Chelsey plays in key of faith

Watch out, Broadway -- here comes Chelsea Wengler.

"It's a rush, seeing all the people in the audience," the 16-year-old told The Evangelist. "It's a whole new world you get to be a part of. It's like a fantasy world, where you can do anything or be anything."

The Catholic teen's theatrical resume reads like a laundry list of classic musicals. When she's not playing her flute at Sunday Mass at St. John the Baptist Church in Valatie, Chelsea is packing her schedule with rehearsals, songs and service projects.

Music girl

Chelsea first went on stage while in middle school: as a member of the children's band in "The Music Man" at a summer theater. That's when the musical theater bug took hold. Since then, she's had parts in community and school productions of "Bye Bye Birdie," "Hello Dolly," "Cinderella," "The Wizard of Oz" and "42nd Street."

"All I want to do is be on stage," she declared.

Lessons in flute, dance and piano are crammed into a day that may already have a musical rehearsal or a practice for select choir or jazz band at Ichabod Crane High School.

On stage

Chelsea was also part of the Capital District Youth Chorale, which sang at Proctor's Theater in Schenectady during the well-known holiday fundraiser, "Melodies of Christmas," one of the highest honors a local young vocalist can have.

"I like being out there. I like entertaining people," she explained.

At "Melodies" rehearsals, Chelsea met other teens who share her love for singing. She was impressed with the professional way they acted during the rehearsals.

"It was really nice to have such a feeling of familiarity and friendliness," she explained. "That's what I'm looking for in a choir. I like meeting new people, and everyone knew that we were there to sing."

Church role

In her parish Chelsea accompanies the family choir each Sunday during Mass. She is also involved in the parish youth group and in an ecumenical organization, Youth Take Charge.

This year, she participated in the Midnight Run: With other teens from the parish, she collected food and clothing, and took them to New York City for direct distribution to the homeless. She was shocked by what she saw.

"It's really sad; there were too many," she said. "We didn't have enough for everyone. I was actually crying in the end when we didn't have enough."

Broadway dream

This year, the budding actress and choralier was cast as Tzietel in a school production of "Fiddler and the Roof." Like her character, she fosters dreams of her own.

"To be on Broadway, that's a big one," she said. "I'd like to be Annie Oakley in 'Annie Get Your Gun.' No matter what happens, I'd still be a performing arts person."

(1/22/04)