London’s Grand Theatre continues to use their production of the musical ‘Frozen’ as a fundraiser for the Business Cares Food Drive. Grand Theatre staff say, like the production itself, the campaign has been a success. Rachel Peake is Grand Theatre Artistic Director and the director of Frozen. She told CTV News, “Because our Christmas show is has become a tradition, we are so thrilled that that tradition also includes giving back to the community. ” Little ones, channeling their inner-Elsa, arrived in sparkly blue dresses for the Christmas eve matinee just before one Wednesday afternoon. The movie provided not only the source material but a dedicated fan base. Peake, who directed the Grand Theatre’s production, believed the theatre experience would add a little more to the experience. “Theater is a different medium. There are new songs that aren’t in the movie. And obviously there’s an element of spectacle that you can do when something is live. That really makes it special.” Grand Theatre Communications and Public Relations Manager Melissa Shipley reports that, since launching in 2017, the holiday show food drive has raised $529,964 dollars through donations made by the theatre’s audiences, artists, volunteers and staff. That includes $65,523 raised in 2022 during the production of Elf - The Musical. “Coming out of the pandemic, things have been very tough,” explained Peake. “The need for the food bank has increased a lot and so has the generosity of people who are able to give toward it. ” Money raise from the Frozen donations haven’t been added to the grand total, with money still being collected at performances. The donations will still go to good use. At the Business Cares Food Drive wrap-up event last Friday, Chair Wayne Dunn stressed the importance of ongoing contributions, “The money raised continues to be spent on eggs, milk, produce proteins along with the harvest and refresh programs.” The 2025 Business Cares Food Drive collected food and donations worth more than $2M, a 1.4 per cent increase over last year. ‘Frozen’ at the Grand Theatre has been extended, now running through to January 4th. Donations will be accepted for the entire length of the production.
