Frozen fans can now relive the magic of the West End musical, starring Samantha Barks
The Masked Singer winner Samantha Barks’ “must-see” film is now available to stream.
Samantha famously clinched the title in the sixth series of the popular ITV singing contest in February, with Gregory Porter and Marti Pellow coming in second and third place, respectively.
Concealed behind the memorable Pufferfish mask, Samantha delivered a variety of pop and musical theatre classics.
Viewers will recall her captivating performance of Chappell Roan’s Good Luck, Babe, Teddy Swims’ Lose Control, and Don’t Rain on My Parade from Funny Girl.
In the grand finale, Samantha performed a breathtaking duet with McFly’s Danny Jones, belting out Total Eclipse of the Heart by Bonnie Tyler, reports Surrey Live.
Samantha first shot to fame in 2008 as one of the finalists in I’d Do Anything – the BBC talent hunt for a fresh face to play Nancy in the West End revival of Oliver!
Since then, she has graced the stage in several hit musicals, including Cabaret, Chicago, and Pretty Woman.
After portraying Éponine in Les Misérables on the West End, producer Cameron Mackintosh selected Samantha to reprise the role in the 25th Anniversary Concert of the show, and in the 2012 musical film.
Her rendition of On My Own remains one of the most celebrated performances to date, even making it onto the Billboard Hot 100 upon its release.
Most recently, she played Elsa in the West End production of Frozen, which ran from August 2021 to September 2024.
Frozen enthusiasts can now experience the enchantment all over again as the stage production, captured at the stunning Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London, is available to stream.
The acclaimed Broadway and West End musical, which draws inspiration from Disney’s hit film, was recorded early last year and made its debut on Disney+ today (Friday, June 20).
Samantha takes on the role of the enchanting Queen Elsa, with Laura Dawkes portraying her lively younger sister Anna.
Completing the principal line-up are Jammy Kasongo as Kristoff, Craig Gallivan as the lovable Olaf, Oliver Ormson playing Hans, and Richard Frame as the Duke of Weselton.
Audiences can expect a dazzling display of music and magic on stage, complete with awe-inspiring surprises and top-notch special effects. In addition to the beloved original songs, the show introduces 12 new musical numbers.
In a conversation with the WhatsOnStage podcast in March, Samantha expressed her delight at the prospect of her 20-month-old son, Rafael, being able to see her performance on Disney+.
“It’s really exciting. It was a really beautiful moment when we found out we were going to do that because you’re doing a show like Frozen, which means so much to me professionally and personally,” she said.
“Having Raffi, I was thinking, ‘Oh, he’ll never see it’. And then you find out you’re going to be filmed for Disney Plus, and it’s like, ‘Wow, it’ll live on forever’. My nieces can watch it everyday and Raffi can watch it if he wants to.”
The West End production has been showered with accolades, as one theatre-goer exclaimed: “Magnificent is an understatement. I was overwhelmed with emotion at the whole thing, loved every minute.”
Equally impressed, another remarked: “I was blown away by the West End production. The singing is stirring, the orchestration is phenomenal, the visual effects are stunning! I was moved to tears,” while someone else proclaimed: “It’s the best stage musical. A truly must see production of this generation.”
Frozen the Musical is available to stream on Disney+