Michael Grandage to direct Disney's Frozen on Broadway

The New York Post has reported on yet another shake-up for the creative team of the forthcoming stage adaptation of Disney's Academy Award-winning movie Frozen, the 53rd animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series.

Initially Tony nominee Alex Timbers was confirmed to direct and then officially withdrew from the project. Then the Post also revealed that Tony winner Stephen Daldry was in negotiations to take over and direct the Broadway-bound project. However, now it reports that Tony winner Michael Grandage is at the helm.

As previously reported, designer Bob Crowley has also left the creative team and the Post reveals that Mr. Grandage's longtime collaborator Christopher Oram will take over scenic and costume design duties. Choreographer Peter Darling is also no longer attached, with Tony winner Christopher Gattelli now filling in, according to a recent Equity casting notice.

Frozen will launch its world premiere at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts in August 2017 and will then move on to New York in spring 2018. According to The New York Post, the musical has secured the St. James Theatre — the current home of Something Rotten!

Frozen features a book by the film's writer and co-director Jennifer Lee, along with music and lyrics by Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, who also penned the film's soundtrack.

Synopsis: "Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale The Snow Queen, the musical tells the story of fearless princess Anna who sets off on an epic journey alongside a rugged iceman, his loyal pet reindeer, and a naïve snowman to find her estranged sister Elsa, whose icy powers have inadvertently trapped the kingdom in eternal winter."

The creative team also features lighting design by five-time Tony winner Natasha Katz, sound design by four-time Tony nominee Peter Hylenski, and music supervision and vocal & incidental arrangements by two-time Tony winner Stephen Oremus.

Exact dates along with casting and venue confirmation will be released at a later date.

The 2013 animated film Frozen picked up two Academy Awards at the 2014 ceremony: Best Animated Feature Film and Best Original Song (for "Let It Go.").

The film's soundtrack also features popular songs such as "For the First Time in Forever," "Love Is an Open Door" and "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?" amongst others.

The film's cast includes Broadway alumni Tony winner Idina Menzel (Elsa), Tony nominee Josh Gad (Olaf), Tony nominee Jonathan Groff (Kristoff), and Tony nominee Santino Fontana (Hans).

Robert Lopez is a two-time Tony Award winning composer and lyricist, having won awards for 'The Book of Mormon,' which he co-wrote with Matt Stone and Trey Parker, and for 'Avenue Q,' whose score and lyrics he co-wrote with Jeff Marx.

Michael Grandage won a Tony Award in 2010 for 'Red' and earned Tony nominations for 'The Cripple of Inishmaan' (2014), 'Mary Stuart' (2009), and 'Frost/Nixon' (2007). Other Broadway credits include 'Hughie,' 'Evita,' 'Hamlet,' and 'The Philanthropist.' His many London credits include his Olivier Award win for 'Caligula' (2004), along with Olivier nominations for 'King Lear' (2011), 'Hamlet' (2010), 'Don Carlos' (2005) and 'Passion Play' (2001).

- by Tom Millward