Leaning into Elsa's struggle: Caissie Levy faces the pressure in Frozen on Broadway
Hamilton, Ont.-raised performer earning kudos in starring role on Broadway
Frozen, Disney's fairy tale about a powerful queen and her devoted sister, remains a pop culture powerhouse nearly five years after first hitting movie theatres. Even if you've never seen it, you undoubtedly know Let It Go, the animated blockbuster's ubiquitous song.
Faced with the immense pressure that comes with bringing a beloved animated character to life, Canadian actor Caissie Levy is earning raves for her turn as Queen Elsa in a new adaptation of the film currently running at Broadway's St. James Theatre.
The Hamilton, Ont.-raised performer is no stranger to the stage, having built up her Broadway resume over the past decade with roles in Les Misérables, Wicked, Hair, Rent and Hairspray.
Let It Go is so well-known and Elsa is so well-loved. I thought, 'Oh god, can I do this?'- Caissie Levy
Still, it's understandable that she mentioned feeling both "thrilled and overwhelmed" upon learning she'd landed the coveted snow queen role in the brand new musical.
"Frozen is so famous and Let It Go is so well-known and Elsa is so well-loved. I thought, 'Oh god, can I do this? Can I be this person that everybody wants me to be?'" she told CBC News.
Levy said she realized pretty quickly that Elsa's entire struggle as a character is around battling those same demons and "embracing all the parts of herself."
"Leaning into that aspect of the character, ever since being cast in the role, I've been able to tap into that and it's helped enrich the whole experience for me."
When Caissie met Idina
Released in cinemas in November 2013, Frozen is the highest-grossing animated film of all time (earning more than $1.27 billion US worldwide). Years later, Elsa and Anna are still unavoidable when it comes to kids' toys and merchandise.
Music was a big part of the movie's magic — the Frozen soundtrack was 2014's top-selling album on iTunes.
Actor-singer Idina Menzel's achievements were already legendary among Broadway fans, but there's no doubt Menzel is now best known as the original voice of Frozen's young monarch.
Menzel's powerhouse vocals have been emulated by fans everywhere as they belted out Elsa's anthem at singalongs or karaoke bars (sorry, Demi Lovato).
After being cast in Frozen, Levy bumped into Menzel while attending another Broadway show. Levy said the woman who brought Elsa to millions of viewers around the world shared words of support.
"She was so lovely and so gracious about the whole thing [and] wished me well," she recalled.
The play — which digs a little deeper into the characters through about a dozen new tunes penned by original songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez — is a timely addition on Broadway, Levy said, given the entertainment world's renewed focus on stories about women.
Levy said stories are too often about women being in competition with each other, and maybe finding their way to friendship by the end.
"What I love about Frozen is that it's about these girls — from the jump — only wanting to be together, only wanting to connect and only wanting to support each other," the play's star said.
"That's a message that everyone needs to hear: young and old, male and female. I think that it's resonating at this moment in time for a reason."
