Barbara Walsh ’75 - “Center Stage”
Insights, Spring ’04

Fifty-five Montgomery College alumni, faculty, retirees, and friends anxiously await the curtain’s rise to see “their own” Barbara Walsh ’75, cast as Velma Von Tussle in Broadway’s Hairspray. Expecting the attractive brunette to appear, the group is surprised to see her as a platinum blonde with “big” hair. Despite her role as a conniving, manipulative mother of a high school student, the MC crowd is filled with pride.

After the show, Barbara Walsh is the center of attention at the reception in her honor between the Sunday matinee and evening show. Her sincerity and gratitude are heartwarming as she greets each fan with interest, and reminisces about growing up in Montgomery County. Walsh is no stranger to the stage. She is recognized for a variety of roles including a Tony nomination and the Los Angeles Ovation Award for her role as Trina in the Tony Award-winning musical Falsettos. Other national tours include Oklahoma, Nine, Les Misérables, and Chess. Her Broadway credits include Mrs. Baskins in Big, Mrs. Lyons in Blood Brothers, and Joan Baez in Rock ‘n Roll: The First 5,000 Years. In Chicago, Walsh played Mother in the Tony Award-winning musical Ragtime.