The student performers at South Side Middle School didn’t just ask, “Do you want to build a snowman?” — they built an entire kingdom of Arendelle.
From Feb. 5–7, the school’s auditorium transformed into a winter fairytale as the drama club presented “Frozen Jr.”, the stage adaptation of Disney’s beloved Frozen. Complete with shimmering costumes, energetic choreography and plenty of icy magic, the production showcased weeks of rehearsal and collaboration among dozens of young performers and crew members.
The Feb. 5 cast featured Lily Teta as Young Anna, Olivia Hartmann as Middle Anna, and Ainsley Bedard and Sophia Turk sharing the role of Anna. Claire Dursi and Josie Luna portrayed Young and Middle Elsa, while Emma Lombardo and Abigail Mann alternated as the Snow Queen herself. Supporting characters brought humor and heart, including Nicholas Cuevas as Kristoff, Connor Callan as Sven, Ryan Schwartz as Hans and Teddy Toscano as Weselton. Sam Giangregorio and Leela Donlon shared the audience-favorite role of Olaf, earning laughs and applause throughout the evening.
Large ensemble groups filled the stage with movement and sound, from snow dancers to townspeople and the Fixer Upper chorus, highlighting the production’s school spirit.
While different performers rotated into roles across the three-day run, the message remained the same each night — friendship, courage and self-acceptance can melt even the coldest winter.
