For 16-year-old Micah Field, stepping into the role of Elsa in College Station High School’s production of Frozen was about much more than singing a famous Disney song or wearing a sparkling ice dress. It was about telling the deeper story behind one of Disney’s most misunderstood characters — and making audiences feel every emotion along the way.

While many people know Elsa from the animated movie, Micah says the stage musical reveals an entirely different side of the character.

“What I loved most about playing Elsa was how well the musical follows her journey,” Micah shared. “The movie truly doesn’t do justice to Elsa’s story, but the musical adaptation does.”

Throughout the production, Micah loved showing Elsa’s transformation from fearful and isolated to confident and self-assured. One of her favorite moments came during the emotional scenes with Anna, especially before the song “I Can’t Lose You,” when the sisters begin trying to repair their relationship. Musically, though, she says “Monster” was especially meaningful because it explores Elsa’s deepest fears and emotional struggles.

“In that song, she believes her powers are too dangerous and that maybe everyone would be better off if she was gone,” Micah explained. “But by the end, she realizes she can use her powers for good.”

Of course, no production is complete without a little backstage chaos — and Micah admits accidents seem to follow her from show to show. During opening night of Frozen, she slipped on her ice dress in the middle of “Colder by the Minute” and cut open her knee.

“After I fell, I didn’t leave the stage until the show was over, so I had no idea I was bleeding,” she laughed. “Once I got offstage, it was definitely a rude awakening!”

Still, one of the most magical moments of the entire production was hearing audience reactions during “Let It Go.”

“It sounds corny, but it really was magical,” she said. “Seeing all the little girls dancing in the audience and watching people react to such an iconic song was one of those moments where you realize, ‘This is why I do what I do.’”

One of Micah’s biggest goals while portraying Elsa was making her feel real rather than simply playing her as a classic Disney princess.

“Disney movies tend to simplify characters, and I didn’t want Elsa’s story to seem simple, because it isn’t,” she said. “It took time to develop my relationship with the character, but it was absolutely worth it.”

The experience also created lasting friendships, especially with Jaeden McMurray, who played Anna.

“We were friendly before, but after rehearsals started something shifted,” Micah said. “We’re both so passionate about theatre and Frozen, and now she’s like the older sister I never had.”

Like many theatre performers, Micah also had her own pre-show rituals, including steamed lemonade with ginger and lemon before every performance — plus plenty of water every night to keep her voice performance-ready.

Beyond the lights, costumes, and standing ovations, Micah says Frozen taught her one lesson above all else: everyone deserves love and acceptance.

“Elsa struggles with feeling dangerous and unworthy of love, but Anna reminds her that she’s loved no matter what,” Micah said. “I think that’s such an important message.”

When she’s not rehearsing or performing, Micah enjoys reading and singing songs outside of whichever production she’s currently involved in — though theatre is never far from her mind. After falling in love with musical theatre at age nine, she already knows exactly where she hopes the future leads.

“The dream is Broadway one day!”