Caroline Bowman performs as Elsa in the North American tour of the Broadway musical “Frozen.” The performance will be in Indianapolis from Nov. 16-26 at Old National Centre.
SUBMITTED PHOTO | MATTHEW MURPHY
She couldn’t let it go.
Caroline Bowman had related with Elsa, the complicated ice queen at the heart of Disney’s “Frozen.” She had performed in a number of Broadway hits, including “Wicked” and “Kinky Boots.” So when “Frozen” was adapted for the Great White Way, she was compelled to audition.
The show’s producers decided to go in another direction. But Bowman never lost hope of getting to step into such a relatable character.
“I wasn’t sure if it would be part of my journey. That happens a lot in this business; maybe they don’t see you in that moment. But then it came back around for the tour, and casting was asking me to come back in for it,” she said. “It just fit. The timing was right for it.”
Bowman got her chance. Since 2019, she has portrayed Elsa in Broadway Across America’s touring performance of “Frozen,” which arrives in Indianapolis this month for a string of shows Nov. 16 to 26 at Old National Centre in Indianapolis.
The show tells the familiar story of Elsa and Anna, Kristoff and Sven and Olaf the snowman as they try to break through icy magic and explore the meaning of true love. Featuring beloved songs such as “Let It Go” and “Love Is an Open Door” from the film, the show also includes 12 new musical numbers.
For Bowman, who has performed around the world in “Evita,” “Spamalot,” “Grease” and “Fame,” the experience has been as magical as the story.
“It’s really special. I’m never going to forget this time of my life. I know what it means to step on stage and be Elsa — I make her real to people. I bring her to life as a human being,” she said.
Bowman took some time prior to the show’s opening in Indianapolis to talk about Elsa, “Frozen” and the experience of bringing the performance to fans around the country. The interview has been lightly edited for brevity and clarity.
What led you towards theater in the first place?
“My mom. My mom is an actor, so instead of getting a babysitter, she used to take me to her community theater productions. I’d just sit and watch every night; I was so enthralled by her and so I started doing community theater with her. And I continued doing it — I took dance lessons, and voice lessons and choir. When I went to high school, I knew I wanted to go to college for musical theater.”
During that process, at what point did you decide you wanted this to be your profession?
“I was very lucky, because I grew up in Maryland and was pretty close to New York City. My mom would take me to Broadway shows; she loved going to them too, so we’d do that together. I watched those shows, and knew I wanted to do that.”
What led you to want to audition and be part of “Frozen”?
“When I saw the movie, I finally sort of related to a ‘Disney princess.’ I hadn’t really met a Disney princess that was mine yet; it was never in my radar. I grew up with Disney, but I never really fit the mold. Then I saw the movie and I was like, oh my gosh. There’s my complicated, high-singing princess who steps into power as a woman and owns who she is, who has this really compelling story about learning how to embrace what makes her different. I really kind of fell in love with Elsa. I knew I would love it, if it did become a stage production, to be a part of it.”
When you got the role, what was it like stepping into that character?
“What’s cool about bringing a cartoon to life, making it real, is that we honor what’s in the movie and what people love about the movie, but I have to make her human. It was neat for me to figure out how I relate to Elsa and what I bring to the character in real life. When we started the tour, the creative team was really interested in what this cast had to bring to the roles. They weren’t trying to recreate what they did on Broadway. They allowed us to explore these characters fresh.”
What has it been like bringing this show to cities all over North America?
“It’s wild to be playing this role that’s so iconic to very, very young people and older people as well. There are kids who have now grown up with this story, and it means so much to them still. And then there are kids who are still so enthralled by Elsa and Anna and their story. Our audiences across the country come to this show and are so ready to go on the ride with us. They know it, they say, ‘This is our story,’ and we get to tell it for them.”
IF YOU GO
“Frozen”
What: A musical based on the hit Disney film, featuring which includes 12 brand new songs written just for the Broadway show as well as seven songs from the film, including “Let It Go.”
When: Nov. 16-26
Where: Old National Centre, 502 N. New Jersey St., Indianapolis
Showtimes: 1 and 7:30 p.m. Nov. 16; 8 p.m. Nov. 17; 2 and 8 p.m. Nov. 18; 1 and 6:30 p.m. Nov. 19; 7:30 p.m. Nov. 20-22; 1 and 8 p.m. Nov. 24; 2 and 8 p.m. Nov. 25, and 1 p.m. Nov. 26.
Tickets and information: www.BroadwayInIndianapolis.com
