West Virginia Wesleyan College’s theatre will present one of Rodgers and Hammerstein best loved musical classics, Carousel, April 9th-13th. With songs such as If I Loved You, June Is Busting Out All Over and the immortal You’ll Never Walk Alone, the WVWC musical theatre program offers the region an opportunity to share in a slice of classic American musical theatre history. Carousel is seldom performed unless there is an actor capable of playing the role of Billy Bigelow, one of the most difficult roles in the early American musical theatre.

A special appearance by Broadway actor Nat Chandler will be featured as part of the production. Chandler will play the part of the smooth-talking carnival barker who makes all the wrong choices for all the right reasons. Billy Bigelow is extremely challenging both vocally and dramatically and is not readily accessible to most young actors. Consequently, director Bess Park Reynolds contacted an old friend and invited him to come to campus as a guest artist and as a master teacher. “This isn’t a role you just give to anyone,” Reynolds said. “It is in intensely mature and complex dramatic role that is written to be performed by a seasoned actor. I have been waiting for years to make this collaboration happen and I am thrilled that the students at Wesleyan have grown to a level over the past two years to warrant inviting a Broadway professional to campus. I think this is a testament to the excellence of the program and to the potential of the students”

I am also so thankful for the support from the I. L. and Bertha Ann Freeman Fund for helping to bring Chandler to campus. This assistance reveals the amazing support the College has for this type of arts programming.”

Chandler has been seen in the title role of Sir Percival Blakeney in the Tony-Award nominated musical The Scarlet Pimpernel, giving many swashbuckling performances to great acclaim. Chandler has performed in numerous Broadway productions and has regularly been on the stage in the world of opera. His recent roles include Dr. Falke in Die Fledermans with Virginia Opera, Sam in Leonard Bernstein’s Trouble in Tahiti, and Silvio in Pagliacci.

Chandler is a graduate of Furman University and holds a Master’s Degree from Northwestern University in Chicago. Reynolds and Chandler grew up together in the small town of Greenwood, SC. “Twenty-five years ago we were onstage together for the first time in the Opera House Theatre’s production of Carousel. It’s quite sweet and poignant to be working together again after so many years, rediscovering this incredible work. I am thankful for Nat’s willingness to mentor my students and to bring such excellence to our theatre. We are having a blast.”

In this bittersweet love story, Billy Bigelow, falls in love with a mill worker in a little town on the New England coast. Although Billy is killed during a robbery before the birth of his daughter, years later he is allowed to return to earth for one day to redeem himself, and to teach his daughter a very important lesson about life, love, truth, and hope. Vicariously, this search for truth offers us the opportunity to evaluate all things important, including the values of family and friendship, the courage to fight for what we believe in, and the power of the human spirit to support, uplift, transcend and transform us.

Filled with many wonderful dance sequences and song classic such as I Loved You and You’ll Never Walk Alone, it is a must-see for the entire family. Carousel was written by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein and is directed and choreographed by Bess-Park Reynolds, associate professor of theatre.

The showings are Wednesday through Friday, April 9-11 at 8 p.m. and Saturday, April 12 at 2 p.m. and Sunday, April 13 at 4 p.m.

Admission is $4 for adults, $2 for students and senior citizens, and $1 for WVWC students with ID. For more information, contact the box office at Wesleyan at 473-8037.

Mr. Chandler’s appearance is supported by the I. L. and Bertha Ann Freeman Fund.