Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, Sven, Olaf - No, these are not names of Norwegian royalty. If you are parents to young children and haven't been living on a remote island in the past decade, these names surely sound familiar to you from the blockbuster Frozen film franchise that has become a global phenomenon.
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With an emotionally captivating storyline that feels like it was taken from the Grimm brothers' classic tales, and an unforgettable soundtrack, the films have captured the hearts of both children and adults worldwide, becoming a timeless pop culture sensation.
This summer, you'll have the chance to get as close as possible to that magical world with the musical extravaganza that has conquered Europe, featuring all the beloved hits that have become a part of our lives, from Let It Go to Do You Want to Build a Snowman? and Olaf's Song, among many others.
Before the arrival of the spectacular production for its tour in Israel, we had the opportunity to speak with Rima Gindi - one of the producers of the show and an Israeli residing in Berlin, to hear from her about this unique musical.
"It's a show that combines genres," she explains. "There are ice skaters, there are also acrobats without skates, and we blend it all together with the music from the films. It's a dynamic, dazzling show that appeals to all ages. The ice skaters are also circus artists, with highly dangerous and breathtaking stunts, and of course, amazing music."
Ice shows are not common in Israel, especially considering Israel's hot and humid climate, particularly during the scorching months of July and August. However, this doesn't deter the ambitious production from bringing the show to stages from north to south with the use of "light ice" surfaces - innovative artificial skating surfaces technology.
"The surface is assembled like a jig-saw puzzle with high-quality square and/or rectangular tiles. To the audience, it appears like regular ice, but it's actually an eco-friendly synthetic ice surface with many advantages - no need for refrigeration or electricity to operate ice-smoothing machines, lightweight, relatively low maintenance, quick installation, long-lasting without special conditions, non-noisy, non-hazardous, non-toxic, non-polluting and less prone to injuries," explains Gindi.
This musical, based on the Frozen franchise, marks the first time the beloved hits from the second film are brought onto the stage, interweaving them into a new story that differs from the movies and previous stage productions based on them.
"This is not a mere replica of the Broadway musical or the films, but rather something entirely new. Each song is a story on its own, and every song connects like puzzle pieces to form a complete picture, with the underlying theme of friendship, loyalty and helping others," she says. "That's our message, also because we are an international group with artists from Cuba, the Balkans, Russia - all of us together want to say that we are here for each other."
Musical adaptations on ice for fairy tales are not a foreign concept to the production company behind the show, Agenda Productions, with performances like The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen, Alice in Wonderland and many others.
However, Frozen, as Gindi puts it, "holds a special place because it is beloved by both children and young parents who were themselves children when the first film was released in theaters in 2013."
"Our director, Marina, came up with the idea. Not only to bring ice artists as we have done before, but also to integrate circus artists from another country – Cuba,” she says.
“They have very unique numbers. These are not numbers you see in Europe. There's a segment where a guy holds a device in the air, while simultaneously holding a girl by her hair in his teeth, and she moves rapidly. Imagine that. The circus performance adds many special elements of its own.
With great music, a fantastic story, and over 300 costumes that constantly change throughout the show. In each performance, we change something, add something - everything is dynamic. Dynamism is a keyword for us, everything is in motion."
The show consists of four acts - one is set in the palace, one in the forest, one in the snow, and one in the kingdom of trolls. The set design is ever-changing, as is the mesmerizing lighting, accompanied by the conducting of Dan Opeskin - an Israeli residing in Berlin.
This unique production will be showcased on stages throughout the country, with ticket prices ranging from 165 NIS to 265 NIS.