While Olaf is a externalized puppet paired with the actor’s body, Sven isn’t meant to show any sense of human form. So for Baja and Strand, they have to squeeze into a truly impressive puppet, contort their bodies for the whole show and never betray that there’s a human underneath. Between the two of them they do eight shows a week at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre.

Baja, who graduated from Juilliard, has appeared on Broadway in Hello, Dolly!, Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark and most recently in Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus. Rather ironically, he made his Broadway debut playing the horse in Equus opposite Daniel Radcliffe. We spoke by phone just before the holidays about the challenges of portraying Sven, the physical toll it takes on his body and the complete lack of ego required to play the part.

You have a BFA from Juilliard. Did you think when you graduated you’d be inside a character like Sven?

To be perfectly honest I had no idea what to expect after graduation. But no, I did not think I would end up in some miraculous beautiful dream role. But I’m grateful because Juilliard was so intense it prepared me for anything.

In addition to acting you coach people and help guide them to what they truly want. How does Sven play a part in what you really want for your life and career?

That’s a beautiful question. I have a BFA in dance. Performing has always been an element of my life since I was two years old. My personal definition of happiness, which is all I can control, is making sure I’m still performing in some way shape or form.

Sven came into my world at a perfect time. I was divorced, I was doing other Broadway gigs and the opportunity to come in for Sven was miraculous because I said “no” to tours before. This aligned with needing to escape New York for a while and another new way to expand myself. Sven is the most physically demanding role I’ve ever done. I was ready for the challenge.

What are those physical challenges and what do you have to do pre- and post-performance so that your body won’t fail you?

All summer leading up I had to work up to 8-minute planks. Michael Curry created this beautiful puppet. Once you get in it all of your weight is forward from your shoulders down to your arms. If you have weight in your feet it cheats the illusion – it takes away the image of a natural reindeer. 

I immediately come off stage and grab a shoulder ice pack and tree sleeves you put on from shoulder to wrist. I put on the ice packs for twenty minutes. I’m cooling down and stretching. I have physical therapy, massage, acupuncture and more. Massages used to be this luxury every now and then. Now it’s just practical. It’s more necessity than luxury.

How does your dance training impact the work you do?

I don’t want to speak out of turn for anyone, but they discovered they actually needed dancers to play Sven or those with extensive dance training. There’s a different physicality and awareness of self. My dance training comes in, especially Juilliard, because that work was so glorious, but the work allowed for being trapped in a super hard role which required a certain mentality and I’ve been put through the ringer before in other parts of my dance career. The epic core strength and the grace and physicality dancers bring to the role has been crucial to make him fun, but also a more naturalistic reindeer.

Sven maintains an incredible personality throughout the show. How much of the Sven I saw on opening night is a reflection of you and your personality?

There are certain limitations that, not only the puppet has, but the direction and the way Michael Curry and [director] Michael Grandage wanted to go. There are parameters and making sure it stays natural. In the movie Sven is very comedic. I’m in real life a very jovial, touchy, fun person. I try to bring as much as I could to the mix. Evan and I do create our own versions of Sven. We do it very differently. There’s probably 75% that we found works best to maintain that Disney magic. The other 25% they’ve allowed us to incorporate different choices.

Part of maintaining that Disney magic is that you are not seen in your human form at all. Not even the curtain call. Most actors want to be seen and recognized for the work they do.

That’s exactly what excites me about this. It’s not about you. It’s not about showcasing your look or trying to get acclaim and credit. Inside the show there’s no potential for ego. You are focused on bringing this puppet to life and the magic and story and it’s not a part of you. I get to honor this creation and also make a bunch of choices in a whole new way. There’s no dialogue. No singing. It’s making everything come across to the back row in the physical moments. Those are great opportunities not to focus on Collin Baja the actor.

Does embodying this puppet allow you to do things you might not otherwise do as an actor?

I put on this elaborate and beautiful costume and being in control and not being seen as an actor allows me to be more free. It allows me to be more committed to exploring different choices. It allows me to be less trapped in my head and to be even more aware of my surroundings and the choices by other actors. The puppet takes away the inner voices that keep you self-involved or critical. It’s just bigger than you. 

Note: In the clip from this year’s Rose Parade, Evan Strand played the part of “Sven.” I felt it was important for you to see the physicality involved with the work he and Baja do in Frozen.

Main photo of Mason Reeves (Kristoff) and Collin Baja (Sven) in the North American tour of Frozen (Photo by Deen van Meer)/Photos courtesy of Disney Theatrical Productions and the Hollywood Pantages Theatre

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The musical is, of course, inspired by the Academy Award-winning film that gave us the song Let It Go. The film did not have enough songs to fill out a full stage musical, so songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez have added a dozen new ones. Michael Grandage, the director of Red and the revival of Evita, directed Disney’s Frozen. Jennifer Lee wrote the book and Rob Ashford is the choreographer.

Starring as sisters Elsa and Anna are Caroline Bowman and Caroline Innerbichler. Olaf is played by F. Michael Haynie; Mason Reeves portrays Kristoff; Austin Colby plays Hans and Collin Baja and Evan Strand alternate in the role of Sven. There is puppetry involved in the roles of Olaf and Sven with the realization of Sven being most impressive.

One key challenge of bringing a film like Frozen to the stage is how do you create the vast expanse of the world of the film on stage. The other key challenge is adding songs that have the magic of, not just Let It Go, but also songs like Do You Want to Build a Snowman?

Given the tremendous success Disney Theatrical has had on Broadway both in terms of box office and awards, it was rather surprising that Frozen received only three Tony Award nominations without winning any. Fans, however, are flocking to the show. Disney’s Frozen continues to run at the St. James Theatre in New York.

Disney’s Frozen runs approximately 2-1/2 hours which includes the intermission.

For tickets go here.

Photo: Caroline Bowman and Caroline Innerbichler in “Disney’s Frozen”/ Photo by Deen van Meer courtesy of Disney Theatrical Productions

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Overseeing the production is producer Dana Harrel, Creative Entertainment Executive with Walt Disney Imagineering. She comes to Disney after having worked at the La Jolla Playhouse, where she helped develop Xanadu – The Musical and The 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. “We are missing some of the things from the film,” Harrell says, “but at the same time, we wanted to make sure we had all the excitement. When we brought in the director (Liesl Tommy), she described this as a theatrical ride.”

A live show of the beloved classic Aladdin ran for 13 years in the same theatre, but Harrell believes Frozen will keep the same magic alive (despite some controversy that Disney is doing away with its vintage history to make way for newer properties). “The safest decision is to keep Aladdin running,” she says. “The more exciting decision is to keep bringing new and exciting things to our audiences. We wanted to make sure Aladdin went out on a high and that what we brought in was equally enchanting and amazing and be a family piece. Frozen did that.”

And while the Broadway run and the in-park run are sure to overlap, Harrell points out that the two are suited to their mediums. “These shows have to run 3-5 times a day, 7 days a week,” she says of the California Adventure production. “We have 126 actors with 24 on stage. We are putting everything into six Elsas and six Annas. For the Broadway production, they are going the theatrical route: blood, sweat, and tears with one cast.”

Some shows at the parks are set up as sing-along events, but Frozen isn’t one of them. Even so, the cast has been told to expect more audience participation than usual. “They are all ready for it,” Harrel says. “There’s nothing like 1,800 people singing with you at once. We’ve tried to prep them. They’ll have to live through it; especially with little girls and ‘Let It Go.’ It’s a unique experience and unlike anything we’ve done. Come with open eyes and a full heart. It’s going to be fun.”

All photos courtesy of Disney

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