McLaughlin says one of the major themes of the show is to remind us that romantic love is not the only love that’s important. “Sisterly love and family love are important as well,” she notes.
The musical features a score by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, with popular songs such as “Let It Go,” “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?,” and “For the First Time in Forever.” In addition to songs from the original Oscar-winning film, the Broadway version includes new numbers as well.
Don’t be surprised to see 18 trucks in the downtown Dayton streets. “We are a really big show and have 35 in the cast,” says McLaughlin.
Meet Sue McLaughlin
McLaughlin is the key dresser for Swen and Olaf. He travels with them and is responsible not only for dressing Swen, but also for maintaining and caring for both characters.
“Swen, the reindeer, is a very important part of the show and an important community member of Arendelle, the place where Elsa and Anna were born,” she explains. “He is a full-body puppet portrayed by one performer. It is physically challenging, so it’s shared by two actors. Olaf is a magical snowman who comes to life much to everyone’s surprise. He is portrayed by a performer with the puppet suspended in front of him so you can see the performer’s face.”
Much of the Swen puppet’s head, explains McLaughlin, is balanced off the performer’s head and shoulders, an arduous task. The performer can take a short break backstage with her help. She also helps Olaf enter and exit his puppet. “His hands are occupied operating the mouth of the puppet and the trigger that controls the arms, so he can’t get in and out of the puppet by himself.”
Every day, she could be working on a mechanical component inside her puppets. Or perhaps she is painting them to maintain their beauty. Three members of the wardrobe department, including a dresser, travel with the show. Dressers are hired in each city.
Costume career
McLaughlin’s fascinating career began when she was still in elementary school. “I grew up in New Hampshire and my mom was a 4-H leader who taught sewing,” she explains. “She taught me to sew. When I was 8, I can remember. I saw a dress on television I liked, and my mom said: ‘Let’s make one!’”
When she headed for college at Hofstra University in New York, she thought she’d like to be a performer. “I soon realized I had wardrobe skills. I liked working more than auditioning and became a valuable addition to the costume department there.”
She found her calling after moving to New York, where she worked as a dresser for a show. “I joined the union and ‘dressed’ at Lincoln Center,” she says. ” Lincoln Center was a great place to be because these were short-runs that had been critically acclaimed. Because they were funded, the shows had more freedom to be experimental. Working with people at the top of their craft in that environment was so exciting!”
She joined the Broadway Company of “The Lion King‘’ in 1998. “It was the first show that so extensively used puppetry and they weren’t sure at the beginning who would take care of the puppets,” she recalls. “Eventually it was decided that if the puppets were on the performer’s body, they would be the responsibility of the wardrobe department but if the puppets were carried the prop department would be in charge. So lots and lots of puppetry fell into the domain of our wardrobe department and I got to work with some of those puppets when I was dressing there.”
When “Lion King” first took to the road, McLaughlin was invited to travel with the puppet department. “That’s where I learned how to care for those beautiful puppets designed by Julie Taymor and Michael Curry, who also did the puppets for ‘Frozen.’”
Today she’s a puppet specialist who most enjoys the problem-solving part of the job. “They are so intricate and require a lot of attention,” she says. “Olaf and Sven are characters that audience members expect to see because they are in the film. Being able to bring them to life is magical to me!”
McLaughlin said that audiences can expect other magical moments as well. “There is a moment when Elsa finds her power and embraces it and there’s a big transformation for her,” she says. “You’ll see things freeze right in front of you!”
McLaughlin enjoys telling stories. “I love the magical elements of theater when we’re able to do something on stage that the audience didn’t expect,” she says. “And I love the responses, especially leaving the theater and seeing little kids.”
Many children dress up as princesses, and sometimes someone will show up in an Olaf, Sven or Krisstoff costume. Elsa and Anna are sometimes worn by both children and adults.
“This show seems to resonate with lots of people and lots of different ages,” McLaughlin said.
How To Go:
What: “Disney’s Frozen”
When: Thursday, May 4, through Sunday, may 14,
Where: Benjamin and Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center is located at 1 West Second St. in Dayton.
Tickets: Range in price from $26-$153 and are available at daytonlive.org/frozen and through the Ticket Office from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, call (937)228-3630.
Related programming
- The After-School Intensives will be held with local theater professionals and artists (and members of the company if possible) who will help participants learn music, dance and scenes from this musical. The sessions are for students ages 8-12 and will be held May 1-5 for students ages 8-12 (daytonlive.org/asi-frozen-1) and May 8-12 for students ages 12-18 (daytonlive.org/asi-frozen-2).
- Background on Broadway: Sixty minutes before each performance you’ll learn about the development, history, and artistry of the show. This free event is held in the Schuster Center’s 4th Floor Lobby. You must have a ticket to that day’s performance.
COSTUME FUN FACTS
- “The fabrics and trims in the costumes are sourced from 17 countries including India, Latvia, Ukraine, Sweden, France and the United States. Elsa’s ice dress takes one person 42 days to bead, with over 10,000 stones.
- There’s no real fur in the show. The fur on Kristoff’s costume is custom knitted. The production used nearly 30 different types of faux-fur.
- 154 costumes are on the stage at any given time. The costumes for swings and understudies are an additional 144.
- Young Anna is the star of the show with the fastest quick changes. It takes only eight seconds and requires three people to assist.
- The opening garlands contain 71 types of ribbons and 48 kinds of grasses and flowers.
- There’s a repeated motif of a snowflake in a heart repeated in costumes throughout the show. In addition to being a traditional Scandinavian motif, it reveals some of Anna’s story.
- Every single item of clothing onstage is custom made for the show with the exception of socks, a few pairs of shoes, and the men’s gloves.
- The Ensemble clothing is based on bunadThe folk costumes of Norway. The style and patterns of each region in Norway are unique. bunadMany of them were incorporated into Arendelle’s world.
- Kristoff and Olaf’s costumes are based on the traditional clothing of the Sami, the indigenous people of Scandinavia. Kristoff’s roots are firmly in this world as Sami culture revolves primarily around reindeer-herding.
- Research and fabric sourcing began the design process, based on the idea that costumes should function as clothes first.
- Elsa’s clothes are designed to follow her character’s journey. She starts out in stiff clothing, always wearing gloves and fully covered. This reflects the fear she has of her power, and how she isolates herself from those around her. As she grows more confident with her magic, she removes these constricting clothes and wears a dress that looks like it is growing from her skin. Curling ice patterns in the dress represent her newfound happiness. When the story takes a darker turn, Elsa’s ice motifs become sharper and jagged. As she gains independence and moves further from society’s expectations, she even puts on pants.
- Arendelle’s crest is the crocus. You’ll see this repeated on the set and in the costumes, even in details you may not see from the audience – it’s on Elsa’s shoes, the Guards belts, even on the King’s necklace.
- The show features many handcrafts that were common in the past, such as hand beading.
- The latest theatrical technologies are used in the production, including digital printing, 3D carbon fiber printing, and thermoplastics.
SOURCE: Publicity for “Frozen.”