On May 14, Disney’s Frozen announced that it would not re-open at the St. James Theatre when Broadway returned following the pandemic, effectively making the production’s final performance March 11 (the eve of the New York State-mandated theatre shutdown).
Though the production’s tenure on the Main Stem was cut short, the musical, which opened March 22, 2018, played 26 previews and 825 regular performances, igniting the creativity of theatre fans worldwide in the process. It spurned fan art, Halloween costumes, YouTube covers, and more, all united by passion for the show and its message of love.
The show’s heart also reached New York City-based theatre photographers Michaelah Reynolds and Mati Ficara, who were inspired to find a way to honor the production in the wake of it's closing, giving it a way to say goodbye in lieu of final curtain call. Working with members of the company, the duo created a "Frozen Yearbook," providing a space for the performers to reflect on their experience in the show and, for those in proximity to theatre district, to say goodbye to the St. James Theatre one last time.
“Michaelah and I really wanted Frozen to have a proper send off,” Ficara explained. “We had heard so much about how the whole cast was like family, and it inspired us to start a project that would incorporate our skills as photographers. In an entirely different conversation, we were talking about school yearbooks, which was a total lightbulb moment for both of us. It was a perfect way to include everyone and make something special. We wanted to bring just a little bit of light into these times, especially for a cast that brought so much light to Broadway.”
