Disney’s “Frozen” has been a worldwide phenomenon since the first film premiered in 2013 – bringing in more than a billion dollars around the world, earning two Academy Awards and turning the likes of Elsa, Anna and Olaf into household names.
The popularity of these characters only grew as Disney released a sequel that grossed even more money, several animated shorts and a Broadway musical that earned three Tony Award nominations.
After Broadway went dark because of the pandemic, Disney announced that the musical “Frozen” would not reopen on Broadway once shows started to come back but that instead, the touring company would return, which it did this past fall.
Now “Frozen” is making its way to Florida with stops at the Dr. Phillips Center in Orlando Feb. 24-March 6 and at the Straz Center in Tampa March 23-April 3.
F. Michael Haynie (they/them), the actor playing Olaf in the touring production, has been with the company since its beginning. They have not only been bringing Olaf to life each night with their acting and singing talent, but also with their puppetry skill as they control a huge Olaf puppet around the stage quipping with Elsa, Anna and Kristoff and bringing the animated icon to life to the awe of audiences across the country.
Watermark had a chance to speak with Haynie ahead of their stop in Orlando about what it’s like taking on the lovable, larger-than-life snowman and how it has been to get back on stages since the pandemic started.
WATERMARK: You are Olaf in the Broadway tour of “Frozen,” which is coming to Florida starting at the end of this month. Can audiences expect the story to be the same as in the film or were there changes made when it was being brought to the stage?
F. MICHAEL HAYNIE: A lot of people forget that in some ways, even though Disney has created so many amazing theatrical performances, that in many ways these are adaptations just like any other musical adaptation of a novel or another movie. So yes there are things you will recognize from the film, like obviously “Let It Go,” but what will be new I think is not only seeing these characters personified by actors in the flesh but also the caliber of performers we have brought into the show. I feel very, very fortunate to act alongside this spectacular company.
There are huge sections of the score that were written for this big Broadway show and there is big Broadway choreography, there are incredible scene changes and scenic elements but also fantastic acting. “Let It Go” even comes at a different point in the plot. There are all these things that happen in little different ways as you follow these characters in real flesh and blood. So with the score being filled out and these beautiful costumes and sets, it is still the story of the movie but think of it more as a film adaptation instead of someone pushing play on Disney+.
Did you feel any pressure going into the role of Olaf to include aspects of the character Josh Gad created or did you make a conscious effort to separate your Olaf from his?
I thank Josh for creating this part in the same way I thank the writers. The things Josh is able to do with his voice, the way he is able to create this bonkers character, I will always be in the shadow of that and not in a negative way. It’s an honor to play a character that has become so iconic from an actor that I have a lot of respect for.
He came and saw the show and we talked afterwards, and he was talking to me about how he never had to do this on stage and how in awe he was and what a different experience that is. I think I take a lot of inspiration from Josh and the character he created because it really is a brainchild between him and Jen Lee, who wrote the book.
I also have to give a huge nod to Greg Hildreth, who originated the part on Broadway, he’s one of those actors in New York that I respect more than most actors I’ve ever met. When I got the call from my agent that they wanted to see me for the national tour of “Frozen” I thought “Oh, they’re not gonna want me. There’s just no way.” I don’t think I can do what Greg does and I don’t think I can do what Josh did, and while I get to do those things now it was a huge vote of confidence from the creative team to let me be me in this character. They were open to all of the principle and the ensemble of this show creating versions that were different from the film, that were different from the incredible Broadway cast, that were these new versions of these characters.
What do you love most about playing Olaf?
The best thing about being Olaf for me is I get to be born from Elsa and Anna every time, and I know that sounds weird but they both conjure Olaf together. In the show they say that Olaf is a little bit of Anna and a little bit of Elsa, and I get to do that on stage with Caroline [Bowman, who plays Elsa] and Caroline [Innerbichler, who plays Anna], they are family to me and getting to create that is amazing.
I’m so proud of the very unique, very strange and weird Olaf that I get to bring out every night. I’m exhausted every time because I leave everything on the stage every night. I get to watch Olaf, almost like a parent, because I am right behind him. No one ever looks me in the eyes, they always interact with Olaf. So it’s this really cerebral, very strange experience.
As Olaf, you are maneuvering a huge puppet on stage. Did you have any experience with puppetry before joining “Frozen” and how long did it take for you to become comfortable maneuvering Olaf?
To answer the second part of your question first, I’ve been doing the show since 2019 and I still have to work on being comfortable. (Laughs.) Puppetry is one of the most simple arts when you break it down, it’s about saying there is a thing that is not alive and I’m going to move it in a way that convinces you that this thing is alive, but it is something that you have to work on every single day.
My experience with puppetry before this was as a huge fan. I grew up watching everything Jim Henson did and everything he touched fascinated me. I loved “The Dark Crystal” and I think my whole existence stems from seeing “Labyrinth” when I was young. I remember thinking this is the coolest and weirdest thing in the world. Watching things like “Fraggle Rock” and the “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” movie from when I was a kid. Puppetry is better, and I say this as a huge “Star Wars” fan, than CGI. There is something about having the thing practically there, it’s not about how it looks because sometimes it looks fake, but watching the actors react to something that is there is a beautiful part of the artform.
I have a good chunk of the responsibility for bringing Olaf to life, but when you watch Mason Reeves, who is our remarkable Kristoff, react to Olaf’s side eye or you watch him react to a genuine moment from Olaf, Nathan helps bring Olaf to life. Caroline and Caroline help bring Olaf to life and I think that’s the part of puppetry that I love, it’s a community build.
What has it been like for you seeing how the kids respond to this character that they previously have only ever seen in animation on film?
I get entrance applause sometimes and at first I was like “Oh hey, have they heard of me?” (Laughs.) But this is a character that they know and they love. It’s not one of my favorite things but sometimes kids will call out to Olaf because they can’t even believe what they are seeing.
We’re not able to interact at the stage door anymore until it is a safer and better time for all, but before the pandemic every now and then I would talk with a kid and they would ask who I played and I would tell them Olaf. They would be like “No, you’re not Olaf, Olaf is a puppet.” I think I am very much Olaf, the actor who operates him and brings him to life, but also that’s just Olaf right there on stage. This is probably the first Broadway show ever for a lot of the younger kids, so we have to understand that we have a huge responsibility to bring this show to life for them.
How has it been getting back into the swing on things now that “Frozen” is back on the road touring after the pandemic hiatus?
While we were away, my company — and I can’t speak for other companies because each one is its own personal thing — but ours stayed in contact. We had many assurances that we would be coming back which is not a privilege that every show had. We felt that we had a chance to come back so I actually ran a Zoom for my company every Sunday from the first Sunday we had off in March 2020 until the weekend before I drove to Buffalo to start 2.0. We called it the Hookah Happy Hour and it was a way for us to get together and talk and be there for each other. In our company, we had people have babies and get engaged, all these things because we’ve been a company since 2019. There are so many things that happened over the pandemic so returning I think we understood we had the charge of being one of the shows that was going to help bring theater back, especially on the road.
I’m hoping that our show will have moments to be able to lead by example but also that our show will be able to learn from other companies and we’ll be able to recognize the moments of privilege that a show like “Frozen” has being a huge IP that can sell. I want everyone who’s reading this to come see “Frozen,” absolutely come see the show, but also go see community theater shows, support local art.
“Frozen” opens at the Dr. Phillips Center in Orlando Feb. 24-March 6 and at the Straz Performing Arts Center in Tampa March 23-April 3. For tickets, go to FrozenTheMusical.com.
