RICH LOPEZ | Staff Writer
After Tuesday night’s opening of Moulin Rouge! The Musical at Bass Performance Hall, Rodney Thompson (he/they) had a crowd surrounding him at the stage door. These weren’t just fans though, they were friends and family. Thompson has been on tour with the musical and right now, he’s back home.
“Being in your hometown is hectic,” he said earlier by phone before the show opened. “But it all feels right. I have friends and family and teachers coming. I’m so grateful. Those Bass Hall angels have been ingrained in me since I was a boy, so it feels good to be here.”
Thompson plays Baby Doll, one of the four Lady Ms that deliver the iconic “Lady Marmalade” number. The last time he was on the Bass Hall stage was as a teenager for a talent show. Now, that talent is front and center.
“It feels surreal but coming here reminds me how far I’ve come and this makes it feel real,” the 25 year-old said.
As Baby Doll, the actor’s entire role is in drag which is a first for Thompson. In a bob, bra and heels, he delivered a fierce and fabulous character. But playing Baby Doll since March has also become a learning experience that he didn’t expect.
He describes it as one of the coolest experiences he’s had.
“This role is helping me discover who I am. As a gay man, it’s helped me explore sides of my sexual expression and gender identity on and off stage,” he said.
Particularly on two show days where he has a break in between but also a fully beat face. “I am not gonna take off that makeup just to put it back on in a couple of hours,” he assured.
When he’s gone out in full makeup before his evening show, Thompson found himself to be empowered.
“I was a little shy at first because you don’t know, but it has really built my confidence to a level I never thought it could be. I think it’s also a concept that not a lot of gay men get to explore or discover. I’m a gay male but I use he/him, they/them pronouns and I really think I’m not so different from my character,” he said.
Outside of performing Kinky Boots for summer stock and a senior college show, he’d never been in drag. Today, Thompson’s one of the girls – and he’s here for it.
Thompson graduated from Keller’s Central High School in 2018 and received his performing arts degree at Oklahoma City University in 2023. That fall, he joined the Funny Girl tour as well as moved to New York City. He debuted on Broadway this January in Elf. His Moulin Rouge journey began in February.
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But he’s been a singer all his life being raised in the church by his parents who run a place of worship. After his first time on stage in Beauty and the Beast as a high school sophomore, he knew what his dream was.
“I played Lefou, Gaston’s sidekick and then I won a best actor award for that small role,” he said. “I remember walking off the stage knowing this was what I wanted. I was 16 years old and at 23, I was on Broadway.”
His church choir director encouraged him to try the stage. Before Beauty and the Beast, she asked him to play Carlos in Legally Blonde – also, a gay character.
“I said ‘No.’ I knew I was held back by my identity and I turned down a full year of performances for fear of being seen as a gay man. That was hard for me,” he said.”By my senior year, I was out as a gay man. Finding theater and this community of girls, guys, gays and theys who really appreciated me, taught me who I was.”
He’s still learning about himself as he’s taken on Baby Doll, but this time, with a bolstered ferocity.
“’I’ve gotten to showcase how bold and beautiful being gay is while in heels and a wig, but I’ve also gotten to show my joy and heart,” he said.
The crowd around him Tuesday night were all reminiscing and casually chatting with their friend. But what Thompson doesn’t forget is that these are the people who were there as he ascended into his dreams.
The actor literally can-can-can because of his hometown.
“I have to shout out my high school’s Sarah Devito and Josh Harriman. They really paved this way for me. And Jen Randall who got me into show choir,” he said. “Kelly Himes showed me how to navigate my voice and Sonya and Sean Hardy gave me the opportunity to dance when I couldn’t afford to. Now I get paid to dance. I would not be here with any of these people.”
Moulin Rouge! The Musical runs through Sunday at Bass Hall.