Brooklyn Nelson (born 2003 or 2004) is an American actress. Born in Huntington, West Virginia, Nelson began acting as a child in a local theater production of The Little Mermaid Jr. at age eight. She made her professional debut on Broadway as a small girl swing[a] in Matilda the Musical in 2015. In 2018, she returned to Broadway, originating the role of young Elsa in the stage adaptation of Disney's Frozen along with her counterpart Ayla Schwartz; she had initially played the role in the 2017 Denver pre-Broadway tryout, garnering critical praise. Nelson also lent her voice to the English dub of the characters of Nazuna Oikawa and Medmel in Fireworks (2017) and Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms (2018), respectively.
Brooklyn Nelson | |
|---|---|
| Born | 2003 or 2004 (age 20–21)[1] |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2015–present |
Early life
editNelson was born in Huntington, West Virginia,[3] to Tara and Todd Nelson. She has a younger sister, Lacey.[4] Nelson became passionate about theater at the age of eight, when she landed a role in The Little Mermaid Jr. at Huntington's First Stage Theater.[1] She later appeared in several local productions by First Stage, Curtain Up Players, and the Huntington Regional Theater.[1][4][5] Nelson expressed interest in becoming a Broadway actress after seeing a performance of Matilda the Musical.[1][5] She attended Village of Barboursville Elementary School and Barboursville Middle School.[5][1] She remained enrolled in the latter while rehearsing and performing Frozen; her schoolwork was done online.[4]
Career
editAfter Nelson expressed interest in performing on Broadway, her mother searched for open casting calls on the internet.[1] In April 2015, she auditioned for Matilda the Musical;[5] she was cast after multiple callbacks.[1] She rehearsed for eight to nine hours a day for six weeks to familiarize herself with the show's choreography and music.[5] Her 16-month run in Matilda the Musical began in September 2015 at age 11, where she was a small girl swing,[a] shifting between the roles of Lavender and Amanda Thripp. She eventually moved fully onto the role of Amanda.[1][5][6]
In February 2017, Nelson attended an audition for Disney's Frozen, a Broadway adaptation of the 2013 film of the same name. After three callbacks, she was cast as young Elsa.[1] For several weeks, Nelson attended rehearsals for approximately eight hours a day, six days a week, during which she was tutored and did her schoolwork.[4] An older sister herself, Nelson took inspiration from her real-life dynamics with her younger sister and family. She first played the role in the Denver tryout in 2017, sharing it with Ayla Schwartz.[1] Reception towards the show was mixed, though the cast garnered praise.[7] Critics commended Nelson's performance,[8][9] with Variety stating: "The grown actresses [playing Anna and Elsa] are matched pound for wee pound by the youngsters playing Anna and Elsa as girls. ... Nelson captures a big sister's kind attentiveness and, later, her guilt at accidentally harming [Anna]."[10] In March 2018, she and Schwartz originated the role on Broadway.[4] She appeared in four of the production's eight weekly performances.[1] She left the cast at the end of April 2018.[6] Nelson also sang on the play's Broadway cast recording, which was released in May.[11][12]
In 2017, Nelson voiced Nazuna Oikawa in the English dub of anime film Fireworks,[13] which received mixed reviews.[14] Her second voice role came in 2018's Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms, another anime film, in which she provided the English dub for the character of Medmel.[15] The same year, Nelson appeared as the titular character in Megan's Christmas Miracle, starring opposite Dean Cain.[3][16]
Credits
editTheater
edit| Year | Production | Role | Venue | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015–2016 | Matilda the Musical | Small girl swing[b] / Amanda Thripp | Shubert Theatre | ||
| 2017 | Frozen | Young Elsa | Buell Theatre | Pre-Broadway tryout | |
| 2018 | Frozen | Young Elsa | St. James Theatre |
Film
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Fireworks | Nazuna Oikawa | English dub | |
| 2018 | Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms | Medmel | English dub | |
| Megan's Christmas Miracle | Megan |
Notes
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Gardner, Jeniffer (April 13, 2018). "Local Girl Marks Second Run on Broadway in Frozen the Musical". Charleston Gazette-Mail. Archived from the original on October 18, 2020. Retrieved April 18, 2022.
- ^ Dilella, Frank (August 1, 2010). "Understanding Broadway: The Swing". Playbill. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
- ^ a b c "Dean Cain Stars in Holiday Film Shot in West Virginia". Associated Press. June 8, 2018. Archived from the original on April 16, 2022. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e Nash, Bishop (April 13, 2018). "Local Teen Lands Role in Disney's Frozen on Broadway". The Herald-Dispatch. Archived from the original on May 4, 2022. Retrieved April 18, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f Patrick, Anna (September 6, 2015). "Local, Young Actress Makes Broadway Debut". Charleston Gazette-Mail. Archived from the original on April 20, 2022. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
- ^ a b c d "Brooklyn Nelson". Playbill. Archived from the original on April 10, 2018. Retrieved May 6, 2018.
- ^ Martinelli, Marissa (September 15, 2017). "Here's What Critics Are Saying About the Frozen Musical Before It Heads to Broadway". Slate. Archived from the original on April 17, 2021. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
- ^ Jones, Chris (September 14, 2017). "In Denver, Disney's Frozen Musical Plays It Too Safe with Elsa and Anna". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on April 16, 2022. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
- ^ Wilker, Deborah (September 14, 2017). "Frozen: Theater Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on April 16, 2022. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
- ^ Kennedy, Lisa (September 15, 2017). "Pre-Broadway Review: Frozen, the Musical". Variety. Archived from the original on April 16, 2022. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
- ^ "Frozen: The Broadway Musical (Original Broadway Cast Recording)". Amazon. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
- ^ Hayes, Dade (April 9, 2018). "Frozen Broadway Cast Recording Slated for Release Later This Spring". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 1, 2018. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
- ^ a b Chen, Sandie Angulo. "Fireworks". Common Sense Media. Archived from the original on April 16, 2022. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
- ^ "Fireworks". Metacritic. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
- ^ a b Trumbore, Dave (August 18, 2018). "Jojo's Bizarre Adventure Marathon Continues on Twitch from VIZ Media". Collider. Archived from the original on April 16, 2022. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
- ^ "Actor Dean Cain to Come to Clarksburg for Movie, Will Host Meet and Greet Alongside Former POW Jessica Lynch". WDTV. May 23, 2018. Archived from the original on January 22, 2021. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
- ^ McPhee, Ryan (August 17, 2017). "Disney's Broadway-Bound Frozen Musical Begins Performances in Denver August 17". Playbill. Archived from the original on November 29, 2020. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
