Avenue Q Tony nominee John Tartaglia, who directed the current Muny premiere of Disney's Frozen, is now part of the family-friendly musical's cast.

The actor, also seen on Broadway in Beauty and the Beast and Shrek the Musical, has stepped into the role of Oaken, replacing Mark Saunders, who is recovering from an injury.

“I wish more audiences could have the chance to see Mark’s wonderfully funny performance as Oaken, and I hope he’s back on his feet soon,” Tartaglia said in a statement. “I always love working at The Muny, and I’m grateful for this unexpected opportunity to extend my stay with my Frozen family.”

“We’re sad that Mark Saunders is stepping away from Wandering Oaken’s Trading Post and Sauna, and we wish him a smooth recovery,” added Muny Artistic Director and Executive Producer Mike Isaacson. “But we are beyond lucky that our beloved John Tartaglia is able to return to the Muny stage—after also having directed this monumental production.”

At the Muny, Tartaglia has also directed The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Mary Poppins, Matilda, Annie, The Wizard of Oz, Tarzan, and Shrek, and has starred in Aladdin, Seussical, and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.

The St. Louis Muny production of Disney's Frozen began its limited engagement July 6 and continues through July 14.

Directed by Tartaglia, the limited engagement also has choreography by Patrick O’Neill, music direction by conductor Darryl Archibald, and associate choreography by Bryan Thomas Hunt.

The company is led by the show's original Broadway star, Patti Murin, reprising her work as Anna, joined by Hannah Corneau as Elsa, Jelani Remy as Kristoff, Bobby Conte as Hans, Kennedy Kanagawa as Olaf, Andrew A. Cano as Sven, Jared Gertner as Weselton, Maliah Strawbridge as Young Elsa, and Isla Turner as Young Anna.

The Muny staging also features Bri Arcangioli, Kaley Bender, Matthew Davies, Kylie Edwards, Caroline Geringer, Jack Gimpel, Gabriel Kearns, Ryan Lambert, Samantha Littleford, Nathaniel Mahone, Ruben Guadalupe Medina-Perez, Katerina V. Papacostas, Coty Perno, Rich Pisarkiewicz, Ann Sanders, Leann Schuering, Gordon Semeatu, Kelly Sheehan, Cecilia Snow, Chris Stevens, Meridien Terrell, and Jonah D. Winston. The company is joined by the Muny Kids and Teens Youth Ensemble.

Based on the 2013 animated Disney film, Frozen features music and lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez and a book by Jennifer Lee. The musical opened on Broadway in March 2018, earning Tony Award nominations for Best Musical, Best Book, and Best Original Score. The Broadway production announced in May 2020 that it would not reopen post-pandemic.

The production has scenic design by Tijana Bjelajac, costume design by Robin L. McGee, lighting design by Jason Lyons, sound design by John Shivers and David Patridge, video design by Kylee Loera, wig design by Ashley Rae Callahan, puppet design by Eric Wright and Puppet Kitchen. Casting is by The Telsey Office's Rachel Hoffman. Matthew Lacey is the production stage manager.

The Muny artistic staff includes Artistic Director and Executive Producer Isaacson, Associate Artistic Director Michael Baxter, Director of Production Tracy Utzmyers, and Music Supervisor Michael Horsley.

Season 107 at The Muny will continue with Evita (July 18-24), Dear Evan Hansen (July 28-August 3), La Cage aux Folles (August 8-14), and Jersey Boys (August 18-24) to follow.

Visit Muny.org.