Frozen musical will not reopen on Broadway once restrictions lift, Disney confirms

Disney musical Frozen will not reopen on Broadway once restrictions are lifted, producers have confirmed.

In a statement, given to the Hollywood Reporter, the company said running three shows on Broadway had become "untenable".

Disney Theatrical Productions president Thomas Schumacher said: "In the summer of 2013 when Frozen began its road to Broadway two things were unimaginable: that we’d soon have five productions worldwide, and a global pandemic would so alter the world economy that running three Disney shows on Broadway would become untenable. The extraordinary contributions of Broadway’s original company plus those who have joined more recently cannot be overstated. Frozen, like all shows, is wholly dependent on those who create and perform them but this was an uncommonly close and talented group and they’ll be missed."

Frozen, directed by Michael Grandage, opened on Broadway in March 2018 and played its last performance on March 11, 2020 and news that it will not be returning has been seen as an indicator of what else is to come as the industry continues to face the difficulties posed by the crisis. A London production is scheduled to open later this year.

Responding to the news, the Actors’ Equity Association said it should "be an all hands on deck moment for Governor Cuomo, Mayor De Blasio and Congress".

Mary McColl, executive director of Actors’ Equity Association, said: “The arts and entertainment sector drives the economy of New York, just like it does in cities and towns across the country. Decisions made in the days and weeks ahead will shape the future of the arts sector for years to come. Public officials at all levels must think much more boldly about supporting the arts or our entire economy will be slower to recover.”

Disney’s Frozen is the third Broadway show to announce it is permanently closing during the Coronavirus pandemic, following Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and Hangmen, which were in previews.