NR: Were there any surprises?

AL: Energy. Learning how to keep your energy, eat well and take care of yourself is a very big thing.

NR: I would think also that the fact that you're still here after all this time is a surprise, considering the way this show has gone.

AL: You know what? That's true. The biggest surprise is that I'm still here. I did not think I'd want to stay. If somebody would have asked, "Do you want to stay in a show this long?" I would have said, "No, I want to move on and experience more things." But, it's been great.

NR: So, it's still fun?

AL: It's still fun.

NR: That's good. What did it feel like the first time you sang "Lullaby" in front of an audience.

AL: It was a big relief. I was saying to myself, "I can't believe I just sang on Broadway." I remember after our first preview, the curtain came down and I thought, "I just did my first Broadway show. That is so cool."

NR: There are a lot of people in this cast who are doing their first Broadway show.

AL: They've been very good about trying people out.

NR: Now, October 1st, I remember you were crying when you were singing.

AL: I cried a lot of times. You mean the last night of the old show? I got really emotional that night. Once again, it was a release. It was letting go of a special part of my life. It wasn't really sadness, it was just tears of a celebration. It was emotional. You can't say whether it was good or bad. It just had a lot of emotion to it. It was such a special thing that we didn't think was going to run, and the fact that it was still there was just ... I don't know.

NR: What was it like going through the transition, when you were doing one version at night and a different one during the day?

AL: To me it was great because I had a second chance to have another experience, but it was pretty tiring. I had learned to sort of deal with it. The first time we went through tech, I didn't realize how exhausting it would be, so the second time I was glad to have a second chance to do it with a little bit more ease. I knew what the pitfalls were and I knew to take care of myself.

NR: That's a good point. What a great opportunity.

AL: It was incredible. It's just been amazing.

NR: In this show, and it's true in most musicals, the men get all the really good stuff to do and the women are reduced to singing "oohs" and "ahs" in the chorus. Do the women try to establish characters as well? Do you get a chance to do that, or are you just supposed to blend in?

AL: I think we all naturally have different personalities. When you're doing ensemble work, you always bring your own personality to it, and that makes us diverse anyway. But, yeah, you always want to know that you have a character.

NR: In the old show, you were the young girl. How do you view your character now?

AL: Basically, it's my job to add a piece to telling the story.

NR: Well, in "Madame Guillotine," what makes you different from Katie (Nutt) or Stephanie (Bast) or Terry (Richmond)? What makes your character different? Do you have something in your mind that you're thinking but they're not?

AL: Well, I don't know what they're thinking. I know that I'm really goofy in that. Katie and I have a little shtick going on in the back where I hold my hands out in a cup and we pretend that her head's falling and I throw it behind my head.

NR: Augh, we never see that! You must be too far back.

AL: We have our own interactions going. I'm just goofy.

NR: How do you feel that you've grown, and what have you learned during this run?

AL: I could write a book. (laughs) I've learned you can't take every single thing seriously. You have to really have a sense of humor. You have to prioritize. You have to take your career very seriously, but you can't take yourself seriously.

NR: Do you mean that you can't take it personally?

AL: You can't take it personally and you can't let every little thing bend you out of shape. For example, the rejection from other shows while you're auditioning. You've just got to remember why you're doing it.

NR: Has your family come to see the show?

AL: Oh, yes.

NR: What's their reaction?

AL: They love it. My dad and my brother are not real big theater-goers. They're more sports people, but they love it.

NR: Have they dragged all the relatives and the neighbors?

AL: Oh, yeah, it's been endless. Our very first preview of the first show, my parents wanted to go with just a couple of people, but word spread and they ended up taking a bus or something. I was so embarrassed because here I was in the ensemble and I had a whole busload of people. I told everyone, "Don't bring flowers. Don't embarrass me. I want to be cool." I remember Frank Wildhorn and I were in the elevator and he said, "Wow! These are all for you? Congratulations." (laughs)

NR: Well, I bet everyone on that stage has had family members do that at some point.

AL: Oh, yeah. I love my family so much and I know they're so proud, but I just wanted them to be cool. (laughs)

Interview conducted and photographs by Nancy Rosati.