“Queen Elsa is portrayed by Vanessa Dominguez, a senior at UM’s School of Music, Theatre & Dance (SMTD). Encore veteran Madeline Dick (also a UM SMTD senior) plays Princess Anna. Each brings energy and class to their respective roles. Anna is a fun-loving, innocent girl in search of an answer to her lonely life. Elsa is a complex character, cursed with a power that she cannot control and is afraid of.

Following opening night, Dominguez was asked if she was anything like Elsa? “Elsa is afraid to love. Afraid to get close, so she blocks her feelings,” Dominguez said. “At times, I also have been unable to allow myself to love or get close. I tend to block feelings and keep people at a distance.”

Elsa sings “Dangerous To Dream,” “Let It Go’ and in Act II “Monster,” all a study in self-doubt and fear. Dominguez brings a vulnerability to the role that is mesmerizing. Her voice is strong  and forceful yet fear envelopes every word. Her rendition of “Monster” was gut wrenching. Her songs are the musical version of her line: “Conceal it. Don’t feel it. Don’t let it show.”