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#culture that came with coco and the original lion king
simonandgarfunkie · 3 years
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every time i see a piss poor take it’s always by some white person talking about their experience that never includes the mere THOUGHT of minorities
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morganmeyers · 3 years
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Big Reading
So I did this super intense reading last night that was the biggest reading I’ve ever done and it wasn’t for just me so I’m going to share it here. If you see this, it might be for you so take what resonates and leave the rest.
IMPORTANT BEFORE READING: MEDITATE AND GROUND YOURSELF! There is a lot of information that is about to be unpacked in this reading.
I did this reading by using my Santa Muerte Tarot and Oracle cards. With the Oracle cards, I will be explaining what they mean, the significance behind them and what I saw in the cards while reading them. Songs also came up on my phone on shuffle, so Shufflemancy also plays a part in this reading as well. These songs came up before I started the reading that I felt were important:
Gabbie Hanna - Honestly
Halestorm - Uncomfortable
XXXTENTACION - Save Me
In total for all of the cards that got pulled, there was 44. The angel number 44 means: pay attention to your intuition & inner-wisdom as your connection with your guides is VERY strong at this time. This is a very prominent theme that goes with this reading.
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Oracle Cards:
Darkness - 1 - Coming out of the shadows and showing your face. Standing in YOUR power. Meditation. Meditation. MEDITATION. The song Midnight Sky by Miley Cyrus came in my phone on shuffle mode. Some lyrics that stood out to me: “The Midnight Sky is the road I’m taking, head high up in the clouds. I was born to run, I don’t belong to anyone, I don’t need to be loved by you.
Masculine - 2 - Don’t be afraid to ask questions. You might not like the answers given, but take it in stride and make the best of it. The song Cancer by My Chemical Romance came up in my head when reading this card. When looking at it, I see a gas mask. Maybe it has something to do with being gaslighted by someone close to you? Either way there are some hard lessons that you’re about to learn. The color red is very prominent not only in this card but the reading in general. Red refers to Family, Love, partnerships, etc. Someone in your family/close to you isn’t telling you the truth or respecting who you are or your boundaries. Don’t take their shit. They’re afraid of whatever truth they’re hiding to come out.
Tlaloc - 9 - Tlaloc is an Aztec god of rain & fertility. He was very feared but also respected in the fact that he could water the fields of labor with one hand and could very easily destroy that same field with the other. In this card, I saw the color of green. Green is in reference to getting justice upon whatever your situation may be. Take no shit but do no harm. While you are being disrespected by whoever it is in your situation, it’s not a good idea to do the same to them. Whatever revenge you want to exact upon the person in question, don’t do it. It will bite you in the ass. The song Bow Down by the band I, Prevail came on: “I don’t really like myself, I think I’m breaking down.”
Mictlantecuhtli - 10 - I almost immediately saw Rafiki from the Lion King when looking at this card. Not everything is as black and white as you’d like it to be. You have to look at the other person’s POV before taking any sort of action. Watch what you say and do.
Tezcatlipōca - 12 - Tezcatlipōca is an Aztec god of night, war, education & temptation. I immediately paid attention to the cheetah print cloak. Maybe the action that needs to be taken upon whoever it is needs to be a fast action. He’s also missing a leg from a battle he fought. When meditating, you need to assess what things in your life you need to sacrifice or cut out when going into this next stage of your life. Not everything you can take with you. Some things you DEFINITELY cannot take with you. 2 songs came up with this card.
Eminem - Love The Way You Lie: “It Wasn’t you, baby it was me.”
Linkin Park - Bleed It Out: “Mama help me, I’ve been cursed, death is rolling in every verse, candy paint on his brand new hearse, can’t contain him he knows he works. Fuck this hurts, I won’t lie. Doesn’t matter how hard I try. Half the words don’t mean a thing and I know that I won’t be satisfied”
Huitzilopachtli - 13 - Huitzilopachtli is an Aztec god of the son & War. The sun is a very prominent theme in this reading. The color blue very much stood out to me with this card. Blue is in reference to Wisdom, increased mental powers & concentration. What drew my most attention was the 4 swords in the back. I went through my tarot deck because the 4 of Swords wasn’t originally a card that was pulled but when I did look at it, it was reversed. What I got from this card specifically, it looks like to me you’re taking the nails out of a coffin. Make plans to trust your intuition & take the nails/swords out of the coffin you previously stored away but do it with caution like the humming bird on the Huitzilopachtli #13 oracle card in the left corner so you don’t get burnt.
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Chalchiuhtlicue - 14 - Chalchiuhtlicue is an Aztec goddess of water, lakes, seas, sailors, beauty & fertility. I saw the thunderbolts upon the top of the head first. The day of reckoning/judgement day is coming. 3 songs came up with this one.
Beatles - Yer Blues
AC/DC - Thunderstruck
AC/DC - Back In Black
Go with the flow because you’re at the point of no return and there’s no way for you to go back. At all. Embrace that power, that thunder, as your own.
I saw Mama Imelda & Hector from the Disney movie COCO when looking at this card as well and heard another song by Rihanna called Hate That I Love You (Feat. Ne-Yo). Some lyrics: “And I can’t stand you. Must everything you do make me want to smile? Can I not like you for awhile?” And “I despise that I adore you”
Tlazolteotl - 15 - Tlazolteotl is an Aztec goddess of earth, sex, moon & birth. The moon and the birth is what I saw first. A rebirth of sorts will take place. You need to do shadow work as your ego needs to be put in check but you also need to trust your intuition. If you feel something is off, it is. And it needs to be fixed.
Quetzalcóatl - 16 - Quetzalcóatl is the most important god in the Aztec pantheon. He is a god of Knowledge, dawn, merchants, arts & professions. I thought of Pepita from Coco. Pepita is an Alebrije which in Latin cultures is more so a spirit guide taking the form of an animal. Your spirit guides are trying to tell you something so you need to pay TF attention! Do not fear and do not give up. Through perseverance and insistence, you will reach the goal that you desire and that most of all, you deserve.
Shadow - 17 - Most of people that I know and know me, know that I’m afraid of Spiders. Always have been and probably always will. I saw spiders crawling all across the face on this one. Embrace your fears and face them head-on. Now is the time to do some HEAVY shadow work and work on yourself in general. Be mindful of your thoughts, feelings & words towards yourself and others during this time.
Intellect - 22 - Some of you will be getting MAJOR downloads in the coming days and or will be doing some heavy studying. Keep your brain busy and analyze the situation your facing with rational though. Yellow is also a prominent color in this reading and this card. Yellow represents thoughts, Wisdom and knowledge.
Flux - 24 - The song Carolyn by Black Veil Brides came up with this card. Lyrics: “I wished to god I’d known that I, I didn’t stand a chance of looking back in knowing why. A pain of circumstance.”
Breaking. Generational. Curses.
You’re doing it now. You’re working on yourself and putting yourself first before undoing everything else and that’s a good thing! KEEP GOING!
You have the world in your hands to take time and reflect on your lineage/ancestors.
Harvest - 27 - The sun in the corner. You will be able to eat the fruits of your labor one day and so will your future family/successors if you continue to go forth in braking those curses put upon your family line.
Art - 29 - Your ancestors and spirit guides are watching you in awe for doing the work you’re doing. They see you painting the sun card and creating your own happiness and they’re cheering you on. Keep doing the good work you’re doing.
Santa Muerte - 32 - Be absolutely sure that what you cut out in your life is what you want to be gone. Once it is, there’s almost no way of getting it back. Trust your intuition.
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Tarot Cards:
Fool ⬇️
Magician ⬆️
Lovers ⬇️
Temperance ⬆️
Devil ⬆️
Tower ⬆️
Sun ⬆️
Judgement ⬆️
2 of Cups ⬆️
6 of Cups ⬇️
Page of Cups ⬆️
Knight of Cups ⬆️
King of Cups ⬇️
Ace of Pentacles ⬆️
2 of Pentacles ⬆️
3 of Pentacles ⬆️
4 of Pentacles ⬆️
5 of Pentacles ⬆️
7 of Pentacles ⬇️
King of Pentacles ⬇️
Ace of Swords ⬇️
6 of Swords ⬇️
Page of Swords ⬆️
Queen of Swords ⬆️
King of Swords ⬇️
2 of Wands ⬇️
3 of Wands ⬇️
6 of Wands ⬇️
Queen of Wands ⬆️
Like with the Oracle cards, you’re on a journey of self healing & breaking generational curses. You’re on a path that you can’t turn around and go back on. You need to keep walking forwards. Right now it seems like things in your life are in disarray and that’s for a reason. You’re on your current path and dealing with these issues head-on so that others that come after you, don’t have to, they’re gonna have other issues that need to be dealt with. However, the heavy load of the curses/trauma is being dealt with you now in this lifetime because you are the most capable even though it might not seem like you think you are. Going through the trauma is what’s going to bring you so much happiness and everything you could ever hope for.
You are so near the end of the finish line in dealing with everything that it’s so unnecessary for you to even attempt to turn around and undo al do the hard work you’ve already done. Why would you want to go back to all of the trauma? You don’t. Don’t sacrifice yourself for others who clearly don’t give a SHIT about you. FUCK. THAT.
Do what you believe is good for you and your higher self and go forth in doing things that you’re passionate about. Don’t let others lie to you and walk all over you. They don’t know you like YOU do. If you can sense that someone is going something that isn’t good or can tell that they’re not telling you the truth of something that’s going on, that’s most likely the case.
You need to assess what you’re willing to let slide and willing to take with you in the next chapter of your life cause you won’t be able to bring everything with you. And when you do and you set your boundaries by putting your foot down HARD, there will be others waiting for you on the other side cheering you on because you make it to the other side a FAR better person that where you were when you started your journey. Not everybody is worthy to walk with you if they continue to act the way that they do and you have to accept that or nothing will come of the changes you’ve made for your happiness.
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non-sequitura · 3 years
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Non-sequitura Disney in-depth analysis (after making a tier list)
Warning: SUPER longform. If you don’t know a movie well, you should skip the summary. I tried to be light on spoilers, but they’re there.
I went chronologically from favorite to least favorite. So S tier is, in order from fave to least fave, The Incredibles, WALL-E, then Zootopia.
S tier (Something I consider high quality AND a movie I greatly enjoy. I would love more Disney movies be like this.)
The Incredibles - one of my favorite movies of all time, possibly THE favorite. Rockin social commentary, epic action scenes, memorable characters, not a minute of screentime wasted, great take on the Fantastic Four, hilarious parts for both adults and children, an interesting villain, etc. 
WALL-E - I love how social commentary was done here. Also skies above, what a beautiful love story. Really blazed a trail in non-verbal storytelling (especially given it was an animated kids film!) Robot animations are particularly delightful. 
Zootopia - another social message delivered excellently and entertainingly. I love Judy and her persistence, I love the expressiveness of the faces and the epic city setting. I love Judy and Nick's banter. This movie deserves to be remembered longer than it has been so far. Admittedly, not one of my fave villains, which makes it my least favorite of the Ss. 
A tier (either super high quality or something I greatly enjoy and deem of at least reasonably good quality)
Mulan - this movie did everything right. Truly feminist protagonist, an icon for strong Asian women, fairly culturally accurate (tho Mushu confuses me), GORGEOUS and iconic music. Lets a relatively natural romance develop. I frickin love the action scenes, I love the emporer. Sadly, this movie just didn't lodge its way in my heart as well as Pixar did. Pixar just has some magic, yo. 
Cinderella - my gosh what an underrated protagonist. Her family straight-up abuses her and she never loses sight of her goals for a better life. Iconic visuals helped bring Disney out of bankruptcy. A gorgeous alto singing voice. 
Wreck-it Ralph - alright alright ppl don’t crucify me for this. I honestly can’t think of much wrong with this movie. Vanellope and Ralph’s vitriolic best buds relationship is adorable, her forgiveness of him is heartwarming and (relatively) deserved, rockin’ Owl City song, epic visuals that mix together bc of all the different games. ALSO ONE OF THE BEST DISNEY VILLAINS NO CAP. One of the only twist villains I like. And we stan the romantic pairing. 
Tangled - I’ve talked about this a lot, but Rapunzel deserved the whole world after what she’s gone through. That being said, Gothel is not some shallow monster she needs to escape from, but an intelligent, well-defined monster with backstory. I could totally see this story happening if the world of Tangled existed. Epic love story, hilarious dialogue. Music is… good but much of it is less memorable to me. Visuals are good but not quite at the level/creativity of many other disney films. 
The Lion King - they really put Hamlet in Africa and pulled it off lol. But in all seriousness, no one took the premise of this film seriously at the time and it became sooo iconic. I love Scar and his eventual downfall, I love how Simba grows emotionally, I love the sad moments that don’t overpower the overall feeling of light goofiness. And music so memorable it was one of the first Disney musicals. 
Coco - not a super unique story premise. But an incredible culture to explore with such creativity and sensitivity. I love the themes of death not being the worst and music being so central to the story. Twist/twist villain was memorable and not expected. And yeah, it did make me cry, so props there. 
Ratatouille - the most recently watched of these films for me. This movie is soooo unique! Back when Pixar was truly super out there with their concepts. Super Parisian visuals and soundtrack. It somehow starts goofy (THE OLD LADY TRIES TO KILL REMY WITH A SHOTGUN WHILE WEARING A GAS MASK) but really drives home the message that you can truly do what you want regardless of who you are. Colette can get it. And the monologue by Ego at the end is one of my favorites in film. 
Frozen - Anna is one of my favorite Disney protagonists. She’s so resilient and loyal. Elsa ain’t bad either but she experiences… less character development. The film is a tad too pleased with its own self-awareness for my taste, but there’s no denying how iconic the music and visuals were. 
Inside Out - Alright, this movie hits home for me bc I tried to run away after moving. A super thoughtful, heartfelt depiction of (potentially depression? imo) with great moments of humor. Riley’s inner world is so creative and lovely. Also realistic depictions of Minnesota/California culture. 
Tarzan - Jane! is! smart! and! adorable! Her scientific curiosity makes her very endearing. it’s so cute to see her and Tarzan learn from each other. Also Tarzan’s “found mother” is epic. Solid score. Solid film all around. To quote Lily Orchard, “This film is what Pocahontas tried to be.” 
B tier (one of my favorites but has a few significant flaws that bring it down (or not quite as memorable to me, but consider good quality))
Peter Pan - Haven’t seen it in a hot sec, but I remember being super charmed by this as a kid. Just going out, having incredible adventures, and returning to a warm home at the end of the day. Tinker Bell is hilarious and beautifully drawn. Gets major negative points for the depiction of Native Americans tho. 
Big Hero 6 - I was super charmed by the protagonist, his family/friends, and the setting. The plot/villain’s motivations are a bit of a mess, though. 
Princess and the Frog - This movie has so much flavor to it! The visuals/music are lovely and unique. Tiana is incredible but it’s kinda annoying how EVERYONE keeps trying to shoehorn her into romance. The thing is, her goals are entirely reasonable. Focus on her restaurant, then look to settle down. But they’re like “nooo you’re ignoring the important things in life” smh. Also, epic villain, woohoo! The movie dragged significantly for me when they were in the bayou. Charlotte is delightful. 
Winnie the Pooh - don’t remember it super well, but I think it was charming and occasionally dark, which is an addictive concoction. 
The Little Mermaid - MAN ppl roast Ariel way more than she deserves. Visually, it was… fine. idk. This movie is good. I don’t have much else to say about it. 
Snow White - the one that started it all. Visually, super impressive. Musically, lovely. I find the romance a bit… off. Well, more than a bit. What is it with Disney and kissing sleeping people? 
Alice in Wonderland - a nerdy acid trip. Right up my alley! I also like films where ppl go on incredible adventures and return to the status quo, but THEY changed bc of it. Epic. SUUUUPER creative visual interpretation of Carroll’s book. Brave - gosh I loooove films where a parent and child learn to understand each other. Never got why ppl hated this movie so much. The Scottish flavor is present and fun. Merida made one mistake and made it up. The arrow scene is iconic. 
Cars - a fun ride! (hahaha puns.) We love seeing Paul Newman as a car. 
B-minus tier? (same as B, but problematic, or weaker story-wise.)
Hunchback - man… settings-wise, this film might be my favorite. I also love Esmeralda and Quasimodo as characters and as a duo (though the sexualized depiction of Romani ppl is not epic.) I also don’t find the discrimination against Esmeralda/Quasimodo jarring bc it matches the time period. Frollo is super interesting as a villain. The gargoyles are… def not necessary. Basically, this film doesn’t know what it’s doing with tone. 
Sleeping Beauty - Aurora was my favorite when I was younger because I thought she was the prettiest, and that still defines how i feel about this, basically. Visually lovely - everything is kind of elongated and gothic. Maleficent is spiteful and epic. I have no issue with the fluffier parts of the movie, like the music or the fairies. RIP for lack of consent being a plot point, though. 
Hercules - Megara is incredible. one of the only Disney “princesses” who acts like an adult and has cynicism as a major part of her personality. I love her and Herc’s progression where she learns to trust him (yes, he is genuinely that sincere, it’s not a front.) Muses are unique, whoever came up with them was high on something and I’m living for it. I just think the plot itself was somewhat unrealistic/ weirdly-paced. There are some memorable songs, some less-than-memorable songs. Art style is cool but I’m personally not a fan. EXTREMELY inaccurate depictions of the original Greek gods. 
C tier (entertaining, but I don't consider it a great movie)
Bolt - I watched this like 11 years ago. It was fun! A cool concept about those put on a pedestal learning their worth even without celebrity boosting them up. Animation was… fine I think. not super memorable to me. 
Frozen 2 - They really took any scrap of character development Elsa had in the first movie, threw it in the garbage and set it on fire. Anna deserved so much better. Songs are bombastic and impressive, have the occasional interesting lyric, but are really weirdly placed and none are quite as iconic as the first movie’s (except Aurora, she does great work here. Also the song Anna sings after she thinks Elsa died.) 
Not a big fan of the vaguely homeopathic theme. Not a big fan of Olaf’s WEIRD character development. Not a big fan of the suuuuuper awkward dialogue and the animations that imply not only that Kristoff is into his reindeer but that Elsa and Anna are into each other (if you’re questioning if they did that, yes, they did, I can find screenshots of some really weird expressions/moments. THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO PANDER TO YOUR WEIRD FANS, DISNEY.) 
The voice actors did great work, the animators did great work (look at the details on their clothes! Look at how Elsa’s posture changes to be more confident! look at how they're animated while they're singing!) Some weird costume/makeup choices that make Elsa look like an aging starlet, but she also has some gorgeous moments so eh. It’s a wash for me. 
They really did not know what to do with Kristoff this movie, huh. The only thing that happened to him was singing a cheesy 90s ballad and marrying Anna, both of which were admittedly epic. Also, the trolls got 0 appearances despite being literally psychic. Probably could have helped with a lot. I'm not a huge fan of lore/worldbuilding, and thee was a lot of it here. Overall neutral on it. 
Also a big theme in this movie I don’t love - **** TANGIBLE CONSEQUENCES TO OUR ACTIONS!!! The danger is Elsa’s death, the elements, colonialism, and Arendelle literally being destroyed. None of those end up playing out, so I was left at the end going “this film had literally no stakes.” 
Monsters U - same as above - entertaining at the time! Not super memorable. The ppl we were supposed to dislike kept switching. Doesn’t really match the canon of Monsters Inc (I thought they were supposed to have known each other since childhood so why did they meet in college?) 
Cars 3 - so apparently, everyone HATED this movie! Fun! I never watched Cars 2 (yes watched Cars 1 if you haven’t been paying attention to this list), but I didn’t think this movie was bad at all. Well-acted, some fun chase scenes, the scene where Lightning fails at driving in the simulation is genuinely hilarious, and some interesting perspectives on teachers getting the spotlight for their skills for once. 
Incredibles 2 - I liked this film at first, but then it was… just okay in retrospect. I love me some good family dynamics. The plot here makes not a lot of sense. THEY BUILT UP THE UNDERMINER FOR NOTHING AND THEN FORGOT ABOUT HIM. I was surprised by the villain swap, but it happened so last minute I never really understood their motivations even after they explained them. Tried to tackle waaaay too many messages. 
D tier (I didn't enjoy these or consider them mediocre)
Finding Dory - Maybe I should have put this higher? Like C tier at least. Ah well. Wasn’t a huge fan of the body/physical comedy (not my thing), but it was entertaining and awww finding family is heartwarming. 
Finding Nemo - I remember nothing about this movie. 
E tier (this film has significant problems)
Beauty and the Beast - *sigh*… I want to love this movie. The score is gorgeous. Visually, they could have made it more distinctly Rococo-era France but didn’t (why?) The voice actors did good work and I think Paige O’Hara is SUPER underrated here. 
The Beast is emotionally manipulative with an awful temper that (for MOST of the movie. He doesn’t change.) That’s the main reason this is in E tier. This movie shaped so many generations of people thinking they can change the behavior of someone who treats them badly through the power of love. But you can’t. She learns to “love” the beast under coercion. It’s not Stockholm syndrome - it’s a trashy romance novel. Big fan of Gaston as a villain. He’s an archetype ppl can recognize and it’s so satisfying to hate him.
F tier (I think this film actively harms the industry and would rather it not have been made. Both the one in E tier could be considered harmful to the industry, but I think they had significant enough artistic accomplishments to scrape above that. I'm also generally a fan of "lack of censorship bc it's better to teach what not to do.")
Pocahontas - this movie took real historical events and romanticized them AND sexualized one of the only Native princesses they’ve had. Boo. Nothing wrong with animation!Pocahontas as a character, it’s just people put her in a story that doesn’t represent history well at all (and these historical events, unlike those in say, 14th-century Germany, had super relevant effects on people alive today.) And they portrayed the Native Americans and colonial settlers as equally in the wrong. (though I like Governor Radcliffe as a potential villain and love the line “see how I glitter.” I can’t NOT laugh when I hear it.) Lovely music, though. Nice animation, but the colors are weirdly… muted? 
Bad Garbage (I don't wish this film had never been made, but I wish I never had to see it.)
Planes - this movie was ridiculous. I remember not much about it except that I kinda hated it and that it was super cheesy with tension one could see right through that immediately resolved itself via one twist or another. 
Haven’t seen tier: Recess, A Bug’s Life, A Goofy Movie, DuckTakes Movie, Lilo and Stitch, Pinocchio (actually i have seen this but I remember nothing about it), The Nightmare before Christmas, Toy Stories 1, 2, and 3, Up, 101 Dalmatians, The Great Mouse Detective, Cars 2, Moana, The Good Dinosaur, Pete’s Dragon, Fantasia, Peter Pan Return to Neverland, Fantasia 2000, The Black Cauldron (read the book, though!), Bambi (or I did and remember nothing about it), The Rescuersm, The Rescuers Down Under, Planes Fire and Rescue, Bambi 2, The Fox & the Found, Oliver and Company, Atlantis, Treasure Planet (I want to, though), Piglet’s Big Movie, The Jungle Book, the Emporer’s New Groove, The Jungle Book 2, Chicken Little, Brother Bear, The Three Caballeros, Pooh’s Heffalump Movie, Dumbo, The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, Aladdin (seen parts but never the whole thing), Strange Magic, The Sword in the Stone, James and the Giant Peach, Frankenweenie, Lady and the Tramp, Ralph Breaks the Internet, Doug’s 1st Movie, Monsters Inc. (want to, though), Meet the Robinsons, Dinosaur, The Aristocats, Robin Hood, The Tigger Movie, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, that pooh movie at the end without the title on it
-11/21/20
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Movie smash 'Frozen' heats up Broadway
Visit Now - http://zeroviral.com/movie-smash-frozen-heats-up-broadway/
Movie smash 'Frozen' heats up Broadway
Broadway veteran Caissie Levy sings the signature tune “Let It Go” as Elsa in “Frozen.”(Photo: Andrew Eccles)
NEW YORK – The curtain goes up and the opening number of the new Broadway musical Frozen kicks off with little Disney princesses Anna and Elsa on stage in front of a packed house. Backstage at the St. James Theatre, their grown-up counterparts are letting loose for an audience of two.
The second-floor dressing room of Caissie Levy, who plays ice queen Elsa (she of the empowerment anthem Let It Go), is the location of a nightly dance party co-starring her theatrical partner Patti Murin, aka Elsa’s vivacious, loving younger sister, Anna. Since they don’t have to come out right away, the two use the first 10 minutes of Frozen to bust a few moves to the downstairs show tune.
“Sometimes there’s some jumping on the couch, sometimes there are some ballet moves that are truly heinous that no one should ever witness,” Levy says, laughing. “It’s always done in our nude undergarments, which are really unattractive: a whole lot of Spanx and tights, and we don’t look cute at all.”
Patti Murin connected with Anna after seeing the movie “Frozen” for the first time. (Photo: Andrew Eccles)
It’s all business and belting once the Broadway veterans inhabit their characters in Disney’s next big musical extravaganza, now in previews (the show opens March 22). Producers could have done a note-for-note staging of the 2013 Oscar-winning animated movie and been just fine, financially: The film spawned a cultural phenomenon that continues to this day.
Fans at Disney World wait hours to meet Anna and Elsa or to get on the Frozen Ever After ride. They can buy a litany of stuff — from hoodies to toothbrushes — featuring the sisters or that lovable goofball snowman, Olaf, and they’re probably already planning to visit their nearest cinemas on Nov. 27, 2019, for Frozen 2.
The movie’s creative team has devised a musical that honors and also adds to Frozen‘s legacy while making it more socially relevant than ever. Songwriting couple Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez crafted 12 new tunes for the show, and movie director Jennifer Lee wrote the book, which expands Anna and Elsa’s backstory.
Add theatrical director Michael Grandage, who “has taken this story that people think is for little kids because of the branding, and he’s made it this very rich, Shakespearean, lush adult story,” says Anderson-Lopez. “There are some stunningly beautiful, sophisticated things going on on that stage.”
Elsa (Caissie Levy) deals with inner turmoil as she’s crowned queen of Arendelle in “Frozen.'” (Photo: Deen van Meer)
Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s The Snow Queen, Frozen at its warm heart is about a pair of sisters who grow up in isolation and find their way back to each other. Due to an accident involving Elsa’s ice powers, she’s kept apart from her sibling for much of their childhood, even as they each harbor a yearning to be close to one another.
After their parents die, Elsa is crowned queen of the kingdom of Arendelle. And after a lifetime of keeping her snowy abilities bottled up, she accidentally lets them loose and turns Arendelle into an icicle.  Elsa leaves Arendelle on a mission of self-discovery, while Anna hooks up with hunky ice deliveryman Kristoff (played in the musical by Jelani Alladin) and Olaf (singing puppeteer Greg Hildreth) to find her sister.
Murin, a New York native who’s done Xanadu and Lysistrata Jones on Broadway, is a “Disney kid” who connected with Anna when she saw Frozen in a movie theater five years ago.
“Anna was the first one where I was like, ‘Oh, that’s totally my princess,’ ” Murin says. “She doesn’t quite have the poise that a lot of the other Disney heroines have. She is a true heroine. With others, it’s a lot of women waiting around for men to come and kiss them. And she doesn’t.”
Levy says she was also an early adopter of the Frozen franchise, taking in a screening with her girlfriends and thinking it would be “a perfect musical.”
The most glaring difference between Frozen and many of Levy’s other Broadway productions, including Hairspray, Hair, Les Miserables and Ghost the Musical, is the lack of a romantic love interest. “It’s colored the entire experience in a different shade,” Levy says. “It’s been a really cool thing to explore as a woman and as an actor to be doing a show that centers around the love of two sisters. My love interest in the show is Patti, my sister, and what that tells the world is it’s a really exciting time to be doing a show that’s not about a man.”
That non-romantic take on true love hit a nerve with women when the movie came out, Murin adds, and now with the Me Too and Time’s Up movements, “it’s re-establishing that, but it also explores the complex relationships of sisters and women with each other. It’s not the easiest relationship. We have not been raised as of yet in society to fully support other women, so we’re figuring it out how to do it ourselves.”
Disney is showing its progressive side with another of Frozen‘s core dynamics: In the movie, Kristoff is a blond white guy who falls for Anna (and vice versa), and in the musical it’s Broadway rookie Alladin, an African-American Brooklynite.
Patti Murin and Jelani Alladin share a laugh doing rehearsals of the musical “Frozen.” (Photo: Marc Brenner)
Alladin wanted to bring an emotional quality to Kristoff. “Someone called me an action figure the other day (but) to then have these moments in Act 2 where he opens up — you see the warmth, the tenderness, the heart. He’s not afraid to go there and be that vulnerable person for Anna.”
Not everybody was a fan at first. During a pre-Broadway run in Denver last year, Alladin received hate mail regarding his race and the on-stage interracial romance. (African-American actor James Brown III plays Anna and Elsa’s father in the Broadway production, while Asian-American actress Ann Sanders is their mother.)
“I had to take a moment to say, ‘You know what, if this is what being a pioneer in this type of thing has to be and what I have to deal with, I will deal with it,’ ” Alladin says. But toward the end of their Denver days, he says, “People didn’t say, ‘Oh, there’s a black man playing Kristoff.’ When I came on stage, they just saw Kristoff.”
Greg Hildreth sings and mans the Olaf puppet, playing the lovable snowman in “Frozen” on Broadway. (Photo: Andrew Eccles)
Kristoff and Anna get a new duet, What Do You Know About Love?, and Elsa sings both the interior monologue Dangerous to Dream in the first act and another pop anthem, Monster, in the second. Some other new tunes raise the status of supporting players.
Hans of the Southern Isles is sung by Hans (John Riddle), the handsome prince who catches Anna’s eye early in the show. (The tune “really establishes him as a hero,” Lopez says, though anybody who’s seen the movie knows that’s not quite the case.)
The Lopezes, meanwhile, are hard at work on the soundtrack for Frozen 2. “Yeah, it’s Frozen for breakfast, Frozen for lunch, Frozen for dinner,” Lopez chuckles. “We’re pretty excited and love where the story’s going.”
Anna (Patti Murin) falls hard for Hans (John Riddle) in the musical “Frozen.” (Photo: Deen van Meer)
They just won their second original-song Oscar for Remember Me from Pixar’s Coco, but they’ll be hard-pressed to top the cultural impact of Let It Go. The Oscar-winning Elsa anthem is, unsurprisingly, the biggest in the musical as it ends the first act.
At a recent industry performance, with the Broadway casts of Aladdin and The Lion King in the house, a buzz starts as soon as the familiar opening piano notes signal Elsa’s appearance. Little girls shush each other so they can hear, then everybody erupts in cheers once Elsa literally lets her hair down and closes with the iconic line, “The cold never bothered me anyway.”
It’s Levy’s favorite part of the show. “It’s such a nice turn for the character to go from spending most of the first act in fear and anxiety to then just letting herself be who she is and celebrating it,” says the actress.
“Frozen” actresses Caissie Levy (left) and Patti Murin play sisters in the musical and have grown close off stage as well. (Photo: Jenny Anderson)
Levy finishes the first act alone, but at curtain call her stage sister is back to give her a hug.
“It’s our moment to be like, ‘OK, another one down. We survived,’ ” Murin says. “It’s not an easy show for either of us. … She has a lot of the expectation put upon her for people who loved the film. When we both get to the end of it and we’re in one piece and no one’s been injured, it’s a daily celebration.”
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