Inside The Prom With Tod Petersen

In the Chanhassen Dinner Theatre production of The Prom, locally-based actor Tod Petersen plays Barry Glickman, who – in Petersen’s own words – is a “self-serving, narcissistic, flamboyantly gay, washed-up Broadway star” who has put himself into the issue that is center to the plot.

“[Glickman] thinks very highly of himself on the outside,” explained Petersen, “but through his relationship with Emma, the lesbian high school student that he goes to Indiana to…find his own humanity. He discovers empathy and kindness, and lets down his big, sparkly, colorful, flamboyant facade and finds his own humanity, his hurt, his loneliness, his alienation.”

Petersen goes on to say that Glickman, like one of the main characters Emma, are “both are estranged from their parents, and they bond over that.”

In fact, the role Glickman has been on Petersen’s radar for a while. Over his 20-year acting career, Petersen had been seen on many of our local stages across the Twin Cities. He recently appeared in Chanhassen’s production of The Music Man.

One of the challenges if bringing a production such as The Prom to Chanhassen’s audiences is to deliver the musical’s message to its audiences. “I’ve been working there for 21 years,” explained Petersen, “but I’ve been an audience member for 50 years. I grew up in Mankato and I went up to the Chanhassen and sat out in the house and dreamt about doing exactly what I’m doing now. And so, to be a part of this advancement of inclusion and representation is a thrill.”

If there is a soul to the production, Petersen talks about one of the key scenes in The Prom. “There’s a line where the school principal Tom Hawkins (played by Joe Nathan Thomas),” Petersen explained. He asks Emma, ‘What do you want?’ And she said, ‘I just want to go to prom like every kid.’”

“Every kid just wants to be normal,” Petersen continued. “Just live their life. Just do the things that kids do, and not be a topic, not be a political pawn or a story, or… They just want to be a kid. And I think that this story, and this production, and this avenue of education, avenue of enlightenment, is perfect for this older Chanhassen audience that maybe wouldn’t seek out this production unless it was at the Chanhassen.”

The Prom is currently playing at the Chanhassen Dinner Theatre through June 10. To get your tickets, log on to www.chanhassendt.com

Don’t forget to bring your friends for a great and uplifting time with us in Chanhassen!