Jericho High School students performing Broadway version of 'Frozen' this weekend
In one of the first songs of Disney's animated hit musical "Frozen," Anna has a simple question for her older sister, Princess Elsa: Do you want to build a snowman?
The answer will come this weekend, when Jericho High School students make it snow on stage in an exclusive performance of "Frozen" — one of 52 schools in the world, and the only one in New York — to be selected by Disney to produce the Broadway musical, which started as a feature film.
“It’s humbling,” said Jericho High theater director Theone Rinaudo. “The kids work tirelessly before and after school and nights and weekends. Now they have someone else recognize their work and a lot of the time, theater doesn’t get acknowledgment in schools.”
Jericho High won the right to perform the musical after entering "The United States of Frozen: Love Is an Open Door" contest last year. One winner was chosen in each state, as well as a school in Puerto Rico and another on a U.S. military base in Germany.
The rights to produce Disney’s “Frozen Jr.,” a version for younger children, have been available for several years. According to Music Theatre International’s website, rights have been granted recently to schools on Long Island including Sayville Middle School and Seneca Middle School in Holbrook.
In an essay, Jericho High students — asked to display their creativity and inclusivity — wrote of longing to belong and finding new opportunities in the school's theater program, which was named a winner in October.
Rinaudo said Jericho High's theater program includes a diverse group of students with a variety of ethnic and racial backgrounds, as well as sexual orientations.
Gigi DeVellis, 17, who plays Anna, said the theater production and the role lets her be accepted as herself.
“Jericho theater is truly part of my family,” she said. “Anna is awkward and quirky and it allows me to embrace who she is and embrace who I am more. We have worked together and we embraced what love is through acceptance, resilience and positivity. That’s who we are.”
Robots, puppets and a snow machine
Ever since they were named winners, Jericho High students have been preparing for the show.
The high school's theater club received a $10,000 donation from the Jericho School District and $35,000 in other donations for the show.
This weekend's performance will include a snow machine, a projector, robotics and puppetry of the characters Olaf, a snowman, and Sven, a reindeer. It will also feature songs made famous by Syosset's own Idina Menzel, who was the voice of Elsa.
Lauren Marchand, 18, of Jericho, is playing Elsa this weekend, but has yet to see the 2013 Disney film. She said the cast plans to host a "Frozen" watch party after their show runs.
She said she wants to make the character her own, but has followed Menzel’s career.
“I try to do my own thing, but I always knew she was a musical theater kid and I’ve followed her journey and think it’s cool that I get to bring it full circle," Marchand said.
HOW TO WATCH
Jericho High's "Frozen" opens Thursday and runs through Sunday, with two performances Saturday. Performances will be at 6:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, and 2 p.m. on Sunday.
Limited $12 tickets will be available at the door of the school's Little Theater, located at 99 Cedar Swamp Road in Jericho. Performances will also be livestreamed for $5 per ticket.