Interview: Broadway's Original 'Anna' Patti Murin Stars In FROZEN at The Muny

Next week when The Muny premiere of Disney’s Frozen opens in St. Louis audiences will be in for a rare treat. Broadway’s original Anna, actor Patti Murin, will reprise her role as the plucky princess.  

Murin is appearing in her sixth show on The Muny stage, but The Muny is not her only tie to St. Louis. Murin’s husband, actor Colin Donnell is a native St. Louisan. They starred together in Holiday Inn at the Muny in 2015 immediately after their wedding. Murin laughed and called it “their honey-Muny.”  

“My daughters are now 5 and 2. They didn’t exist yet when I did Frozen on Broadway. Now they are going to get to see me as Anna, at The Muny, for the first time,” Murin told Broadway World. “It's an extra bonus to come here because we get to visit family too!”  

Patti Murin is not just a Muny star, she is part of a local family and that gives her a unique perspective about the city’s pride in this historic theater. Murin’s in-laws live in St. Louis and are lifelong season tickets holders. Murin shared that the Donnell’s Muny tickets have been passed down for generations.  

This is Murin’s second appearance as a Disney princess on the Muny Stage. In 2011 she made her Muny debut as Ariel in The Little Mermaid. Her co-star in that show was another Muny favorite, John Riddle, who played Prince Eric. She and Riddle also played opposite one another on Broadway in the original company of Frozen. 

“It was a big deal to get to originate the role of Anna on Broadway. I knew it was my dream coming true.”  

Murin was with Disney’s Frozen from the beginning when creatives were workshopping the show. “I was there for the very first reading. Only couple of us from the first reading were still with the it when it opened on Broadway. I was a part of every single iteration of this show.” 

Murin says bringing the show to The Muny is incredibly special. “I have many lovely memories from building this show. Now I get to rebuild it here with a whole new group of people. It’s the same story but will be on a much bigger scale.” She said, “This show is magic and so is The Muny. It is a perfect fit.” 

This is the first time that she is working with director John Tartaglia who has directed or acted in more than ten shows at The Muny. She calls him genius. “He is a visionary. He is taking this story that has existed for 12-years and finding new things every day. He really cares about the show and wants to produce it in the most fun way possible.” 

Tartaglia told Broadway World he was thrilled when Murin agreed to reprise her Broadway role on The Muny stage. “I had the pleasure of seeing Patti on Broadway and she really is Princess Anna. She brings so much heart, soul, and talent to all she does,” he said. “She is something special and The Muny audiences are going to adore her as Anna. What a treat to get to see someone play the role they originated on Broadway.” 

Murin talked about how happy she is to be performing at The Muny again and how much fun the cast is having in rehearsal. “Although we are having fun we are staying really focused and on task, and that’s important in a show where we are incorporating The Muny Kids and Teens,” she said. Murin knows that they are passing the love of theatre and the importance of a strong work ethic to aspiring artists who are learning the craft. 

Tartaglia says, “It is lovely to watch how happy Patti is to work with this incredible company to find new, funny, and exciting moments in Arendelle. It is a massive responsibility to lead a show, and she does it with grace, warmth, and kindness.”  

The leadership that Tartaglia mentions shines through when Murin praises her co-star Hannah Corneau who plays Elsa. “Wait until you hear Hannah sing this score. She opens her mouth, and you wonder where that big voice is coming from. She makes it look so easy. She is wonderful,” Murin boasts. 

While Corneau and Murin have not performed together before, Murin talks about the deep connection they’ve quickly developed. “We’ve become best friends,” she smiled. Both women attended Syracuse University, and both have performed with the Broadway company of Wicked. Corneau made her Broadway debut as Elphaba and Murin played Glinda. 

Murin is really excited about opening night, getting to see all the children in the audience, and sharing this grand vision of Disney’s Frozen with thousands of people. “This production is going to be larger-than-life. It is the same story, but this enormous space will be filled on a scale that could not be done at a different theater.” She beamed, “It is going to be fun!” 

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