of “Frozen: The Broadway Musical,” with both matinee and evening shows scheduled for this weekend and next at the Bankhead Theater in Livermore. The run of shows also includes a special sing-along performance at 10 a.m. Nov. 14, with attendees encouraged to dress as their favorite character from the film.
“Grab your favorite costume, warm up those vocal cords and get ready to sing, dance, laugh and celebrate ‘Frozen’ together in a brand-new way,” said Kristin Baer-Werder, the show’s artistic director.
“Frozen” is loosely based on Hans Christian Andersen’s 1844 fairy tale “The Snow Queen.” The story centers on two sisters, Anna and Elsa, both princesses of Arendelle. Elsa possesses magical powers that allow her to create ice and snow.
When the sisters are young, Elsa accidentally injures Anna with her powers, prompting the girls’ parents to isolate Elsa until she can get the powers under control. However, Elsa accidentally reveals her powers to the kingdom during her coronation, prompting her to flee to the mountains. Anna joins forces with an ice courier named Kristoff, his reindeer, Sven, and Olaf, a living snowman, to find Elsa.
The movie, featuring the voices of Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff and Josh Gad, grossed nearly $1.3 billion worldwide upon its release and quickly became a cultural phenomenon, spawning merchandise, two sequels, theme park attractions and a stage musical. “Frozen” was named best animated feature at the Oscars and best animated film at the Golden Globes and BAFTAs.
The soundtrack was equally as popular, with the film’s signature track, “Let It Go,” winning the Oscar for best original song and the Grammy for best song written for visual media.
The CYT Tri-Valley production features 66 kids across two casts, the Reindeer cast and the Snowman cast. It’s one of six shows the after-school theater arts program produces annually. The program also offers classes in drama, voice, dance and more.
The cast members are all between the ages of 4 and 18, meaning many of them, like Brazil, grew up with the franchise.
Brazil’s mom, Leslee Brazil, notes the film was her family’s “entire life for a few years.”
“My girls were obsessed, wore the pajamas and played with the dolls constantly,” she said, calling the CYT Tri-Valley production a “full-circle moment” for the family, with Carlee playing Young Elsa and her sister, Preslee, cast in the ensemble.
In a video posted to CYT Tri-Valley’s Instagram page, young cast members made their pitches to attract audiences.
“You should come see ‘Frozen’ because it’s going to be really fun to see it come to life,” one cast member said. Another encouraged people to come see the show “because we have worked really hard to put it together.”
Tickets for the show are $20-$30. For more information or to purchase a ticket, visit cyttrivalley.org/shows.
