Susan Granger’s review of “Wicked/Frozen” (St. Luke’s Theatre off-Broadway)
With such an inventive title, I expected mocking, subversive satire and delicious amusement, like “Forbidden Broadway.” Instead, there’s only an earnest cast performing a sub-par parody of adolescent loneliness with inexplicably ardent energy and giddy enthusiasm.
Created by book/lyricist/choreographer Zoe Farmingdale and music/lyrics Toby Singer, it purports to be “the untold parody musical of some magic ice witch princesses and other stuff like that.”
It begins as miserable Adele Dazeem (Kathleen Armenti) and her Earth Sciences teacher Kristen Chenobell (Meagen Wells) find themselves trapped in a Boston classroom at Stephen Schwartz Elementary School during a freak snowstorm.
When the Drama Club meeting is cancelled, Adele sets off on her own redemptive journey through the magical land of Scandinorfindelle.
Once there, Adele becomes green-skinned Elsaba, whose ‘perfectly popular’ blonde sister is Glindanna (Lily Davis). There’s vapid, Nordic Prince Ikea (Will Jacobs), giving a gentle nudge to the Swedish furniture chain.
Plus two evil villainesses: Shitz University’s imperious Mistress Horrible (Bethany Nicole Taylor) and Cli-MAH-te Chan-JE (Allison Frasca), evoking the French pronunciation of the looming global warming crisis.
Adding to the confusion are a Funny Snowman (Jake McKenna), who yearns to melt, and Nessawheels (Vanessa Magula), a wheelchair-confined student who derides Adele.
Write Act Repertory Producing Artistic Director John Lant obviously finds pairing discordant vocals with the melody and beat of popular songs humorous. This concept originated as a 15-minute sketch at the 2014 West Village Musical Theatre Festival before it morphed into a 75-minute version at the People’s Improv Theatre..
Significantly, both “Wicked” and “Frozen” have female empowerment themes, as does this. But there are far too many people, pointlessly milling around on-stage, in this overly-long incarnation.
And if the name “Adele Dazeem” seems familiar, you may recall John Travolta’s concocting that name when he was assigned to introduce Idina Menzel singing “Let It Go” on the 2014 Academy Awards.
“Wicked/Frozen” is scheduled to play at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday evenings at St. Luke’s Theatre, 308 West 46th Street, through July 22.