Frozen The Musical stars Jemma Rix and Courtney Monsma on the escapist magic of live theatre
After a tumultuous year, Frozen The Musical has opened in Sydney. Meet stars Jemma Rix and Courtney Monsma who are bringing a new energy to this story.
Jemma Rix and Courtney Monsma are meant to be preparing for their next auditions. Frozen – the Broadway musical based on the 2013 Disney film of the same name – should have wrapped by now, with Rix and Monsma having taken their final bows as Princess Elsa and Anna respectively.
Instead, the actors are only just getting ready to hit the stage together for the first time. Like most productions in coronavirus-affected cities across the globe, Frozen was forced to postpone its Sydney campaign, which was due to kick off in July. But unlike most theatre shows across the globe, which are still on hold or worse, shelved altogether, this December, the show will finally premiere.
“It feels a bit surreal,” admits Rix with a sigh of relief. She and Monsma have just stepped out of a costume fitting, and their voices bubble with anticipation as we discuss the musical, which will be staged at Sydney’s Capitol Theatre. Where Rix brings years of experience – as one of Australia’s most prominent theatre performers, she’s best known for playing the lead role of Elphaba in Wicked – Frozen will mark 23-year-old Monsma’s first starring role in a national theatre show. Both actors acknowledge the uniqueness of their situation. “When you look at the year we’ve had, and where other countries are currently at, it’s like, ‘how lucky are we to have this opportunity?’” says Rix. “That sense of gratitude is really where we’re leading from.”
When Frozen premiered in cinemas seven years ago, the film surprised audiences by breaking free from the conventional Disney princess narrative. It had two female leads, and unlike Snow White or Cinderella, Elsa and Anna prioritised their sisterhood over finding the perfect suitor. Save for Hans, the story’s lone sociopathic prince, the male characters were humorous, kind and helpful. The film has earned $1.76 billion dollars at the box office since 2013, and was the top-grossing animated film of all time until its sequel overtook it last year. A combination of characterisation, storyline and (it must be said) a wildly infectious score meant that it appealed to viewers of all ages, genders, sexual orientations and demographics.
In the months following the film’s release, it wasn’t uncommon to hear a middle-aged man humming the lyrics to Let It Go on the street. It was, and still is, a phenomenon. The musical is set to expand on the movie’s audience-agnostic appeal. Twelve new songs have been added to the live show; all of them by the film’s original songwriters, Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez. The production runs longer than the movie, which allows the cast to add their own flair to certain scenes.
“I think it’s really aged well,” says Monsma. She recalls seeing the film for the first time, and being surprised by just how progressive it was. “It felt like this defining moment, where for the first time, it wasn’t the male protagonist saving the day. I thought it was really bold of Disney to put that message out there.” For Rix, a big part of the appeal can be traced back to the aforementioned anthem, Let It Go.
“It’s this song about embracing your imperfections and letting go of all the things people are saying you should and shouldn’t be,” explains the actor, who gets to bring the iconic song to life on stage. “As a human being, and a woman especially, how empowering is that?” The lyrics have taken on greater significance this year, with the song’s title feeling like a metaphor for 2020 and Rix even explaining it inspired her when rehearsals were called off and the cast was sent home. “I think it’s something I’ll use forever,” says the actor. “For me, nerves never really go away. I think I’ll be holding onto those lyrics very tightly, for a very long time.”
Despite spending the better half of this year getting acquainted with the song list, neither performer says they’ve been overplayed. “When songs are really empowering and written very beautifully, you don’t get sick of them. They just keep living inside you and you keep feeding off them,” says Rix with a laugh. Likewise, the positivity displayed by Anna helped Monsma get through the year.
“She has this amazing sense of optimism that she draws from in every single struggle. She proves that when you follow your heart, anything is possible. I thought about that a lot when we were away from the theatre and it felt easy to just give up.” As our conversation draws on, the parallels between the actors and their characters become increasingly clear. Rix empathises with Elsa’s decision to distance herself from her younger sister, in order to avoid hurting her. “It’s something you see happening quite a lot in real-life relationships,” notes the performer.
Monsma, on the other hand, says she identifies with Anna’s childlike sense of optimism and loyalty. “She’s very heart over head.” Like the actors who play them, Elsa and Anna’s strengths complement each other. But curiously, it’s the heroines’ flaws that seem to resonate most strongly with viewers. We’re drawn to the conflicted Elsa, who’s tormented by her inability to control her dangerous powers, and we see ourselves in Anna’s naivety. The beauty of having two female protagonists is that we don’t need to place all of our hopes and expectations on the one, something we’ve unfortunately grown accustomed to doing. “They’re very different, but that means everyone can take a piece from them,” agrees Monsma.
Sydney will be the first international city to receive the Broadway show after it dazzled audiences in New York. Rix and Monsma say that no expense has been spared in order to bring the production to Australia. “You’ll be getting the full experience,” muses Rix. This includes Elsa’s ice dress, which is crafted from hundreds of Swarovski crystals. “I just tried it on, and I can’t even tell you the weight of it,” says the actor, laughing. “There are so many crystals on it, it’s insane.” After months of uncertainty, being able to perform again will feel like therapy, as Monsma puts it. Not just for the cast but for the audience, too. “There’s something so transformative about being able to hear music and experience performance live,” agrees Rix. “There’s an element of escapism to it.” Something we could all benefit from right now.
Frozen will be performed at Sydney’s Capitol Theatre from December 1 to March 21, 2021.
This story appears in Vogue’s December issue, on stands Monday December 14.