TOWAMENCIN – Every child who has ever had a screen in front of them knows what Frozen is. The story of two sisters saving each other and those they care about with their love connects those just starting kindergarten and high school seniors about to start college. North Penn High School has been selected to share this story through its intended audience, children and teens, by giving students the rights to perform Frozen the Musical for the United States of Frozen competition. North Penn decided to not only allow high school students to participate but also give four young girls the opportunity to experience the magic of Frozen in real life. 

Twenty-five girls throughout the district auditioned on tape for the two roles first. While many of them had seen the movie Frozen, they never had the chance to perform in the musical. However, Inglewood student Bella Irey felt prepared for her audition because she had performed as Young Anna in a virtual production over quarantine. Wanting to try something new, Bella prepared to audition for Young Elsa instead. 

“When I heard about the audition, I was so excited. I now had the opportunity to perform this show on a real stage and improve my performance. I was nervous when I sent in the video audition because I didn’t know how good the other girls I was competing against would be. I was proud of myself for getting the callback and thrilled to re-audition!” Irey exclaimed. 

After the initial video audition, the directors selected eight girls to re-audition for the roles in person. The girls ran through the opening of the show, which takes place 10 years prior to Elsa’s coronation. Jocelyn Ly, a fifth grader at Inglewood elementary school, was uncertain if she would be cats due to a bust after-school schedule.

“My mom was on the fence about auditioning again because I do a lot of activities after school. Thankfully I did, and the callback was super fun! We got to play with the toys we use in Anna & Elsa’s song, ‘A Little Bit of You.’ I’m sure the directors loved what they saw in us because we are the girls left standing,” Ly answered. 

The directors decided to cast two girls for each role, giving each girl 4 performances. This allowed the girls to continue with their after-school activities and allowed them to watch one another perform. The girls’ families were called to inform them that their child was cast. Jana Bogdanoski, who will be playing Young Elsa, was elated to accept the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. 

“I was on a call with my cousin and my dad called me over. I thought I didn’t make it at first, and when he told me I got it, I was dancing and jumping around. I love Frozen so much, I watched the first movie 10 times and the second movie 20! There are not a lot of Disney movies that feature adolescent kids, so Frozen the Musical presents an opportunity that most young kids will never get to experience. I’m really grateful for the opportunity Mrs. Roney has given me,” Bogdanoski expressed.

Like any other performer, some of the girls are nervous to perform on stage. This is one of if not the first time each girl is performing on stage, so it is only natural that nerves build up. However, strict rehearsals and an immense amount of practice have prepared the girls for the performance. Brennan Weher, a fourth grader playing Young Anna, shares the anxiety and exhilaration performing has given her. 

“It’s hard to think about all the people who will watch me. It’s nerve-wracking to have my friends and family watch me because I know them. Even with the nerves, this process has been really fun and I’m excited to perform!” Wehr shared. 

Excitement and enthusiasm have been raving around the community since the North Penn was selected to perform Frozen the Musical. While in-person tickets are nearly sold out, North Penn is offering live-streamed performances on April 29th and May 6th at 7:30 PM. Tickets can be purchased at npenn.org/theatre. So much work has been done to ensure a fabulous translation from screen to stage, make sure you have the opportunity to see the magic brought to life!