ASU grad returns to Tempe to help audiences “let it go” on FROZEN tour

TEMPE, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) - In just a little over a week, the cold winds of Arendelle will be blowing into ASU Gammage, bringing with it the talented cast of FROZEN’s off-Broadway tour!

You’re likely familiar with the plot and music, and this show will bring all your favorites to the stage...this time with added musical numbers and more from film songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez. In fact, the creative team has won a total of 16 Tony awards among them. Tickets are still on sale for the show!

Ensemble member and Elsa understudy Caelan Creaser is returning to her alma mater and says performing at the Gammage will be a full-circle moment. She said she credits her professors, Carole Fitzpatrick and Brian DeMaris, and others at ASU for helping her reach this point. Creaser graduated from ASU with a Bachelor of Music in Musical Theatre and a minor in Communications. She also earned her Master of Science in Higher Education from Purdue University!

Creaser has been touring with the FROZEN cast since 2019, walking the rocky road many performers had to endure during the COVID-19 pandemic. “I taught Zoom masterclasses and Zoom voice lessons,” she said. “We were able to at least still work on our craft that way. I took a lot of Zoom dance classes in my living room. It was definitely hard and also a time for us to reflect and realize how grateful we are to be able to do this.”

Creaser said she recognizes how much her character’s anthem, “Let It Go,” means to so many audience members when it comes to bringing Elsa to life. “I know it resonates hugely in the LGBTQ community, I know it resonates with women finding this source of power of who they are and not being apologetic in the workplace, at school, or wherever it may be,” she said. Creaser said Elsa has also been a source of inspiration for her to fully embrace freedom and self-acceptance as a performer and individual as well.

FROZEN tells the tale of two sisters, bringing two dynamics, leading women to the forefront of the stage- something not often seen on Broadway. Creaser said it had been a delight to work with different Annas on tour. “It’s such a beautiful thing to feel supported by another woman in a leading role,” she said. “That sisterhood dynamic permeates throughout the entire cast. The women in the show are so strong and powerful, and we’re all very individualistic. They’re really like my family.”

Creaser said one of her favorite songs from the show was written for the on-stage production, “Dangerous to Dream.” “It’s so beautiful and gives us an inside glimpse at the pressure Elsa is dealing with and how badly she wants to be there for her people, her family, and her sister,” she said.

Creaser said she hopes audiences find the show totally immersive and engaging, regardless of whether or not they’ve seen the Disney film. “I hope young people who are maybe coming to the show for the first time feel like they can then go out into the world and fully embrace who they are,” she said. “That’s what’s really special about our show is that it shows all the different kinds of love you can have for people in your life.”

You can learn more about Creaser’s background and future plans and find her social media platforms here.