Character guide
Elsa
from Frozen
Elsa is the ice powered Queen of Arendelle in Frozen, the 2018 Disney musical by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez.
- Show
- Frozen
- Broadway premiere
- 2018
- Role
- Lead
- Music by
- Anderson-Lopez & Lopez
Elsa: from the film to Broadway
Broadway compared with the 2013 Disney film
On stage, Elsa gets songs the film never gave her. Idina Menzel voiced Elsa in the 2013 Disney film, which has only a handful of songs; for Broadway, Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez expanded the score to about two dozen numbers, writing Dangerous to Dream, sung on her coronation day, and Monster, an Act Two number she shares with Hans and the men of Arendelle.
Caissie Levy originated Elsa on Broadway in March 2018. Let It Go remains the Act One finale, staged with an onstage costume transformation.
Who is Elsa?
Elsa is born with the power to create ice and snow, an ability she cannot fully control and that leads her to accidentally injure her younger sister Anna as a child. Raised in isolation to hide and suppress her powers, Elsa grows into a guarded, fearful young woman who finally loses control publicly on the day of her coronation.
Her decision to flee into the mountains and embrace her powers alone, rather than face her fear of hurting others, drives the central conflict of the show. Elsa's arc is ultimately about learning that connection, not isolation, is what allows her to master her gift.
Elsa's role in Frozen
Elsa is a lead role demanding a powerful, controlled belt voice, most famously on "Let It Go," the show's signature anthem of self acceptance, staged with an elaborate onstage costume transformation. The role also requires the range to portray Elsa's fear and restraint in quieter earlier numbers before that release.
Caissie Levy originated the role on Broadway, earning acclaim for both her vocal power and the emotional restraint she brought to Elsa's early scenes. Audiences remember Elsa for "Let It Go" becoming a cultural phenomenon in its own right, well beyond the show itself.
Elsa: frequently asked questions
What show is Elsa from?
Elsa is a lead character in Frozen, which opened on Broadway in 2018.
Is Elsa a lead or supporting role?
Elsa is a lead role as the Queen of Arendelle.
Who wrote the music for Frozen?
Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez composed the music and lyrics for Frozen.
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