HUNTINGTON - Brooklyn Nelson is living a 13-year-old girl's dream.
Not only has the Barboursville Middle School eighth-grader landed a leading role in a Broadway production, but she's also played a part in successfully launching Disney's "Frozen: The Broadway Musical," the stage adaptation of the wildly popular 2013 animated film.
Nelson is originating the role of Young Elsa in the production, which opened March 22 at the legendary St. James Theatre in New York City.
"It is such an honor to originate and play this role," Nelson wrote in an email from New York City.
"I love being able to show all of the emotions Young Elsa feels during her part of the story - the happiness and joy and love she feels with her sister, and then the sorrow and pain that comes when she accidentally hurts Anna, as well as trying to conceal who she is.
"I feel a lot of people relate to Elsa."
"Frozen" isn't her first time onstage - it's not even her first Broadway role. Nelson completed a 16-month run of "Matilda" in January 2017, first as a "swing" actress cast through an open call before landing the parts of Lavender and Amanda Thripp.
Prior to her professional career, she appeared in many local productions through the First Stage Theater Company, Curtains Up Players and the Huntington Area Regional Theater, such as "The Little Mermaid Junior" and "Once on the Island Junior."
òòò½ÊÓƵ "Matilda" came to a close, Nelson auditioned for "Frozen" in the early developmental lab stages, when a show is still being worked on prior to a full run. After three callbacks from the role of Young Elsa, she finally got the call.
"My mom videoed my reaction," she added. "I cried happy tears."
The year quickly filled with endless rehearsals for the monthlong developmental lab, the pre-Broadway run in Denver, Colorado, and finally in preparation for Broadway.
"We were usually called in for about eight hours a day, six days a week, for several weeks, but part of that was also being tutored and doing all of our schoolwork," said Nelson, who remains enrolled at Barboursville Middle while completing her studies online.
The preshow nerves still remain, and Nelson uses several rituals to help her feel confident, particularly in her voice. She uses a steam inhaler, drinks hot tea with honey, avoids dairy, listens to relaxing music and goes through a long vocal warmup prior to each show.
The Broadway production of "Frozen" features twice as many songs as the film, and it's nothing short of a dream for her.
"It is an amazing feeling to be able to do it," Nelson said. "I love getting to work with so many super talented people and be able to learn so much from them, and I also love being a part of putting a smile on the audience members' faces."
Brooklyn is the daughter of Todd and Tara Nelson, of Barboursville, and currently lives in New York City with her mother and younger sister, Lacey.
Brooklyn's Broadway experience can be followed through her Facebook and Instagram pages, as well as her professional website, .
Follow reporter Bishop Nash on Twitter @BishopNash.
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