Lee Hae-rin is a City Desk reporter at The Korea Times, covering social issues, tourism and taekwondo. She is passionate about speaking up for the rights of minorities, including women, LGBTQ+, people with disabilities and animals as well as discovering the latest makgeolli trend in town. Feel free to reach her at lhr@koreatimes.co.kr.
Musical 'Frozen' to fuse K-pop vocals, multi-casting and Disney magic
The Korean cast of the musical “Frozen,” featuring Han Gyu-jung as Olaf, Shin Jae-beom as Kristoff and Park Jin-joo as Anna rehearse in Seoul, July 7. Courtesy of S&Co
By Lee Hae-rin
The musical “Frozen” will arrive in Korea next month as what its creative team called the most refined version of the Disney blockbuster yet, shaped by global experience and local talent.
The international crew behind the Korean premiere said Seoul audiences can expect a production that both honors the beloved film and showcases the distinct vocal color and casting style of Korean musical actors.
Associate director Adrian Sarple described the Seoul production as a culmination of nearly a decade of workshopping the show around the world.
“The Korean production is the version that combines all the ideas and experiences we’ve accumulated over the past eight years on stages worldwide,” he said during a group interview with reporters Thursday.
For music supervisor Sebastian de Domenico, the most striking difference in Seoul lies in the sound of the cast.
“The vocal style that our Korean performers bring by nature seems to be influenced by K-pop,” he said, explaining that the team specifically asked auditionees to sing both show material and a K-pop track of their choice.
“Their sound is very clean and straightforward, a very direct way of singing that’s quite different from American and European pop music, and that’s what makes this production very special and beautiful, especially when they sing together,” he added.
The Korean system of multi-casting main roles also reshaped the rehearsal room, the crew said. Unlike many countries that rely on a single principal per role, the Seoul production has three Elsas and three Annas sharing the stage over the run.
Members of the musical's production team for the Korean premiere pose at Charlotte Theater in Seoul, Wednesday. From left are associate music supervisor Sebastian de Domenico, associate choreographer Charlie Williams, associate physical movement coordinator Adam Jepson and associate director Adrian Sarple. Courtesy of S&Co
“Korea, as opposed to other territories we work in around the world, has multiple casts here,” Sarple said. “It presents its own challenge, but it uniquely helps the other actors playing the part see sides to the characters they’re playing in a very different way to a solo actor.”
He said watching fellow performers allowed the actors to discover “aspects of the characters they might never have considered,” promising that repeat viewers will feel “each Elsa and each Anna is different in how they interpret the lyrics and express the music.”
Choreographer Charlie Williams said the movement in “Frozen” is built around the show’s “two worlds” — royal Arendelle and the realm of magic — and tailored to each cast’s strengths. “If you’re really paying attention, I hope you’ll be able to pick up the difference of the movement from our warm, thawed world to as the world freezes,” he said.
Puppetry is another demanding pillar of the production, especially for Sven the reindeer, coordinated by Adam Jepson, who originated the role on Broadway.
“I always joke with people that doing Sven every day is sort of like doing a marathon,” he said, citing specialized rehearsals that retrain performers to move on stilts, manage a head that extends well beyond their own and control a full-body puppet with limited vision. He highlighted the “beautiful moments of connection” when fellow actors subtly assist the puppet’s movement, such as Kristoff shaking Sven’s neck so it appears the reindeer moves independently.
While “Frozen” remains a touchstone for children, the creative team stressed the stage version deepens the themes that also resonate with adults. Sarple said the musical taps into feelings that parents may have felt but “might not want to admit” while watching the original film.
“What we ended up with was a beautiful story, a very honest human story about our relationship with ourselves and with each other ... and then a bunch of really good songs and really good dance numbers,” he said.
The Korean premiere of “Frozen” is set for Aug. 13 at Charlotte Theater in Seoul and run through March 1, 2027, before the show moves to Busan’s Dream Theatre next year.