By Samantha Drumm
Hometown Weekly Staff
Since its release in 2013, it's been virtually impossible to avoid the influence of Disney’s Frozen, a heartfelt story about family and redemption—based on Hans Christen Anderson’s fairytale “The Snow Queen”—beloved by children and adults alike.
From March 19-21, Montrose Players brought in a record number of audience members for their presentation of the hit.
Staff producer Lisa Derendorf attributes the show’s success, in part, to its community-pleasing nature, as corroborated by the near full-house at all three of last week’s performances.
This advantage, in tandem with the two seniors who took the lead as Anna (Lucy Elliffe) and Elsa (Sofia Valenzuela), made the show all the more impactful, said Derendorf.
“These students have been in the theater program for a long time, and they have had time to cultivate their skills for this, their final performance,” said Derendorf. “This makes the show really meaningful for a lot of people.”
The show wasn’t significant only to the Montrose community; many of Medfield’s much younger residents showed up holding their parents' hands, dressed as princesses and princes to show their support.
The Montrose students, along with a handful of boys from surrounding schools, took lead roles and put on a show-stopping performance that brought the community together.
Again and again, applause roared for the chorus’s choreography, costumes, and soliloquies. Audience delighted in Olaf’s (Gabby Hasenjaeger’s) comedic relief, and Nina Derendorf and Abby Kolinski’s succinct performance as Sven.
Showgoers celebrated ‘Frozen’s instantly iconic ballad “Let it Go,” thrilled by not just Elsa’s (Dodds’) vocals, but also her quick change, as she quickly transformed her coronation robes into a whimsical crystallized gown; Elsa’s distinguished “Disney Dress.”
The transformation is attributed to faculty member and costume designer Bakhita Wanner, who has led costume design for the past five years.
The Montrose girls’ achievement was collaborative, with students working on lighting, sets, sound, and backstage direction independently.
In every segment of the show, Derendorf noted, the girls exemplify ownership in how they take charge.
Frozen was a collaborative effort on all fronts. Montrose’s performance’s impact on the community can be attributed to hard-working students and staff, on stage and behind the scenes.
