Vendors name many issues that will shape upholstery business in 2025

Business News

HIGH POINT — Upholstery manufacturers are thinking about numerous issues that will impact their business strategies for 2025 and beyond, inside the factory and outside of their control.Nearly unanimously, industry executives expect the coming year to be an improvement over 2024, and many said they’ve used the past few months to plan for growth and expanded market share.
Sean O’Connor
“We’ve been successful in expanding our customer base over the past three markets, and we’ve secured large retail accounts that will impact our business,” said Sean O’Connor, president of Universal Furniture. “We’ve worked diligently to fill any holes in our product line-up, and we’re placing an emphasis on the upholstery business, a thorough product line up and emphasis on the upholstery business.
“Universal is known as a great bedroom, dining and accents resource and strategic to our growth is our expansion into the outdoor space and becoming more of a source for motion and stationary upholstery made in fabric and leather, both domestically and internationally,” he continued. “That’s where our new vice president of upholstery, Rick Lovegrove, comes in.”
O’Connor added that direct-container business, which has been on hold as Universal transitioned to manufacturing in Vietnam, is back as an option for customers. He noted that Universal has the ability to mix almost the entirety of the case goods, upholstery and motion assortment via direct container.
Caroline Hipple
At Hooker Furnishings, Caroline Hipple, chief creative officer, said that a strategic merchandising direction is top of mind.
“In 2025, and beyond, we will continue to leverage the combined strengths of our Legacy brands and present them across a variety of consumer lifestyles within our new ‘Collected Living by HF’ merchandising direction,” Hipple said. “Making its debut at the October 2024 High Point Market, this new strategic evolution positions our company as a more integrated whole-home and consumer-centric resource with an elevated aesthetic and a more experiential presentation.
“Combining products from our Bradington-Young, Hooker Furniture, HF Custom, M, Sunset West and BOBO Intriguing Objects brands,  the new approach was designed to drive creative excellence through all functional areas of each of our business units, from products to marketing to service and delivery.”
Meganne Wecker
Technology continues to be one of the key factors shaping business at Skyline Furniture Manufacturing. President Meganne Wecker said the company will continue to build on its technology investment as a trade growth strategy.
“Last year, we made significant investments in creating a website and trade portal that showcases our extensive options and custom offerings for designers,” Wecker said. “This year, we’ve continued to build on that investment.
“At market, designers will see new and exclusive fabrics and silhouettes. We understand how crucial exclusivity is to the trade, and our supply chain allows for endless customization,” she continued.
“We are really excited about the opportunity to expand the business and make new partnerships. In the coming months, we will continue to invest in the trade offering and hope to develop additional programs that give designers the tools they need to bring their visions to life.”
Michael Hsieh
Michael Hsieh, CEO at Lifestyle Enterprise, said that inventory levels are a key consideration for the upholstery category.
“Lifestyle has made a couple of major investments that will set the stage for growth in 2025,” Hsieh said. “First is our new warehouse building in Malaysia where we will be stocking an inventory of finished goods. This program will allow retailers who are concerned with inventory levels to buy the values from Lifestyle but not have to commit to a container program. We have committed to maintaining an inventory of Total Home products (motion, stationary, chairs, occasion products, dining, and bedroom) that will be completely mixable and ship in two weeks.
“Additionally, we have invested in a new office in Vietnam where we will have a team of employees to manage our factory relationships, oversee quality control, conduct testing and support our customers with a staff of full-time employees with feet on the ground.”
Alex Reeves
Craftmaster is focusing on several “big things” that will shape its upholstery offering in 2025, according to Alex Reeves, president.
“For Craftmaster, it’s not one big thing, but a focus on many smaller things, that will continue to sharpen our business in 2025,” Reeves said. “Quality first, then speed of delivery is our target for production and all things Craftmaster.
“Continuous improvement is our culture, so the forefront of our planning is always fine-tuning the processes that maximize our quality and customer experience. We have always excelled at simplifying the sell-through procedure at retail. This combination of simplicity, consistent quality and speed of delivery has worked well for our customer base,” he continued.
“Also, we are always looking for products that deliver excitement to the retail floors and we stay on top of fashion trends and unique fabrics throughout the year.”
Phil Brown
Customization will shape the upholstery category at Hancock & Moore, Jessica Charles and Maitland Smith, said Phil Brown, president.
“We are focusing on adding to our customizable programs to give consumers the experience of designing their own furniture to fit their individual design needs,” Brown said. “We are expanding on selections in our motion line based on feedback of consumer needs.
“For example, this market we are introducing a new, updated lift chair that reclines and both lifts, and expansion into our Your Way stationary program for both modern and classic tastes, as well as product that hones in on craftsmanship and details indicative of our quality.”
David Koehler
At AICO, David Koehler, president, said that the company’s “reinvention” as an upholstery supplier will shape its upholstery category in 2025.
“We will continue to develop distinctive, yet salable looks, different than what is in the marketplace, that will help our customers around the world achieve success,” Koehler said. “Our upholstery offering has evolved so much in the past two years. We will bring more new looks in 2025 that display our unique perspective, always having our customer in mind and what will drive their success.
“Despite the broader economic challenges in the home furnishings space, we have acquired more upholstery market share in the past two years than ever before.”
Lori Sadowski
McKinley Leather president Lori M. Sadowski is watching what happens in housing.
“The overriding factor that will shape our upholstery business in 2025 is the housing market – mortgage rates have gone down a little, and we can already feel the effects of that,” Sadowski said. “Since McKinley is so well-seating in special order business, we feel all the crests and valleys in the current market.
“We had a bad lull over the summer, but orders have rebounded quite well with school back in session.  We’re hoping that a loosening in the housing market will accelerate even more business,” she continued.
“Another factor that will help McKinley are rising container costs since our production is all domestic. Struggles continue to be rising labor costs, and we feel a major strain in this arena.”
Spin, one of nearly a dozen Polish upholstery manufacturers at High Point Market, is introducing new product geared to specific consumer personas, according to Kacper Straube, sales manager.
“The April edition of High Point Market allowed us to acquire new contacts with warehouse and transport companies,” Straube said. “Due to the number of furniture fairs this fall that we attend (Equip Hotel in Paris, France, INDEX in Riyadh, KSA) we are learning how new markets in different parts of the world work and offering our solutions.
“For example, at each stage of life, people need comfort. Children and teenagers have to feel comfort while drawing, playing and learning. Young adults must feel comfortable without spending thousands of dollars. Parents need furniture pieces that can withstand their kids. Elders don’t need to feel pain while chilling.
“We will be there for all of them.”
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Business Monday: Veteran finds success with honey while learning to live sustainably

Business News

Even after 18 years in the U.S. Navy, Anthony Booker continues to be a busy bee as he develops a new agribusiness on the Big Island while still learning the ropes of sustainable farming and beekeeping.

Anthony Booker checks on the honey production from one of his hives behind his home in Hawaiian Paradise Park in Keaʻau on Oct. 20, 2024. (Kelsey Walling/Big Island Now)

The former Petty Officer Second Class dental hygienist in the Navy did not begin as a natural beekeeper, making many mistakes in the beginning before discovering Hoʻola Farms and its programs for veterans.

But through the nonprofit’s classes and guidance, Booker became a quick study. Last year, he entered his bright, yellow honey in the annual Big Island Beekeeper Associationʻs Hawaiian Honey Challenge, and during his first year of producing honey, he earned first place in the Peopleʻs Choice for Light Liquid Honey. 

Now, the 52-year-old is keeping two types of bees that produce two types of honey and has officially started his own agribusiness – Big Bʻz Hawaiian Honey.

Anthony Booker holds a jar of his award-winning Big Bʻz Hawaiian Honey that he extracted from his hives and made at his home in Hawaiian Paradise Park. (Kelsey Walling/Big Island Now)

It all started when he moved from Washington to Hawaiʻi during the COVID-19 pandemic. After Booker saw the high price of honey in stored, he began beekeeping on his property in Hawaiian Paradise Park.

But the tutorials he watched and read online did not bode well for the bees in his four hives that were living on the islands.

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ADARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW AD“I bought hives before I took a class and, unfortunately, I was doing everything wrong,” he said. “Hawaiʻi is one of the places you donʻt have to feed your bees, you donʻt have to winterize them and it rains enough here that water isnʻt necessary. When my instructor found out I was feeding them, it was too little too late.”

Booker ultimately lost one hive, but he learned from his mistakes through education and guidance at Ho’ola Farms, a place he said was a perfect match for him.

Anthony Booker lights a smoker, which is used to neutralize the aggravation of honeybees, before suiting up to check on honey production in his hives at Hawaiian Paradise Park in Keaʻau on Oct. 20, 2024. (Kelsey Walling/Big Island Now)

“A big part of me moving to Hawaiʻi was that I knew I wanted about an acre of land to grow edible plants that I could forage and use to live sustainably,” Booker said. “I started taking classes with Ho’ola Farms and really enjoyed the things I learned. They gave us the opportunity to get out there and see what other people were doing and how they were going about farming on the island.” 

Hoʻola Farms provides educational training in agriculture and hands-on experiences for the community, with an emphasis on military veterans and first responders as well as their families and caregivers.

While growing food can be a great therapy for veterans and first responders, Hoʻola Farms also hopes to create a more sustainable future for the people of Hawaiʻi Island. 

Anthony Booker uses smoke to calm the bees before checking on the honey production from one of his hives in Hawaiian Paradise Park in Keaʻau on Oct. 20, 2024. (Kelsey Walling/Big Island Now)

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ADAt Hoʻola Farms, Booker took the Intro to Grow workshop, Financial for Farmers and the Art of Beekeeping, which was helpful because he already had four hives on his property in Hawaiian Paradise Park.

Hoʻola Farms’ four-week course is taught by Susan Collins, a beekeeper, educator and founder of Bird and Bee Hawaiʻi, and includes virtual classes and field days at local, operational farms and businesses.

Within that time, Collins is able to teach students about the importance of pollinators and the honey bee for Hawaiʻi, hive inspection, bee intelligence, hive components, honey harvest, colony management, and bee pests and disease. 

Anthony Booker checks on the honey production from one of his hives behind his home in Hawaiian Paradise Park in Keaʻau on Oct. 20, 2024, and says he does not extract until the hive is full as to not disturb the bees more than necessary. (Kelsey Walling/Big Island Now)

Since taking the class, Booker has nurtured his hives to a healthy place, and they are rewarding him with honey.

“It’s a lot of work extracting honey, but I really enjoy it and I thought the bright, yellow honey the bees were making was so good,” Booker said. “My four hives quickly turned into six hives and I’m now at eight hives and have two more to put together.”

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ADWhile he has not sold much honey in Hawaiʻi, Booker found there is demand for it on the mainland. 

“I have some things in the works and family members in Florida interested in selling the honey there which is great for me,” Booker said. “I have sent both types of honey to friends and family back home on the mainland and everyone loves it. There is definitely a demand for Hawaiian honey there, I just donʻt have the supply yet.” 

Bees are seen working in one of Anthony Bookerʻs hives in Hawaiian Paradise Park in Keaʻau on Oct. 20, 2024. (Kelsey Walling/Big Island Now)

While he is pursuing beekeeping and his honey business, Booker is also studying massage therapy and will be finishing school in December.

“Massage therapy is just the complete opposite of dentistry in that people actually want to go to their massage appointments and are sad when Iʻm booked,” Booker said. “Massage therapy is great for many reasons, one being that I can be my own boss. This will help open my time to taking care of the hives, making more honey, growing my own edible garden and working on my other goals.”

Many of Bookerʻs long-term goals are ideas that would increase the access to healthy foods that are produced sustainably for everyone on Hawaiʻi Island.

“Since being here and learning more about agriculture, one of the things I personally want to do is find a way to plant fruit trees every 50 to 100 yards in downtown Hilo, so people donʻt have to worry about starving,” Booker said. “Even here in [Hawaiian Paradise Park], imagine if every house had just one fruit tree outside their property that produced fruit for everyone to share. These kinds of things would help everyone.

Anthony Booker puts away one portion of a hive after checking on honey production in Hawaiian Paradise Park in Keaʻau on Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024.

Booker is excited to dedicate more time to working toward a future of living sustainably by growing food for himself and his community. He also hopes to encourage the people who move to Hawaiʻi about the importance of growing food, especially on an island. 

“Food sovereignty is a big part of Hoʻola Farms and I really appreciated the education surrounding the idea of making Hawaiʻi Island sustainable for Hawaiʻi Island,” Booker said. “Especially if we have another pandemic, or something bad happens, we need to be able to stand by ourselves while also sharing with one another.”

For anyone interested in starting a business and learning the basics of sustainable agriculture in Hawaiʻi, Booker highly recommends the programs through Hoʻola Farms.

“When I was taking their classes, I got to go to so many different farms, meet several people doing what I wanted to do, use a commercial kitchen in Hilo and learn how to maintain a sustainable garden,” Booker said. “College classes donʻt aways give you that hands-on experience and this was what really helped me start my own agribusiness.”

When it comes to beekeeping in particular, he has only one piece of advice for anyone interested in pursuing it as a small business or hobby: “Take a beekeeping introduction class before getting hives. Trust me, it will save you money and time.”

Imperial College Business School Hosts 2024 Ideas to Impact Challenge

Business News

On 22nd May 2024, Imperial College Business School held its annual “Ideas to Impact Challenge”, uniting academics, entrepreneurs, and students to explore how enterprise and technology can create tangible social impact. Eight student teams pitched innovative business ideas aimed at solving global challenges and positively impacting a million lives.
The top three teams were awarded start-up funds, along with ongoing coaching, mentoring, and business support from College experts. Discussions throughout the event emphasized the power of technology in addressing issues like poverty and climate change.
In a keynote speech, social innovator Myriam Taylor encouraged the finalists to embrace their role as catalysts for change, emphasizing the importance of turning ideas into action for global good.
The event showcased the creativity and drive of the next generation of leaders, reaffirming Imperial’s commitment to fostering impactful, socially conscious entrepreneurship.
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‘It’s a dream come true to be shooting a movie in West Cork’

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

An Irish woman behind a string of Hallmark films says it is a dream come true to be producing the feelgood movies on set in West Cork — and using local talent.The US production company is currently shooting in Skibbereen, Baltimore and Ballydehob. Everyone from local extras to art designers have come together for the project, sparking hopes for more collaborations in the years ahead. While details of the actors and movie title have yet to be announced, Dublin-based executive producer Edwina Forkin from Zanzibar films said filming was going well. Filming is expected to be completed by the end of next week.The project, which is being undertaken in collaboration with Cartel Entertainment in the US, has been described as a romantic comedy similar to PS I Love You. It follows the romantic story of a woman who falls in love with a local man after travelling to Ireland with her mother.It is understood the leading female actors are from the US. An Irish actor has been cast as the movie’s coveted love interest.“We’re hoping this could be one of many in West Cork,” Ms Forkin said. Edwina Forkin: ‘We had been wanting to film in Cork for such a long time and now it’s finally happening.’“We had been wanting to film in Cork for such a long time and now it’s finally happening. West Cork Film Studios have been great. The staff there are really accommodating. There is so much talent in West Cork. We are trying to have as many West Cork locals on board as possible.” Ms Forkin said the response from the community had been really positive.“It’s really wholesome entertainment. Everyone knows Hallmark which is great because people realise it’s not going to be this gory slasher movie or anything like that. All the scenes are going to show West Cork in a really nice light.” The film producer, who is from Blackrock in Dublin, said she grew up watching Hallmark movies.“Hallmark movies are very family orientated. I knew the brand very well and enjoyed the aspirational storylines and beautiful lighting. They are films you can watch with your mum or your granny so I always enjoyed them. “My mum was delighted when I got my first Hallmark movie because she always loved their films. After she passed I got so many more. It was like she was throwing them at me from above.” Well-known Hallmark productions filmed in Ireland include As Luck Would Have It and Christmas at Castle Hart. However, this will be the first film of its kind to be shot in West Cork.The crew at West Cork Film Studios, from left, Caroline Keoghane, Lynsey O’Leary, Colyne Laverriere, Eoghan Horgan, Edwina Forkin, Alan Forkin, Caroll O’Reilly, Brian Forkin, Grace Sexton, John Norton, Stephen O’Hanlon and Liam Neville. “I have already done four films this year. Last year, I did seven. A lot of these are Christmas films so we always have decorations in storage that are ready to go. A lot of the time the scenes shot in Ireland will be made to resemble another country. “For example, a lot of the filming for the movie A Norwegian Christmas was done in Ireland. We managed to make Norway in Blackrock. We shot in Bergen for a few days to set the scenes. It’s a hybrid approach we have adopted for many of the films. It’s a machine so you have to have everything turned around really quickly. It’s really important that you don’t drop the ball.” She hopes Ireland can attract more film productions in the years ahead.“A lot of the previous Hallmark films were filmed in Canada. Now, they have their sights set on Europe, which is really exciting. The combination of tax breaks and beautiful scenery have made Ireland a very attractive place to film in.”

Riga film festival wraps with award-winners named

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

Juries of international and local experts judged 84 works competing for festival awards and special prizes from RIGA IFF partners.

An awards ceremony at the festival’s main venue, the historic Splendid Palace cinema, revealed the main 10 000 EUR cash prize went to the documentary film Songs of the Slow Burning Earth by Olha Zhurba. The jury described the winning film as ”a moving film that depicts the harsh reality of war away from the frontline with resilience, honesty and dignity”. The jury’s special mention went to Drowning Dry by the Lithuanian director Laurynas Bareiša – “an intriguing and suspenseful drama with credible characters and a subtle eye for contemporary society”.

Riga IFF winner
Photo: Riga IFF

As the winner of Short Film National Competition, which had 9 Latvian short films competing for the bronze statuete and the 1 000 EUR cash prize, was announced the short film North Pole directed by Roberts Vanags. ”With an eye for striking compositions and flashes of poetry that can transform the familiar at rare moments of the day or night, an atmospheric world is created that signals a fresh new voice in Baltic cinema,” jury stated. 

As the best film of the Short Film International Competition, and the recipient of the festival award and the 2 000 EUR cash prize, was announced Where Russia Ends by director Oleksiy Radynski – “a significant work of archive retrieval and restoration of collective memory, assembled with precise care, to safeguard the visibility and history of Russia’s indigenous peoples against imperialistic erasure and environmental ravages – matters of burning relevance in today’s Europe”. The jury’s special mention was awarded to Pubert Jimbob, the short animation film by Quirijn Dees, described as “a profoundly unique graduation film shows us the kaleidoscopic power of animation at its strangest and best”. 

Riga IFF 2024
Photo: Riga IFF

In the ceremony the nominee for the ”Best European Short 2025” award was awarded to Adas Burkšaitis’ short film Left-handed Pen, described in jury’s statement as “with the suspense of a thriller and a precisely composed ensemble, this film doesn’t lose a second to let us witness an intimate story of hope and despair – and the work of a European director from whom we hope to see more in the future“.

The winner of the Baltic Music Video Competition was the music video Protection (artist – German postpunk group SMILE) directed by Latvian director Anna Ansone. It was described by the jury as “a perfect balance – complete, simple, and flawless, like well-made pasta. Sometimes, we aim to impress the world with complexity, but this video reminded us that simplicity is the true key to brilliance” and received the festival award and the 1 000 EUR cash prize.

Meanwhile the RIGA IFF Baltic Music Video Competition jury’s special mention went to the music video In My Nostrils (artist – musical project Zvīņas) by director Antons Georgs Grauds – “a remarkable blend of creativity, visual language, twisted spirituality and fly collection, this video captured us from the very beginning”. In collaboration with Radio SWH, the main audience award – advertising slots in Radio SWH programming worth 1 000 EUR – went to the creative team behind music video Visai Baika by Kedrostubùras (director – Elzė Vozbinaitė).

The winners of RIGA IFF FORUM, a section devoted to the film industry and its professionals, were also announced. The winner of SHORT RIGA Test Screenings and the recipient of the BBPosthouse prize – post-production services worth 5 000 EUR – was the short film Where Does the Sun Sleep at Night? by Ildze Felsberga.

SHORT RIGA Test Screenings panel of experts describes it as “a film that makes folk music resonate in rooms without windows, where employees are seeking meaning through rituals and repetition surrounded by obsolete furniture and technology“. Meanwhile the jury’s special mention went to Slush, a short film by Jēkabs Okonovs and Aivars Šaicāns, – “The unexpected, the happy accidents and the many shades of a new-born friendship intertwine in this story crafted by a power trio of creators sharing a strong bond and a lovely aura.“

Riga IFF 2024
Photo: Riga IFF

The winner among the feature films and series presented in the film market co-production platform RIGA IFF SHOWCASE, awarded by the international jury, was Curtain, a feature film project by Valeria Sochyvets. “An urgent, raw relationship drama with two richly delineated main characters. The project promises a new strong female voice in contemporary European cinema, being the debut feature made by a young but prominent Ukrainian filmmaker,” the jury stated.

Meanwhile as the market exchange finalist to be presented at New European Market Zagreb this December was announced Cold, fiction series project by Domas Petronis and Tiago Guedes – “a solid, well-developed and gripping project with an obvious international appeal“.

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‘Frozen’ opens soon at the Paramount Theatre — fans will spot the little differences between movie and musical

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

When “Frozen” was released in 2013, the Hans Christian Andersen-inspired fairy tale marked a fresh approach for a Disney princess film — one that centered the relationship between two sisters, rather than happily ever after with a charming prince. More than a decade later, Elsa and Anna dresses are still ubiquitous costumes for kids and Idina Menzel’s power ballad “Let It Go” still dominates parental playlists.That’s no coincidence, says Emily Kristen Morris, the New York-based actor making her Paramount Theatre debut in its winter production of “Frozen.” “It’s about familial love. It’s about sisterhood. It’s about women. That’s really special, and I think that’s why it’s had this crazy long success,” she says.Nominated for three Tony Awards when it opened on Broadway in 2018, the stage adaptation has since toured North America and played in Europe, Asia and Australia. Paramount, the downtown Aurora theater known for its large-scale musical productions, has built a strong relationship with Disney in recent years and landed the rights to stage the Midwest regional premiere. Jeff Award winner Trent Stork directs.In the stage version, “you get everything you know and love in the movie,” says Stork, but new songs provide more character development. “The songs that are added to the musical let us inside (Elsa’s) brain, so she’s not just this mystical figure. She’s become such an iconic persona that almost feels intangible, and the music in the musical brings a lot of Elsa’s humanity out.”Preparing for the role of Elsa, Morris drew on her experience as the Elphaba standby on the national tour of “Wicked,” a job that brought her to Chicago in the fall of 2022. “The first thing that struck me, looking at the (‘Frozen’) script, is the similarities between (Elsa) and Elphaba,” she says. “I know what it is to play a character who has been isolated but in a different way.”Starring opposite Morris as Elsa’s younger sister, Anna, is Beth Stafford Laird, who played Belle in Paramount’s “Beauty and the Beast” in 2019. “That was great because I had done that show before as an understudy, and so it was really wonderful to get to play the part here with such full permission to do it the way that I really wanted. Similarly, with this process, I’m getting the same free rein to play, which is so much fun. I’m a baby sister — I’m the youngest of three — so I said on the phone to my parents that this is my inner child incarnate, running around on stage.”In rehearsals, Morris and Laird have discussed their characters’ shared backstories to inform their performances. After being close in childhood, Elsa and Anna are isolated from each other when Elsa’s magical powers grow beyond her control.“The absolute trauma that does to somebody growing up — being asked to hide such a huge part of their identity and being told if they don’t, they will cause damage to those around them and maybe hurt or kill people — there’s a real stunt to both of their growths, and that manifests in different ways,” says Morris. “Because (Elsa) knows the truth, that manifests in terror and fear.”Anna doesn’t understand what’s going on with her sister, so she becomes “an overly trusting, overly optimistic, can-do kind of opportunist,” says Laird. “Given the opportunity, I’m going to make the most of it because for so long, I couldn’t.”Unlike the movie and the Broadway production, the sisters share a duet in the current version of the musical. Added during the North American tour, “I Can’t Lose You” is “one of the most beautiful songs in the show,” says Stork. “It really highlights how deep their love is for each other and how their bond is so strong.”Emily Kristen Morris plays Elsa, Everleigh Murphy and Genevieve Jane alternate as Young Elsa, Elowen Murphy and Avelyn Choi alternate as Young Anna, and Beth Stafford Laird plays Anna in the Disney musical “Frozen” at the Paramount Theatre in Aurora. (Amy Nelson)With this sisterly love story at its heart, “Frozen” also promises a certain level of spectacle that audiences expect from a Disney musical. Stork, who has Norwegian ancestry, leans into the fairy tale’s Nordic roots and envisions Arendelle as a closeknit community that’s deeply connected to nature. This approach results in designs that are unmistakably inspired by the film but “uniquely our own.” Elsa’s snow magic and an onstage blizzard are among the special effects, and Sven (Adam Fane) and Olaf (Ryan Stajmiger) are brought to life by puppets designed by Jesse Mooney-Bullock.Likely to be a popular family attraction over the holidays, “Frozen” is scheduled to play for 12 weeks, the longest run for Paramount’s Broadway Series since its launch in 2011. “It’s always such an honor to be able to do the holiday show with the Paramount,” says Stork. In 11 years of working there, they’ve seen kids who used to attend shows with their parents or grandparents grow up and go off to college to study theater.“To be a part of everyone’s holiday traditions and holiday memories is really, really beautiful to me, and I’m just so excited that ‘Frozen’ gets to be the next iteration of that legacy,” says Stork. “I’m hoping that this is a show that people remember for a long, long time, and that they have a memory of this theatrical experience for the rest of their lives.”Emily McClanathan is a freelance critic.Oct. 30 to Jan. 19 at Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora; tickets $28-$85 at 630-896-6666 and paramountaurora.com

‘Frozen’ opens soon at the Paramount Theatre — fans will spot the little differences between movie and musical

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

When “Frozen” was released in 2013, the Hans Christian Andersen-inspired fairy tale marked a fresh approach for a Disney princess film — one that centered the relationship between two sisters, rather than happily ever after with a charming prince. More than a decade later, Elsa and Anna dresses are still ubiquitous costumes for kids and Idina Menzel’s power ballad “Let It Go” still dominates parental playlists.That’s no coincidence, says Emily Kristen Morris, the New York-based actor making her Paramount Theatre debut in its winter production of “Frozen.” “It’s about familial love. It’s about sisterhood. It’s about women. That’s really special, and I think that’s why it’s had this crazy long success,” she says.Nominated for three Tony Awards when it opened on Broadway in 2018, the stage adaptation has since toured North America and played in Europe, Asia and Australia. Paramount, the downtown Aurora theater known for its large-scale musical productions, has built a strong relationship with Disney in recent years and landed the rights to stage the Midwest regional premiere. Jeff Award winner Trent Stork directs.In the stage version, “you get everything you know and love in the movie,” says Stork, but new songs provide more character development. “The songs that are added to the musical let us inside (Elsa’s) brain, so she’s not just this mystical figure. She’s become such an iconic persona that almost feels intangible, and the music in the musical brings a lot of Elsa’s humanity out.”Preparing for the role of Elsa, Morris drew on her experience as the Elphaba standby on the national tour of “Wicked,” a job that brought her to Chicago in the fall of 2022. “The first thing that struck me, looking at the (‘Frozen’) script, is the similarities between (Elsa) and Elphaba,” she says. “I know what it is to play a character who has been isolated but in a different way.”Starring opposite Morris as Elsa’s younger sister, Anna, is Beth Stafford Laird, who played Belle in Paramount’s “Beauty and the Beast” in 2019. “That was great because I had done that show before as an understudy, and so it was really wonderful to get to play the part here with such full permission to do it the way that I really wanted. Similarly, with this process, I’m getting the same free rein to play, which is so much fun. I’m a baby sister — I’m the youngest of three — so I said on the phone to my parents that this is my inner child incarnate, running around on stage.”In rehearsals, Morris and Laird have discussed their characters’ shared backstories to inform their performances. After being close in childhood, Elsa and Anna are isolated from each other when Elsa’s magical powers grow beyond her control.“The absolute trauma that does to somebody growing up — being asked to hide such a huge part of their identity and being told if they don’t, they will cause damage to those around them and maybe hurt or kill people — there’s a real stunt to both of their growths, and that manifests in different ways,” says Morris. “Because (Elsa) knows the truth, that manifests in terror and fear.”Anna doesn’t understand what’s going on with her sister, so she becomes “an overly trusting, overly optimistic, can-do kind of opportunist,” says Laird. “Given the opportunity, I’m going to make the most of it because for so long, I couldn’t.”Unlike the movie and the Broadway production, the sisters share a duet in the current version of the musical. Added during the North American tour, “I Can’t Lose You” is “one of the most beautiful songs in the show,” says Stork. “It really highlights how deep their love is for each other and how their bond is so strong.”Emily Kristen Morris plays Elsa, Everleigh Murphy and Genevieve Jane alternate as Young Elsa, Elowen Murphy and Avelyn Choi alternate as Young Anna, and Beth Stafford Laird plays Anna in the Disney musical “Frozen” at the Paramount Theatre in Aurora. (Amy Nelson)With this sisterly love story at its heart, “Frozen” also promises a certain level of spectacle that audiences expect from a Disney musical. Stork, who has Norwegian ancestry, leans into the fairy tale’s Nordic roots and envisions Arendelle as a closeknit community that’s deeply connected to nature. This approach results in designs that are unmistakably inspired by the film but “uniquely our own.” Elsa’s snow magic and an onstage blizzard are among the special effects, and Sven (Adam Fane) and Olaf (Ryan Stajmiger) are brought to life by puppets designed by Jesse Mooney-Bullock.Likely to be a popular family attraction over the holidays, “Frozen” is scheduled to play for 12 weeks, the longest run for Paramount’s Broadway Series since its launch in 2011. “It’s always such an honor to be able to do the holiday show with the Paramount,” says Stork. In 11 years of working there, they’ve seen kids who used to attend shows with their parents or grandparents grow up and go off to college to study theater.“To be a part of everyone’s holiday traditions and holiday memories is really, really beautiful to me, and I’m just so excited that ‘Frozen’ gets to be the next iteration of that legacy,” says Stork. “I’m hoping that this is a show that people remember for a long, long time, and that they have a memory of this theatrical experience for the rest of their lives.”Emily McClanathan is a freelance critic.Oct. 30 to Jan. 19 at Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora; tickets $28-$85 at 630-896-6666 and paramountaurora.com