Frozen the Musical taking the stage in Coal City starting Friday

High up in the mountains, two young girls—one playful and often mischievous, the other gifted with magical powers she struggles to keep under control—join their parents in welcoming the arrival of summer.
Their carefree joy fills the town square as villagers celebrate the warmth of the season, unaware that a single spark of magic will soon change their world.
This opening moment sets the stage for Frozen, The Musical—a tale of sisterhood, courage, and the journey to embrace who we truly are.
The story will be told in the heart of the community, on the stage of the Coal City Performing Arts Center, as the Coal City Theatre Department presents Disney Frozen: The Broadway Musical during two weekends of performances.
The roots of Frozen are based on the Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale, “The Snow Queen.”
According to the Broadway musical's creative team, the idea of adapting the story had been long talked about by Disney. In 2011 the idea came to fruition and in November 2013, the animated movie was released in theaters and it received the Academy Award® for Best Animated Picture and Best Original Song.
That same year the team at Disney Theatrical Group began working on a stage adaptation. The musical is a three time Tony Award ® nominee for Best Musical Best Book of a Musical and Best Original Score.
The stage production was adapted into a junior and kids version, and the full length production being staged by Coal City was released for licensing by Music Theatre International in August 2025.
As soon as the licensing rights were released, Coal City Theatre Department secured a contract. The cast, crew and creative team are excited for the opportunity to present Frozen to local audiences.
In this tale, sisters Elsa and Anna are brought to life by Coal City High School senior Olivia Sage and sophomore Lexi Dearth. Their bond has grown on stage as they navigate the joys and challenges of bringing such a beloved and well-known story to life.
“Some days can be stressful, but in the end, it is always worth it,” Lexi said of the process that began in late January and is beginning to wrap up as the show opens to audiences this Friday.
Elsa and Anna’s younger selves are played by Coal City Middle School seventh grader Aubree Dearth—Lexi’s sister and Coal City Intermediate School fourth grader Ellie Blustein, who after attending countless performances and thinking, “I want to do that,” is getting a chance to make her mark on the stage.
Providing opportunities for students to learn, grow and express themselves through the arts is the cornerstone of the Coal City Theatre Department under the direction of Jack Micetich.
"The process of bringing a story from the page to the stage is, as Lexi said, stressful at times. Yet despite the late nights, early mornings, and weekends spent building sets, setting light cues, and finding just the right combination of fabrics for costumes, it’s all worth it in the end. Seeing the students grow—from the moment they step into the audition room to their final bow—is something I truly cherish,” Micetich said.
For a handful of the students, Frozen is a title that started their journey with the theatre department, as Micetich and members of his creative team presented the junior version of the musical in fall 2019. It’s a fitting bookend for the senior class as it was their first middle school performance. Taking the stage that fall and again this month are Olivia Sage, Bella Byers, Bridget Feeney, Leo McCants and Gianna Savarino.
In all, over 100 individuals are working on the show including 52 student cast members, a 12-person crew of high schoolers, and 11 student musicians performing in the pit orchestra.
Several of the actors have pointed out how amazing their fellow cast and crew members are.
“This has been such a fun process and we all aid each other in succeeding. This cast has been the most welcoming , and friendliest to the new people and to everyone in general,” said Charlotte Banks, who is performing in the ensemble for this production.
Comments like Charlotte’s exemplify what the director and his team strive for—teamwork, cooperation, and the development of bonds that not only strengthen the production on stage but also carry over beyond the performance space.
“For the majority of the cast and crew, this isn’t their first time working together. Through multiple productions, they’ve built deep respect for one another and forged friendships that will last long after they graduate. As a director, it makes me incredibly proud to watch our students form these lasting relationships,” Jack Micetich said.
Audiences will see these types of friendships reflected on stage as the story of Frozen unfolds, showcasing how bonds develop and grow throughout the musical.
Along with Elsa and Anna, audience members are sure to recognize Kristoff, hans, Wesleton, Sven and the Olaf—the snowman who loves “warm hugs.”
In this production, Olaf is being played by Coal City High School junior Theo Fritz. Taking the stage alongside him are Brody D’Orazio as Kristoff and freshman Max Christensen stepped in at the last minute to take over the role of Sven, Kristoff’s reindeer sidekick.
Martin Ramirez, a senior, is taking the stage as Hans, the 13th son of the king of the Southern Isles and junior Maxx Kramer is making his presence known as The Duke of Weselton. Jordan Olson appears as Pabbie, the mystical sharman of the Hidden Folk and Cora Armstong is Bulda, the spiritual matricarch of the Hidden Folk.
Julian Micetich and Bella Byers take on the roles of Elsa and Anna’s parents—King Agnarr and Queen Iduna. Mason Hamilton is living the hygge life as Oaken the shop keeper. Gavin Clubb serves as the bishop conducting the coronation of the new queen and Jett Johnson makes an appearance as Young Kristoff.
Rounding out the cast are—Bridget Feeney, Aubrey Grunwald, Leo McCants, Gianna Savarino, Jalea Vasquez, Evelyn Wills, Keaton Berta, Caroline Childers, Wyatt Chase, Ty Christopher, Alex Collins, Isabella Palacios, Anastasia Papach, Jack Steinhouse, Gabby Van Duyne, Charlotte Banks, Bella Bartholomew, Gianna Carver, Kyah Hawkins, Jolene Jones, Brady Pierson, Cora Bill, Payten Boy, Jaycee Chase, Penny D’Arcy, Olivia Ferrari, Tyson Harding, Jackson Hollis, Maddox Meents, Jonah Micetich, Aidan Morgan, Hailee Offdenkamp, Emma Sinkular, Katherine Veronda, Sylvia Leman, Beckett Pfeifer, and Kylie Wynn.
Frozen: The Musical opens Friday with a 7 p.m. performance in the Coal City Performing Arts Center at Coal City High School. Additional shows are scheduled for Saturday, March 14, Friday, March 20 and Saturday, March 21 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, March 15 and Sunday, March 22 at 2 p.m.
Reserved seat tickets for all ages are $10 per person and can be purchased in advance at bit.ly/CCTheatreDept. Any remaining seats will be available to purchase at the door—cash only—beginning one hour prior to each performance. Audience members are encouraged to arrive at least 10 minutes prior to the scheduled performance time.
“Come experience the magic of our production Frozen. It’s a heartfelt story brought to life by incredible students, and we’d love for the community to share in the joy they’ve created on stage,” the director said.