Auditions for the fall musical Frozen Jr., which took place on October 2nd and 3rd, were a massive success, with a turnout of over 50 students eager to try their hand at the performing arts. Each actor or actress memorized 60 seconds of a song that they believed showcased their talent and a 60-second monologue, or passage of dialogue. The first day of auditions was dedicated to the music and monologues, and everyone returned the day following for a dance audition in which they were taught a short, 15-second routine to the end of the popular song “Fixer Upper” from the play. Following being taught, groups of six performed the routine several times.
The final part of the audition process was callbacks, set aside for actors and actresses that director Tia Weniger decided she would like to see a bit more from before she cast parts officially. Eleven talented students were called back to sing “Reindeers are Better than People” and “Summer.”
As always, emotions ran rampant when the cast list was released, and everything from excitement to disappointment was present within those who auditioned. Lead roles included Anna, who will be played by Ruby Monroe (12), Elsa, played by Mari Schultz (11), Kristoff, played by Sam Park (11), Olaf, played by Maya Holmes (10), and Sven, played by Tristan Thurman (9). Shultz is so happy to be a part of the production. She said, “I love Frozen so much, and it was one of my favorite movies growing up. I’m so insanely excited to be able to play Elsa, and I’m really grateful for this opportunity. I’m so glad that I’ve gotten to be here through the growth of this theater, and I’m so glad that Tia is our director, and I’m so excited to work with this cast.” Caroline Carpenter (10), who plays the butler, a member of the castle staff, expressed, “This is my first year of doing drama at Gig Harbor, and I’m just so excited. All the people are really great; [Mrs. Weniger] is amazing, and I just love this so much.”
While all of these talented students did incredible things onstage, the cast size could only be so big, and 22 cuts had to be made. Those who did not make the production were encouraged to participate in other roles for the show, such as lighting or running crew. The rest will be working hard for the next two months to put on an incredible show, as they always do, rehearsing every day after school.
Rehearsals are an important and incredible part of any theater experience. In addition to learning the music, harmonies, and dynamics, the actors must memorize all of their lines and blocking, or where they are meant to stand on the stage at any given time. After these are mastered, the true acting comes to the surface, and actors give their finishing touches to their characters, perfecting facial expressions, body language, and tone of voice. Then come the costumes, the lights, the tech, and the props—factors that the crew has been working hard on behind the scenes while the actors rehearsed onstage.
The final week before the show will be chaotic as everything is perfected and the full product is run through multiple times in full costume with lights, sound, and all of the in between. This type of performance rehearsal is known as a “dress rehearsal.” After that, the only thing left for our talented actors to do is to have confidence in everything they have learned, trust each other to perform as they rehearsed, and be ready when the curtain parts and all of their hard work becomes a reality.
The show Frozen Jr. is a shortened adaptation of the stage production version of the popular Disney film Frozen. It is a story about two sisters, princesses of the fictional Scandinavian kingdom of Arendelle. The elder, Elsa, was born with the supernatural power to control all things winter, and the younger, Anna, has a rambunctious, outgoing personality that tends to be impulsive and get her into trouble. The show explores themes such as family, betrayal, and love as each of the characters embarks on a personal journey to face their own storm, whether a literal blizzard or a frozen heart.
As the actors memorize lines and practice their music, each one must figure out how to embody their character in a way that is true to the essence of the play and also true to themselves. Despite saying the same lines, no two productions will be the same, because each person will take the message of the show, their character, their songs and lines, and find a way to make it uniquely theirs.
“I’m very excited to be doing Frozen,” expressed Director Tia Weniger. “We started a tradition last year; we did two musicals in one year, and so this year we’re following suit and continuing to do two musicals.” This first musical is on track to be incredible. Shows will be December 12-15th. The audience and cast alike are sure to have a magical experience during these performances.