Diamondback Online - The University of Maryland's Independent Daily Student Newspaper

For many of us, the main goal of going to college is to get a degree to help us live a successful, and hopefully happy, life.

For university alumnus Teren Carter, who graduated in the '80s, his undergraduate degree functioned as a backup to his true passion: Acting. Now, 20 years later, Carter is appearing in the Bethesda Theatre's production of Smokey Joe's Café - The Songs of Leiber and Stoller.

Though Carter majored in electrical engineering, he had always been involved in the performing arts on the side, he said. During his time at the university, Carter was also involved in Alpha Phi Alpha, theater, dancing, modeling and the gospel choir.

"Like your parents always say, 'Always have something to fall back on,'" Carter said. "I knew I wanted a good, solid education … just in case I needed some good practical skills while I was working towards becoming a singer, actor or entertainer."

Carter spent time in Tokyo during his senior year as a runway model. He said it was while abroad that he began to really develop a passion for entertainment, and as a result, decided to move to New York City after graduation in pursuit of his dream.

In the city, Carter relied on his degree to support himself while pursuing his entertainment career.

While working as a programmer, he auditioned for theater productions, landing his first role in a German production of Miss Saigon.

Since then, Carter has performed across the nation on various tours, finding himself in Hilton Head, S.C., and Atlantic City, Ga., and in shows such as Jesus Christ Superstar.

Today, Carter works as a web developer in New York when he is not performing. According to Carter, he spends half the year working and the other half performing around the nation.

When Carter, who is a Baltimore native, saw an advertisement online for auditions for the Bethesda Theatre production of Smokey Joe's Café, he jumped at the opportunity.

"Because I knew that it was playing here in Bethesda, being from Baltimore, I wanted to come home and have a chance to play in my home state," Carter said. "I knew it was a great show, the theater had a great reputation and it was a chance to work with a great director."

Smokey Joe's Café is directed by Chet Walker, who is known for his work with the late Bob Fosse, a Broadway legend. The '90s Broadway production ran for several years, won a Grammy Award for Best Musical and earned seven Tony Award nominations.

Smokey Joe's Café is a musical revue of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller's songwriting careers, which includes hits such as Elvis Presley's "Hound Dog," The Clovers' "Love Potion No. 9" and Ben E. King's "Stand by Me."

Carter, who is a principal in the revue, hasn't performed in Maryland since 1998. His last appearance on a Maryland stage was as Mr. Flashlight in the live-action Nickelodeon production of The Rugrats.

For Carter, performing close to home is more than just being in a familiar place. It is also a chance for him to share his work with his family, who still lives in Baltimore.

"It's wonderful, because there's nothing like ... coming home, being able to have your family be part of what you do and see what you do," Carter said.

Carter also said he is grateful for the time he spent at the university, which gave him the courage to try new things. Along with his technical education, he had a chance to try new things with a wide variety of extracurricular activities, he said.

"[The university] was the beginning of my world kind of opening up," Carter said. "Being from Baltimore, I had not had a whole lot of experience of people from all over the country, all over the world. It was the beginning of my independence and the beginning of me living on my own as an adult."

Smokey Joe's Café premieres at the Bethesda Theatre on April 3 - May 11. Tickets are $40 to $75.

dnhan@umd.edu

Article Tools