Frozen's McKenzie Kurtz on the Cruise that Changed Everything & Seeing Herself as a Princess for the First Time

McKenzie Kurtz was less than a month into her Broadway debut as Princess Anna in Frozen when Broadway theaters went dark due to the novel COVID-19 pandemic. Now away from the St. James Theater in Alpharetta, Georgia with her family, Kurtz is reflecting on her "whirlwind" Broaday experience so far. "We were 27 shows in before all this happened," she said to Paul Wontorek on Broadway.com's #LiveatFive: Home Edition. "I've been waking up in a cold sweat at night going, 'Did that really happen?'"

Being in her childhood home has given Kurtz time to reflect on her life leading up Broadway, and she shared how one family cruise ship changed the trajectory of her career. "My parents were super supportive and let me try everything," she said. "Soccer, karate, swimming... I tried it all. I was on a cruise when I was seven, and I entered a talent show. I'm pretty sure I sang Hilary Duff's 'So Yesterday.' The girl who ended up winning sang 'Rainbow Connection,' and I went up to her after and I was like, 'What do you do?' She told me she did musical theater. So, I went up to my mom and I was like, 'Mom, I have to do this.' And here we are!"

Kurtz quickly went all-in for the theater (her first "juicy" role was Mrs. Potts in The Beauty and the Beast Jr.) and graduated from the University of Michigan's musical theater program in 2019. After having some initial anxiety about moving to the city after graduation, Kurtz made NYC home and hit the ground running by going to as many auditions as possible. "I went to my first Frozen audition in October, and it was not good," she said. "The next day, I had had agreed to be a part of the Women of Broadway concert that was happening, and I was the only one who was not on Broadway. I was very much having a bit of imposter syndrome thinking, 'Why am I here?' I was singing at this concert and Kristen Lopez [Frozen co-songwriter] was actually there, too. Kristen saw me and thought that I should come in for Anna, so I got a second chance. If I hadn't said yes to singing in that concert, that would have never happened. I wouldn't be where I am, so I'm very grateful."

After two more auditions and a final callback with her now ice princess siser Ciara Renée as Elsa, Kurtz was given the keys to Arendelle and took over the role from original star Patti Murin. "It was so emotional seeing myself as Anna for the first time," Kurtz said. "I was a mess. We have the costume fittings and every time I would go, it was getting closer and closer to the finished product. It was the promo shoot where I saw myself in the red hair and the dress for the first time. It was so surreal. I was like, 'There she is, that's me now!' I just can't wait to be back." We hope we will all be back together in Arendelle soon.

Watch Kurtz talk all about what TV shows she's binging and more in the full episode below!