Dominic Dorset plays the role of Kristoff in the national tour of ‘Frozen’

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ABOVE PHOTO: Dominic Dorset as Kristoff in the North American Tour of “Frozen.”
Photo credit Matthew Murphy

By Kharisma McIlwaine

Disney’s ‘Frozen’ took the world by storm with its 2013 release. Its popular song, “Let It Go,” was sung worldwide. Children and adults fell in love with the story of the princess sisters Anna and Elsa, Kristoff and sidekicks Olaf and Sven. The Oscar-winning film, now celebrating 10 years, was adapted for Broadway in 2018. With music and lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez and book by Jennifer Lee, the Tony-nominated best musical continues to win the hearts of many. Dominic Dorset takes on the role of Kristoff in the national tour.

Dorset spoke with the SUN about his excitement for his first Broadway national tour and the beauty of this adaptation of the story.

A Michigan native, Dorset began his journey in the world of musical theater by getting involved in a local production.

“I brought home a flyer from school one day,” he said. “It was advertising a local production of “Mary Poppins.” I told my mom I want to audition for this. I just loved it so I kept doing it with different friends and eventually went to school for it. I graduated in the spring of 2022 (from the University of Michigan) and I started doing this about a month after graduating.”

Dorset’s b-line trajectory to a Broadway tour, which he attributes to his teachers, is very uncommon.

“I was not expecting it, for sure,” he said. “I think our professors taught us a lot. They told us, ‘You’re going to graduate and then you’re going to move to New York. You’re going to have to do a lot of auditions, you’re going to have to meet a lot of people to get going and get a foot in the industry.’ For me, it kind of happened a little more quickly than that, so I was very grateful for that. I got auditions a month after I graduated, got the job, and started at the end of the summer.”

While working on another production, Dorset was offered the role of Kristoff.

“While I was in Vermont music directing that job, I got the offer for “Frozen,” he said. “I still haven’t lived in New York, so it was kind of a whirlwind, but I’m grateful for it every single day.”

Like the majority of the world, Dorset was no stranger to “Frozen” and already developed a love for the story.

“I think I was 13 years old when the movie came out, and I was right there with everybody else,” he said. “All my friends were going to see

Dominic Dorset as Kristoff and Collin Baja as Sven in the North American Tour of “Frozen.”
Photo credit Matthew Murphy

“Frozen” — everybody was talking about this new movie. I went to see that movie in theaters and immediately understood why everybody loved it so much. To this day, it really blows my mind how a lot of Disney movies have come out since 2013, but for some reason you would think “Frozen” came out yesterday based on how many people go crazy for it. I understand why. I think it has a great message, really fun songs and characters. It’s really amazing to see how “Frozen” has remained a fan favorite for the last ten years.”

“Frozen” the musical brings all of the magic from the film to the stage and gives fans even more music and story to love.

“It’s pretty similar, the stage adaptation from the movie, but I think Disney has a very good track record with doing that,” Dorset said.

“They’ve obviously done that with “The Lion King,” “Beauty and The Beast” and “The Little Mermaid,” so “Frozen” is the next step in that. I think it’s amazing.”

“It’s the story that you see in the movie with the characters that you’re used to, but it’s longer, so there’s more to what’s going on in this stage adaptation than there was in the film,” Dorset continued. “For example, our Robert and Kristen Lopez wrote 12 new songs for this stage version that are not in the movie. People will come to the show ready to hear “Let It Go,” “Do You Wanna Build A Snowman” and all of the classics, but they also end up hearing a bunch of new material that they’ve never heard before. That’s a cool addition this production has that you don’t get anywhere else.”

As a performer and multi-instrumentalist, Dorset has an additional appreciation for the musical adaptation of “Frozen.”

“My two different worlds — the acting world, which I’m doing now with “Frozen,” and I’m a multi-instrumentalist as well, so there’s the whole musical side of what I do,” he said. “I think it’s why I’m drawn to musical theater specifically — because it’s the fusion between those two different worlds. Anybody in musical theater, you get to a point where they can’t express what they’re trying to say with words, so as a result of that you start hearing words or seeing dance, and emotionally that’s taking things to the next level. There’s a particular moment in Act Two where Kristoff has this dance moment in a number called “Fixer Upper.” It is so much fun, and there is absolutely no way that moment could be translated through words. I love getting to hear this score every night. Music touches us as humans in a way that words and intellect don’t.”

In addition to Dorset’s love for the music in the show, he also has a personal connection.

“It’s funny because my friend that I was in school with was a few years older than me, his name is Mason Reeves,” he said. “He got the part of Kristoff originally. He was the first Kristoff on the national tour. It was so cool seeing someone I knew get to be part of something like “Frozen.” “Then fast forward a few years, I’m the one getting the offer to play this part to replace him. I grew up going to see all of the Disney musicals in the Detroit Opera House when they came to my hometown. To be on the other side of the stage now, to be the one performing the stories, to be the next Disney show coming through town — I can’t really sum it up in words, but it’s amazing.”

Dorset’s overall love for the story is amplified by having the opportunity to play the good guy.

“Kristoff is a mountain man,” Dorset said. “He has a reindeer, Sven, who is kind of like his best friend and coworker — two peas in a pod right there. They kind of live their lives as ice merchants. They’re wilderness, nature people. They don’t have much human interaction so it’s very unlikely that Kristoff and Princess Anna, the princess of this magnificent kingdom. would cross paths with each other. He’s a selfless kind of guy who goes out of his way to help Princess Anna. He’s a really good guy, and I’m glad that I get to breathe life into him every night.”

Lovers of “Frozen” are sure to be fully immersed in the experience. Dorset shared his hopes for audiences.

“I think the takeaway is two things,” he said. “One is that love doesn’t just come in the form of romantic relationships. It can be between a parent and a child, between two friends like Kristoff and Sven, and as it’s portrayed mainly through our show, between two sisters. I hope people take that away. The second thing is, [that] this show is so much fun. You get the fusion between going to Disney World and also seeing a Broadway show. So, I really hope that people have their inner child awakened. No matter how old you are, I hope that every single person leaves the theater feeling like a kid again.”

“Frozen” will be at The Academy of Music March 21 through April 7. For more information on tickets and showtimes, visit: www.ensembleartsphilly.org. To follow Dominic Dorset’s journey, visit his website at: www.dominicdorset.com and follow him on IG @dnilausd.

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