My 7-year-old daughter and I made the short drive to Farmers Branch, Texas, to attend Frozen Jr. at The Firehouse Theatre this afternoon. It was such a treat! I was a little nervous that my daughter would feel too old to enjoy the Frozen story line (she’s been resistant to the movie and merchandise for a few years now), but she LOVED it! It was really special to see her light up over the presentation and theater of it all, not only the subject matter. She stayed engaged the entire time and left saying she’d like to attend theatre camp and perform on stage.

The particular group of kids making up the cast of this Frozen Jr. production is among the best children’s theater I’ve ever seen. All of the leads sparkle and shine on stage- particularly the character of Anna, who was just as charming and awkward as you’d hope she’d be- and the rest of the ensemble was simply fantastic as well. Gosh, those kids can sing and dance!

Clocking in right at an hour and a half, including intermission, this show is the perfect length for a children’s program. (I’ve been to a few at other theaters that drug on and on, losing half of the young audience in the process.) Additionally, the exposition was almost entirely in song form, which helped keep the attention of the young audience members and moved the story along quickly and smoothly.

The Firehouse Theatre is small, intimate, and very charming. Originally built in 1958 as a working fire station for the City of Farmers Branch, the station was remodeled into a community theatre in 2012. And there isn’t a bad seat in the house! The theatre offers production options for all audiences, with Firehouse Jr. productions catering to younger audiences and families, as well as more mature productions for adult audiences.

I am delighted to have found this theatre gem and look forward to attending several of their upcoming shows in 2020! Frozen Jr. runs now through October 13, 2019. Go see it if you have the opportunity!

*Cover photo credit: Brandon Tijerina