Transported to the magical kingdom of Arendelle, the audience journeyed alongside Anna and Elsa when the Diamond Bar High School Theater department performed a total of seven sold-out “Frozen” shows this past month. The program earned the rights from “The United States of Frozen” competition to be the only high school in California to perform  a full “Frozen” Broadway production. 

“The preparation was much more than just rehearsals. Production crew had to create our costumes, design our makeup looks, and the stage crew worked on the lights and set pieces,” junior Eden Wright said via Instagram.

In preparation for the show, the department spent countless hours rehearsing after school, including dancing and singing rehearsals, as they practiced going through their scripts. The preparation also included the help of Stagecraft building the set and working behind the scenes, as well as Steven Acciani conducting the pit orchestra, where students in both wind ensemble and symphony orchestra played several pieces to bring the play to life. 

“I see which aspects of the character I am playing match up with myself,” Wright said. “The key to playing a believable, relatable character is knowing how and when to, rather than ‘be the character; on stage, be you!’” 

In order to fully immerse the audience, the pit players rehearsed their pieces both during and after school. They played several songs including fan-favorites “Let it Go” and “Fixer Upper” in order to capture the “Frozen” experience. 

“I wasn’t able to watch the play because I had to play during every show,” sophomore Kaitlyn Liu said, who played the bassoon. “However, from my seat I managed to see glimpses of the action on stage and really enjoyed their acting.” 

Sophomore Jasmine Chen shares her experience playing the Duke of Weselton during all seven shows, and allocating time between school and extracurriculars. 

“On stage, I have to exaggerate movements and facial expressions in order for the audience to see/ understand what I’m doing because unlike the film, you’re performing to a lot of people,” Chen said via Instagram. “I was the Duke of Weselton and part of the ensemble which was so fun because I got a chance to interact and perform with almost everyone in the show.” 

Despite the stunning performances, managing time between school, extracurriculars and the show was challenging for many actors. Holding rehearsals four days a week, Monday through Thursday from 3:30-6:00 pm, the group’s show days then lasted until around 10:00 pm. 

“The most challenging thing about rehearsals was being able to manage our time,” Liu said. “Rehearsals would last until around 8 pm, and many players struggled to make time to study for finals and AP tests.”

Learning the aspects of each character and perfecting its role played a major part in creating the magical experience. Being the first sold out show for the department, each character made sure to transport us into “Frozen.” 

“I don’t think I could’ve avoided the time management crisis between schoolwork, ‘Frozen’ and track except for the fact that on some nights I could have been more focused on my work, and finishing my work faster,” Chen said. 

This spring show was the school’s biggest hit yet as it sold out eight shows in three days. About 4,000 people attended the show to bring more attention to the Theater department. The Theater’s next show will be “Legally Blonde – The Musical” on July 14, part of their summer camp from June 5 to July 13. 

“I hope that ‘Frozen’ will show people that every spring musical is just as enjoyable [as ‘Frozen,’]” Chen said. “The booming applause from the audience mimicked the energy the cast brought to the stage each night.” 

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