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Kristen Anderson-Lopez’s Hollywood dream day started with a classic mom moment. The night before she and her husband, Robert Lopez, won the Oscar for Best Original Song for “Let it Go,” the epic anthem from “Frozen,” she woke up at 3am with one pressing thought: She had forgotten to sign her daughter, Katie, up for softball. She went online to finish the registration—Katie was waitlisted—and then couldn’t fall back asleep.
There’s an irony here that just about any mom can appreciate: For Anderson-Lopez, who is the lyricist in a wife-and-husband songwriting team, a personal struggle that informs “Let It Go” is the idea of letting oneself be a “Good Enough Mom,” as opposed to treating motherhood as a “competitive sport.” Instead of aiming for motherly perfection in all things, Anderson-Lopez is uncompromising about compromises. “[It’s okay to] give them organic carrots and chicken nuggets,” she says about her endearingly imperfect strategy on whipping up dinner for her kids. “We can all let it go and give each other a break.”
Despite her sleeplessness, Anderson-Lopez would have an Oscars to remember. Indirectly, she and her husband were connected to the night’s most glorious gaffe—when John Travolta came on stage to introduce Broadway songstress Idina Menzel, who was to perform “Let It Go,” and inadvertently re-named the singer “Adele Dazim.” But when it was their own turn at the podium, the musical couple couldn’t have been more articulate or charming. Vibrating with joy, they took turns and poured their hearts into an acceptance speech filled with gracious thanks and playful rhymes like: “John Lasseter, happy Oscars to you! Let’s do ‘Frozen 2!’”
For Lopez, a noted composer who counts among his credits the music for “Avenue Q” and “The Book of Mormon,” the Oscar had the added perk of making him, at 39, the youngest EGOT winner in history. That is, he’s one of 12 people to win an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony award. For Anderson-Lopez, the Oscar was the high-point (so far) of a career that has blended acting, music, and—most-recently—lyric-writing. In fact, she originally met Lopez at a forum for writers in musical theater, where he showcased early versions of “Avenue Q” tunes. They married in 2003, and took the struggling-to-successful artist’s trajectory from their salad days in Astoria, to Manhattan where they had their first child, and then to Brooklyn when preschool applications loomed.
No surprise, their home in Park Slope is anchored by a baby grand piano in the living room, and Anderson-Lopez likes to joke that her daughters, 9-year-old Katie and 4-year-old Annie, could both “match pitch before they could speak.” When not having impromptu dance parties or singing around the piano, the family loves their weekend outings to the Brooklyn Children’s Museum, Prospect Park Zoo, and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.
Though it’s not all fun and games—while being immersed in “Frozen” since 2012, the couple was also dealing with ailing parents and a home renovation. So how do they manage to integrate work and life? In part by giving each other time and space as needed—and sometimes not. Anderson-Lopez notes that she and her husband always seem to have one big fight before a big creative leap. “[It’s] to cleanse the palate and get rid of all the power dynamics,” she explains.
Much as “Frozen” explores the sometimes-dark side of sisterhood, while still acknowledging its power, Anderson-Lopez notes that “it’s magical” when her daughters get along, but, moment-to-moment, that’s hardly a given. Anderson-Lopez’s younger daughter, Annie, will sometimes kick at the door when her older sister Katie doesn’t want to play.
“To Annie, Katie really does have super-powers,” Anderson-Lopez says.
However, Katie herself sometimes feels like her younger sister has “cuteness power,” as it is Annie whom everyone coos over and wants to hear sing “Let It Go.”
Sibling rivalries aside, Katie and Annie both happily traveled to Los Angeles for Oscar weekend, and stayed up to watch their parents’ big win. The best part? During mom and dad’s acceptance speech, the girls were treated to a reward of their own.
“This song is inspired by our love for you,” Anderson-Lopez spoke out to her daughters at the end of the acceptance speech. “And the hope that you never let fear and shame keep you from celebrating the unique people that you are. Thank you! We love you!”
