A Cabaret for a Fallen Star

IN A LONG TRADITION OF GREAT Dartmouth actors, David James Carroll '72 was one of the best. Fresh out of college he landed Broadway and off Broadway roles, lust four years out, he originated the leading role of Joseph in "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat."In March, at the pinnacle of hiscareer, he died of AIDS.

In the show must go on tradition, Carroll continued singing and actingdespite knowing that his illness hadleft Him greatly weakened. Whilerecording the soundtrack to "GrandHotel" (for which he received a TonyAward nomination as Baron Felix vonGaigern) at the BMG/RCA RecordingStudio in Manhattan, Carroll suffereda pulmonary embolism and diedislanding at the microphone.

In tribute to Carroll, last June thereunion classes of 1976,'77, and'78held a "Cabaret" in Spaulding Auditorium. The event was a reprise ofsorts of a one-man talent show Carollgave in 1986 for his 15th reunion,the highlight of this year's event wasan emotional rendition of "I Know Him So Well," a song from the musical "Chess" that was sung by Adrienne Alexander Ruegger '76 andMartha Hennessey '76. While thetwo women never attended Dartmouth with Carroll, they did act withhim while they attended HanoverHigh. At that time, weren'tenough female Dartmouth studentsto fill all the roles.

"Chess" had netted Carroll one of two Tony nominations. His role as Rodolfo in the musical "La Boheme," where he acted alongside Linda Ronstadt, spurred a New York critic to describe him as "the best-acted Rodolfo this critic has yet to encounter in any theater or opera house."

Even as astudent,Carroll wasan early bit.