Break out the Elsa costume, brush up on the lyrics to “Let It Go” and head for the Reilly Theatre.
Playmakers of Baton Rouge’s production of Disney’s Frozen Jr. opens this Friday. Local young actors will play the roles of Anna, Olaf, Kristoff, Hans and, of course, Elsa, whose signature song’s booming refrain has been sung by countless fans since the original movie premiered in 2013. Playmakers’ version of the wintry fairytale will be staged Dec. 13-15 and Dec. 20-22 on LSU’s campus.
A favorite show for the Christmas season, Frozen Jr. is also the youth theater organization’s first to include a sensory-adapted performance for autistic children and those with other neurodivergent conditions. It will be held on Saturday, Dec. 21, at 10 a.m. and will feature fewer tickets sold to ensure a smaller crowd size and lower levels of lighting and sound. Playmakers partnered with the Capital Area Autism Network (CAAN) to make the show possible.
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“It was a great fit for us since we’re a children’s theater organization, and we already do a lot to make families feel comfortable,” Todd Henry, Playmakers executive director, says.
Two years ago, Playmakers began providing sensory bags created by Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Health Children’s Developmental Center at College at its performances. The borrowable bags are available in the lobby of the Reilly Theater and include headphones, fidget spinners and other tactile items that can help a neurodivergent child feel calmer when overstimulated. All Playmakers shows also invite kids to sit on a large carpet square in front of the stage rather than in a seat, if they choose. Wiggling around is totally acceptable, Henry says.
Drew Walker, CAAN executive director, says the partnership with Playmakers was part of a larger effort to increase opportunities in Baton Rouge for autistic individuals and those with related conditions.
“Part of what we’ve been doing is reaching out to community organizations to say, ‘Hey, can we work with you to provide some adaptations for folks to be able to enjoy things more,’” Walker says.
Regardless of the type of performance spectators choose to attend, Henry says there’s been a lot of enthusiasm to stage Frozen Jr. Originally, Playmakers had planned to perform Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer, but because it’s back on television, the rights were no longer available, he says.
“And literally every teenager we had was like, ‘Please. Can we do Frozen?,'” he says. “That’s what’s so great about Playmakers. The last time we did the show (in 2019), the ones in lead roles now were in the chorus or were little kids in the audience. They were like, ‘It’s our turn.'”
The actors playing key roles in Frozen Jr. include Ayden Hymel as Elsa, Caroline Antie as Anna, Zoe Picard as Olaf, Corey Thomas as Kristoff and Camden DeVaux as Sven. The cast includes 22 young people ages 8 to 17. They attend a wide variety of schools across greater Baton Rouge, Henry says.
“We have a pretty good number of first-timers, as well as some returning veterans,” he adds.
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Amy Himel Gomez, a talented theater teacher with Ascension Parish Schools, directs the show. Gomez also directed Playmakers’ production of James and the Giant Peach earlier this summer. Playmakers’ costumer Melissa Bush designed the show’s costumes and has engineered one of its most anticipated moments.
“The dress reveal in ‘Let It Go’ happens in the blink of an eye,” Henry says. “It’s pure magic.”
Performances of Frozen Jr. are held at the Reilly Theatre, 10 Tower Drive. For showtimes and tickets, visit Playmakers of Baton Rouge. Note: The sensory-adapted performance is not listed on the website. Email Todd Henry for additional info at [email protected].