Stopped cold: ‘Frozen’ musical on Broadway not to reopen

The big budget musical ‘Frozen’ will not reopen when Broadway theatres restart, marking the first time an established show has been felled by the coronavirus pandemic.

The Disney show opened in March 2018 and placed among the top five Broadway productions for both gross and attendance over both years it ran, often pulling in over $1 million (Dh3.7 million), and even $2 million a week.

Until now, only shows that were waiting to officially open have announced postponements or cancellations. Disney still has the long-running ‘The Lion King’ and ‘Aladdin’ on Broadway and five productions of ‘Frozen’ worldwide.

Citing the ‘global pandemic,’ Thomas Schumacher, president and producer of Disney Theatrical Productions, said Thursday that running three Disney shows on Broadway was “untenable.”

Caissie Levy, who originated the role of Elsa on Broadway, tweeted that the news was a ‘heartbreak,’ adding “We will always be a family. Sending love to all the devoted fans of our beautiful show.”