Frozen's Three Act Structure

Disney's Frozen opened on Broadway last night to mixed reviews. The film's three act structure sits oddly on a two act frame. Let's take a closer look at the screenplay: 

• Act One is the set up. It takes 6 songs to introduce the world, the protagonists, the conflict and the inciting incident. Elsa's powers are revealed and an eternal winter begins. The act ends with "Let It Go."
• Act Two is rising action. Anna tracks down her sister. We get 2 songs to introduce supporting characters and bring the sisters together. The turning point comes with a reprise of "For the First Time in Forever."
• Act Three is resolution. The sisters must overcome self doubt, unseat the antagonists and end the snow storm. Most Disney films run out of songs by this point. Frozen gives us the momentum stopping "Fixer Upper" and a reprise of "Vuele." 

The score front loads the best songs and splits the story between two protagonists. Now what happens when the stage show adds 10 more songs? We get this:

• Act One
• "Vuelie" – Company
• "Anna and Elsa" – Young Anna, Young Elsa and Townspeople
• "A Little Bit of You" – Young Elsa and Young Anna
• "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?" – Young Anna
• "For the First Time in Forever" – Anna, Elsa and Townspeople
• "Hans of the Southern Isles" – Hans
• "Dangerous to Dream" – Elsa and Townspeople
• "Love Is an Open Door" – Anna and Hans
• "Reindeer(s) Are Better Than People" – Kristoff
• "What Do You Know about Love?" – Anna and Kristoff
• "In Summer" – Olaf
• "Hans of the Southern Isles" (reprise) – Hans, Duke of Weselton and Townspeople
• "Let It Go" – Elsa
• Act Two
• "Hygge" – Oaken, Kristoff, Anna, Olaf and Company
• "For the First Time in Forever" (reprise) – Anna and Elsa
• "Fixer Upper" – Bulda, Olaf and Hidden Folk
• "Kristoff Lullaby" – Kristoff
• "Monster" – Elsa, Hans and Volunteers
• "Hans of the Southern Isles" (reprise 2) – Hans
• "True Love" – Anna
• "Colder by the Minute" – Pabbie, Anna, Kristoff, Elsa, Hans and Townspeople
• "Vueille (Love Thaws)" – Townspeople
• "Resolution" – Company

Disney is streaming several of the new songs on the Frozen website. We've lost "Frozen Heart" (no tears here), moved "Let it Go" and crammed two acts of screenplay into one act of stage libretto. Act two stretches out the film's finale. The storytelling has gotten a bit lumpy. Does it matter? Not to the target audience. They'll keep it running a year at least. Then the schools will produce it for ages.

Edit: I've now had the good fortune to see this show live. The problem for me was less the structure than the lack of danger. Film Elsa uses her ice powers to throw her sister out of the palace and attack invading assassins. She has to be knocked unconscious before the army can arrest her. Stage Elsa sings she "will not be a monster" and politely surrenders. Frankly she could stand to be a little more monstrous. The show would benefit from higher stakes.