Three Asian American company members of the North American Tour of Disney's Frozen perform "The Girl of My Dreams" in celebration of AAPI Heritage Month. The filmed performance of the song from Julia Riew, creator of TikTok viral “Schimcheong” and recent graduate of Harvard University, features Marina Kondo singing, with piano accompaniment by Jenna Mee Dosch and an accompanying dance performance by Nika Lindsay.
In a statement about the performance, the artists said, "In times like these where violence and hate feel like it could cloud our hearts, it became clear to us how vital it is to show love to our community. We wanted this heritage month to be a reminder that we have a powerful voice, and we do so by bringing hope and joy, and in our case, through our art. It was extremely liberating for us to be able to express our own identity through every stage of this project all the way from choosing song-writer Julia Riew, to finding the perfect recording sound producer, Kenji Ulmer. Hand-picking artists at the top of their craft, and creating opportunities to work with each other’s expertise, was the utmost privilege.”
As part of the tour's ensemble, Lindsay spoke about finding inspiration in a statement about the performance "To be Asian is to be beautiful, strong, and inspiring," she said. "My magical AAPI friends and family are my inspiration. They have been a guiding light on my journey of embracing and celebrating my identity of being South Asian."
Dosch shared in her own statement, "Being an Asian American woman comes with a great deal of vulnerability. I am vulnerable, but I am also powerful, brave, and beautiful. I am grateful for my community of AAPI sisters and brothers, we all rise while lifting each other. I am proud to be an Asian American woman, and creating with other Asian American women has brought me exceptional joy."
Kondo currently plays Queen Iduna, and serves as an understudy for Anna, on the tour. In her statement, Kondo said, "Representation of the full range of our Asian American experience is vital to our community. It manifests a liberated image of who we can become when we break the barriers society has imposed upon us. True and compassionate representation gives us the permission we deserve to dream. This belongs to everyone."
Kondo has previously been seen Off-Broadway as Mwe in Ars Nova's KPOP, Charity in The Public's Made in America, and in the ensemble for New York City Center's Road Show.
Dosch and Kondo produced the video, with Kondo also serving as project manager and Carrington Spires as videographer.
Based on the 2013 animated Disney film, Frozen features music and lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez and a book by Jennifer Lee. The musical opened on Broadway in March 2018, earning Tony Award nominations for Best Musical, Best Book, and Best Original Score.
Frozen is directed by Michael Grandage, with choreography by Rob Ashford, scenic and costume design by Christopher Oram, lighting design by Natasha Katz, sound design by Peter Hylenski, video design by Finn Ross, puppet design by Michael Curry, hair design by David Brian Brown, makeup design by Anne Ford-Coates, special effects design by Jeremy Chernick, and casting by The Telsey Office's Rachel Hoffman and Laura Wade.
Stephen Oremus is music supervisor and creates vocal, incidental, and dance arrangements. He is joined on the music team by orchestrator Dave Metzger, executive music producer Chris Montan, additional dance arranger David Chase, and music director Faith Seetoo.
For the current touring itinerary, click here.
