Scott D. Pierce: Santino Fontana: From ‘Frozen’ to ‘Crazy’ to MoTabs

Rachel Bloom was super excited when she saw Santino Fontana's audition tape.

The star, co-creator and executive producer of "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" was so pumped that Fontana — a bigtime Broadway star — was auditioning that she quickly contacted her partner, co-creator/executive producer Aline Brosh McKenna.

"Rachel called me and said, 'You have to see this audition! This is an amazing audition!'" Brosh McKenna said. "'It's Hans in "Frozen"! Hans in "Frozen"! It's Hans in "Frozen"!'

"And I thought his name was Hansen Frozen. Why wouldn't I? So I went to the casting link and I'm looking for the name Hansen Frozen."

If you've seen "Frozen," you've heard Fontana. Yes, he plays Prince Hans; he sings "Love Is An Open Door"; and he's the villain.

He's not the villain in "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend," The CW's off-kilter romantic comedy that's also a musical — there are at least a couple of numbers in each episode.

Fontana plays Greg, who is kind of the forlorn guy who has a bit of a crush on the title character, Rebecca Bunch (Bloom). She quit her high-powered job in New York City to move to West Covina, Calif., in pursuit of her teenage crush, Josh Chan (Vincent Rodriguez III).

It's all sort of, well, crazy.

Greg is a bitter bartender at the local sports bar. He's pals with Josh, and he really, really wants to get out of West Covina.

"I think everybody's been in a place where they want to get the hell out," Fontana said. "I was born in Stockton, California."

OK, 'nuff said about that.

But it turns out that Greg is a good guy who's sort of trapped there because he's caring for his ailing father. And "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" gives Fontana a chance to display his vocal talents.

Yes, he has a great voice. His Broadway credits include "Billy Elliott," "The Importance of Being Earnest," "Cinderella" and "Act One."

And that voice will be on display on Monday … but not in "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" (which returns with original episodes on Jan. 16). Fontana is one of the guest performers in the annual special "Christmas with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir" airing Monday (8 p.m., KUED/Ch. 7).

(The other guest performers are the Muppets. The "Sesame Street" Muppets, that is, not to be confused with Kermit, Miss Piggy and the gang on "The Muppets.")

The MoTabs special was taped a year ago, long before Fontana was on "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend," with its comically risque musical numbers like "What'll It Be" or "Settle for Me."

Oh, and you can also see Fontana in the upcoming NBC police drama "Shades of Blue," co-starring (in a non-singing role) as "a tough cop with a lion's heart who is fiercely loyal to both his crew and his mother, with whom he still lives."

(It premieres Thursday, Jan. 7.)

"Hansen Frozen — he's an amazing actor," Brosh McKenna said.

"Hansen Frozen," Fontana said, rolling his eyes.

Scott D. Pierce covers television for The Salt Lake Tribune . Email him at spierce@sltrib.com; follow him on Twitter @ScottDPierce.