Disney’s Frozen Will Not Reopen On Broadway Once Theaters Are Operational Again

The Broadway Frozen cast was notified on Thursday (today) that the show would not be re-opening it’s doors once Broadway re-opens.

In the most dramatic Broadway shuttering to date, this decision shows that even the deepest pockets on Broadway will struggle to recover from the extended COVID-19 shutdown that began March 12, 2020. Disney Theatrical Productions confirmed Thursday that its opulent stage adaptation of Frozen will not be returning to New York’s St. James Theatre when Broadway reopens.

The stage musical was directed by Michael Grandage and choreographed by Rob Ashford; it features a book by the original film’s screenwriter and co-director Jennifer Lee and music and lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez. While its popularity did range in the low millions for revenue it wasn’t exactly the return Disney has anticipated in regard to its high-cost run. Observers are now bracing for a domino effect of other productions. We can expect both established and incoming Broadway productions to begin following Disney’s lead as the troubled sector scrambles to imagine prospects for economic recovery with no clear answers in sight for the immediate future of commercial theatergoing. A number of industry surveys recently have indicated that most theatergoers intend to wait at least a few months before re-entering crowded live-entertainment venues. That could leave many Broadway houses sitting vacant for extended periods for the first time in decades.

How this will effect Broadway for the next five years could be huge in the way we see live art/ performance delivered.