GREAT Theatre presents Frozen! For the first time in forever… experience the musical phenomenon that has taken the world by storm!
Based on the Academy Award-winning animated film, Disney’s Frozen features all the beloved songs you know plus 12 new originals written just for the stage. Bursting with humor, heart, and dazzling theatrical magic, it’s a joyful celebration of being true to yourself, standing by those you love, and embracing the adventure in every snowstorm.
When Elsa’s magical powers accidentally plunge the beautiful, mountainous kingdom of Arendelle into an eternal winter, her fearless sister Anna sets off on a daring quest to bring her home. Along the way, she teams up with a rugged ice harvester, his loyal reindeer, and a hilariously talkative snowman who dreams of summer. Together, they brave the elements and discover that true love can take many forms—and that the bond between sisters is powerful enough to melt even the iciest heart.
Macaroni KID Brainerd interviewed Michael Oberton, a resident of Little Falls, MN. He is one of the many people who help bring our local community theatre to life. Please enjoy this short interview as you get to know one of faces in GREAT Theatre's presentation of Frozen.
Macaroni KID Brainerd: Can you please share your name, your character, and a bit about the character you play?
Michael Oberton: My name is Michael Oberton, and in Frozen I serve as a member of the Ensemble and Understudy the role of Oaken. As a member of the Ensemble, I play a wide range of characters, such as townspeople, a castle butler, a member of the mysterious Hidden Folk, and more. Oaken, on the other hand, is a fantastically jolly and silly shop keeper who has been wonderful to understudy for.
MKB: How did you initially get into acting and how long have you been acting?
MO: I first got into acting at the age of 6 in a small production of Snow White, the first of many one week plays that I took part in, similar to some of the summer camp programming GREAT Theatre currently offers. I haven't stopped acting since, continuing through my education at Little Falls, and going on to study theatre in college. I now continue to act with many wonderful companies whenever I get the chance.
MKB: Assuming you mostly do musical theatre, how do you personally connect music to acting?
MO: I personally enjoy doing a good amount of character work when first starting a production. Reading through the songs, connecting parts to moments and emotions found elsewhere for those characters, and then connecting those moments of character and music to different types of physical expression that can best tell the story of the songs.
MKB: What was your biggest challenge in the show? Why was this a challenge and what lessons can
you take from the challenge?
MO: Understudying a role is always a wonderful challenge and exciting opportunity. When serving as an understudy, and also part of the ensemble, I am learning two fully different parts in the play. Finding the time for myself to properly learn those parts in my head, and also keeping them separate at the same time, can be incredibly challenging, but it is also a very rewarding experience to put it all together. Learning from, and collaborating with, the actor primarily playing the role that I understudy is also an awesome chance to learn more about myself as an actor and how I approach a character. It is a great learning experience!
MKB: What do you do for a career?
MO: I work as a Special Education Paraprofessional at Lincoln Elementary in Little Falls. I get to spend my day working with all sorts of wonderful students in Kindergarten through Second Grade, and helping make sure they have the best learning experience possible! I also freelance as a theatre director, actor, educator, and voice over artist for various projects in Minnesota and beyond.
MKB: What is a fun fact about yourself?
MO: I was “convinced” to audition for Frozen by two of my students who absolutely love the movie. Both of them have spent much of the year enjoying and talking about it, and after all of that I couldn’t help but audition for the production!
GREAT Theatre's production of Frozen takes the stage at Paramount Center for the Arts on April 17 - May 3, 2026.
Find your tickets here before they sell out!
📌 Paramount Center for the Arts
913 W. St. Germain Street
St. Cloud, MN 56301
📱 320-259-5463
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