Just a Google search away

Do you ever wonder what ever happened to good old Delbert. You know, the college friend to whom you were once so close but after graduation and the real world, you have no idea where he is. What he's doing. Who he's doing. Well a few months ago, I started thinking about a dear close friend from college days, Cheryl. Cheryl Felicia Rhoads, the bull-horn of the mid-west. Cheryl came to the U of I from the burbs of Chicago to study theatre. A gifted and talented actress already she made her mark early on the theatre department and beyond. Back in the day we used to do huge musicals at the Hancher Auditorium, a beautiful 2500 seat house on the campus. Her freshman year it was Cabaret and Cheryl wanted the part of Fraulein Schneider, a truly great and dramatic musical-theatre role. Well after the initial "cattle call" auditions she did NOT get called back for the role. Taking after her sweet, timid, mother.....right?!?!...Cheryl marches herself into Cosmo Catalano's office. He's not only the director but the chair of the department. "What do you mean, I'm not called back for Schneider?!?" Well suffice to say Cheryl got the part. As a Freshman mind you among a cast of some the most talented graduate students I've seen, she got the part. And was brilliant in it! I can still see it, feel it, relive the moment when she finished her dramatic Act II song, What Would You Do? She didn't get thunderous applause at that moment. You could hear a pin drop in that huge auditorium. The ultimate compliment, the audience was so entranced with her performance, they could barely move, let alone applaud. I shall never forget it. Now back to my point I guess. So I Googled her name and lo and behold found several articles about her including her email address. I wrote right away and much to my delight she replied right away. She had been and still is making her living in acting and writing. For 21 years in Hollywood and now in the DC area, teaching. How lucky those students are to have Ms Rhoads as a teacher. I'm including (hopefully) a compilation video of some of her work. ( Ok, I can't seem to get the blasted video to load, yo can always go to You Tube-Cheryl Felicia Rhoads and check it out) I can recall her doing similar routines for our regular little college lunch click in the River Room Cafeteria. Although I don't seem to find the one of her singing the Aldonza song from Man of la Mancha as Shirley Temple. I nearly choked on my chicken. I love you Cheryl.