Pahrump youth bring Frozen Jr. to life at PVHS

Donna’s Studio of Dance & Theatre closed out Frozen Jr. at Pahrump Valley High School with songs, storytelling and choreography built around a cast of 20 local students. The June 5-7 run turned the Pahrump Valley High School auditorium into Arendelle, giving young performers a chance to carry a full musical, from the opening family scenes to the show’s biggest numbers.

The production was staged as a 60-minute musical designed for middle school-aged performers, adapted from the 2013 Disney film and the 2018 Broadway version. General admission was $15, doors opened 30 minutes before showtime, and seating was first come, first served. Children older than age 2 needed tickets, making the show one of the more accessible live arts outings for Nye County families looking for a night at the theater without traveling out of town.

At center stage, Zoe Durst played Anna with a hopeful, determined energy, while Molly Stoddard’s Elsa was reserved, caring and emotionally strong. Their performances anchored familiar moments like For the First Time in Forever, Love is an Open Door and the show’s signature Let It Go sequence. Younger performers Avery Schumacher and Wonder Warren, as Young Anna and Young Elsa, helped establish the sisters’ bond early, giving the audience the emotional foundation that carried through the rest of the production.

The supporting cast added detail and movement to the world around the sisters. Evalyna Sage took on multiple parts, including King Agnarr and a Hidden Folk role. Lucy Weich portrayed Queen Iduna, Teagan Fanning appeared as Pabbie and in Oaken’s family, Charlotte Hill played Bulda and Livy Lewis appeared as the Bishop in the coronation scene. The cast also included a creative twist in the pairing of Sadie Street as Kristoff and Daisy Saldaña as Sven, giving the production a strong local stamp.

Donna’s Studio of Dance says it was established in Pahrump in 1979 and that its mission is to build confidence, self-discipline, healthy habits, teamwork and community engagement through dance and theatre. The studio says its instructors have more than 50 years of combined experience, a background that helped turn Frozen Jr. into more than a recital-style show. Pahrump Valley High School’s calendar also showed the studio using the auditorium for load-in and run-throughs before opening night, underscoring how the production depended on a public-school venue to create a full community theater experience for children and teens in Pahrump.