READY, Sydney? 11 things you need to know about Frozen the Musical.

A wise snowman from the movie Frozen once said: "Hi, I'm Olaf and I Like Warm Hugs."

I feel you, Olaf. I too like warm hugs. And this year has been severely lacking in them (air hugs via Zoom won't keep you warm at night).

Until now. No, don't go wearing a 'FREE HUGS' sign in the street, because that’s not socially responsible. We're talking about enveloping ourselves in the metaphorical warm embrace of Disney's Frozen the Musical.

There are lots of reasons to go and see Frozen as it debuts in Australia at Sydney's Capitol Theatre, this December. Most of them don't involve the need to have a child in tow – this is a BIG. NIGHT. OUT. And we've been lacking those this year, too, haven't we?

I present my case in 11 points:

1. *JAZZ HANDS* BROOOAADDWAAAY.

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It's a hit Broadway musical right here in Australia. At a time when Broadway in New York is closed until mid next year, we couldn't be luckier to have such an experience right here on our shores. From the same producers as Aladdin, The Lion King and Mary Poppins, Disney's Frozen the Musical has all the hallmarks of an 'event' show: lavish costumes and sets, eye-popping special effects, and soaring vocals from musical powerhouses (more on that in point 4).

2. It's a feminist masterpiece with powerful female leads.

Prince Charming - who dat? Image: Disney.

It's a fairy tale that smashes the rules of what a fairy tale can be. Princess Elsa and Anna are independent women, not damsels in distress. They're not defined by their relationships to men – it's their sisterhood that powers the storyline and the fight to save the Scandi-inspired kingdom of Arendelle from falling into the wrong hands (or wrong Hans, if you know the story).

Not just that, though. The show has a message that everyone can take something from: be yourself and learn to love what's unique about you. I'm not crying, you are.

3. There's SNOW.

It's the closest you'll get to the fairy tale 'white Christmas' of Europe and the US (without those 'snow days' where cars are completely snowed in and people can't do anything). Yes, in the height of the Aussie summer, you'll get to see snow inside the Capitol Theatre.

4. Three words: Aussie. Theatre. Royalty.

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You don't have to be a musical theatre buff to know these faces, but once you hear their voices… well, let's just say there's no 'letting it go'. Jemma Rix plays ice queen Elsa, but she's previously starred as Elphaba in Wicked across Australia, New Zealand and Asia, as well as lead roles in Ghost, the Musical, and The Wizard of Oz (for which she was nominated for a Helpmann Award). Courtney Monsma plays her sister Anna, following her star turn in SIX The Musical at the Sydney Opera House earlier in 2020. She's also performed as part of the Australian tours of Disney's Aladdin and MAMMA MIA!

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One more face you'll recognise: actor/dancer/singer Matt Lee, who won a Helpmann Award for playing Bert in Mary Poppins in Australia, New Zealand and the UK. You also know him as a judge from TV's So You Think You Dance Australia… and we have it on good authority that the guy can DANCE.

He plays Olaf, our beloved snowman.

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5. Girrrrl, would you look at those costumes?

Trackpants chic has been a big mood this year, but not in Arendelle. Janet Hine, costume and wig design associate on Frozen the Musical, reveals in this video that Elsa's famous ice dress is made completely by hand with crystals and beading so the iconic reveal is, well, ICONIC.

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And in another scene, Anna wears three wigs on top of each other because of how quick the changes need to be. RESPECT.

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6. There are Frozen desserts… by Reynold from MasterChef.

We shan't be cool, calm and collected about this. It's Reynold Poernomo, MasterChef's creator of dream desserts. He and brother Ronald have crafted one-of-a-kind Frozen-inspired desserts you can get at their KOI Dessert Bar, just 10 minutes' walk from the Capitol Theatre. One of them is the 'Eternal Winter' cake, featuring raspberry, vanilla, chocolate brownie and strawberry marshmallow.

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Over at Darling Square, a two-minute walk from the theatre, there are EVEN MORE Frozen inspired dishes and cocktails from Auvers Café, IIKO Mazesoba, Kusuka Café and DOPA. I mean, would you look at this?

The Snow Queen cocktail from Auvers Cafe; the genius Frozen Storm at DOPA. Images: Auvers/DOPA 

7. The ticket prices are reasonable.

Tickets start from just $49.50 (plus a Ticketmaster handling fee). And if you're flexible with your dates, you'll find better seats and the best pricing for mid-week shows because the weekends and matinees are selling fast. You can actually save up to $40 per ticket on a mid-week ticket versus a weekend one – but that's just between us.

Taking your besties? There's a ME+3 deal especially for groups, with discounts up to $77 for some performances. Check it out here... but once again, that's just between us.

8. You won't just be singing 'Let It Go' afterwards.

'Let It Go' is the power ballad you'll be belting in the shower before AND after the show, but the writers behind that Oscar-winning masterpiece, married songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez wrote 12 new songs just for the musical. But yes, I still have a soft spot for 'Do You Want To Build a Snowman?' because of old mate Olaf.

9. A few random people you might know like it.

Oh, just Hillary Clinton, Chrissy Teigen and Channing Tatum. They've all been spotted having a jolly ol' time at the Broadway production. It's impressed theatre critics too – The New York Times wrote: "Disney has set the bar for Broadway blockbusters."

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10. The stressy stuff is taken care of.

There's a stress-free flexible ticket exchange program in case of changed government restrictions, changing schedules or if you're just feeling unwell and need to sit it out (or get a COVID test). If you need to swap your chosen performance date for any reason, just email customer.service@ticketmaster.com.au and they'll swap your date free of charge to a new performance. Refunds are available if you need to cancel because of Covid-related reasons and can't find an alternative date.

11. WE'VE MISSED THIS.

This is going to sound heaps cliched, but something magical really does happen when you're in a theatre with other people. You get to have an experience where you escape together into another world, and feel the sheer energy and thrills of watching a larger-than-life fantasy unfold right before your eyes. Now that we can go have these experiences again, we'll value them even more than ever.

Ready for that warm hug when you are, Frozen the Musical.

Tickets for Frozen the Musical are on sale now.

Feature image: Disney Theatrical Productions.