Those of us fortunate enough to have seen the original version of The Scarlet Pimpernel remember Alison as the young girl, Chloe, who sang "Lullaby" so poignantly in the prison scene. That solo has since been removed from the show, but you can still hear her sing it on the OBC CD. Alison and I spoke a bit about what it felt like to land a Broadway role fresh out of college and how she's grown personally in the past year and a half.

NR: Where did you grow up?

AL: I grew up in East Windsor, New Jersey, which is fifteen minutes from Princeton.

NR: I believe you went to college in Pennsylvania?

AL: Yeah, Muhlenberg.

NR: Where's that in Pennsylvania?

AL: Allentown.

NR: That's not too far from here. Did you come into the city a lot?

AL: Well, as a kid...my dad worked in the city and he would take me in once in awhile. But, I really didn't feel comfortable coming in by myself until I was near the end of school.

NR: When did you decide to perform?

AL: Professionally?

NR: Yeah, when did you decide, "This is what I want to be when I grow up?"

AL: Well, I knew when my dad took me to see Annie when I was five. I know everyone went through that, but, I didn't really stick to it until my last year of college.

NR: What convinced you then? Were you doing a lot of shows in school?

AL: Yeah, I got my Equity eligibility from doing summer stock at my school. I just thought, "It's time to do this" and I got lucky right away.

NR: That's great. Did you get this job right out of college?

AL: Pretty much.

NR: That's terrific. What degree did you receive in college?

AL: I have a B.A. in Drama and a certification in Elementary Education, so I'm a teacher.

NR: Really? Did you think about teaching instead of doing this?

AL: I did, but I knew that this passion was a lot greater than teaching and I knew it wouldn't be fair to not allow myself to go for what I really had a passion for. But, when I did student teach, I loved it, and I used a lot of theater in my student teaching. That sort of inspired me. In one of my field work placements, I took a boring social studies lesson and turned it into a play. They loved it. There were a lot of songs, a lot of music, and a lot of interactive stuff, and it went over really well. My cooperating teacher and my school really loved it because I was always on my feet and I was always making things really clear. That was one of the most satisfying things in school.

NR: That sounds wonderful.

AL: I remember that one of the kids had a really bad learning disability and I gave him the lead. He memorized all his lines. He did so well, so it was important.

NR: Super. Did you audition for other shows before Pimpernel?

AL: Yeah, I auditioned for whatever was in town.

NR: What was your audition for this show like?

AL: My audition for this was totally hysterical. It was a hoot. I went in there and I sang "Silent Night" like a little girl and I tried to make myself look as young as possible - really, really young, because I knew that they were looking for someone to do the "Lullaby." So I just sang like a little kid and had three call backs after that. I danced and I sang a Celine Dion song for my call back. It was totally fun. It was one of those things that just made sense. I just did it. I didn't think about it. That's probably why I ended up getting it.

NR: You weren't obsessing about it at all?

AL: Not at all. In fact, I was planning on starting a Master's at N.Y.U. in Educational Theater and I was just going to take a few credits there. I have to say that it took a month from the time they called until I got my contract. Until my name was on the dotted line I couldn't believe it. I really thought I was going to start my classes.

NR: What did it feel like when you finally got here? Was it what you expected?

AL: Yeah, everything just fell into place and felt very natural. Working with these people is just a dream. Working with so many talented, wonderful, great people is really great.

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)

NR: So, what's the best part of this job?

AL: I think all the friends I've made, and the money. (laughs)

NR: What's the worst part?

AL: The worst part? The worst part ... I don't know.

NR: How about being tired? Or not being able to go out with friends on a weekend?

AL: Yeah, not having more than a day off is tough. You have to squeeze everything into Mondays. That's probably the worst part.

NR: But it's worth it?

AL: Totally!

NR: What advice would you give someone who wants to be an actor?

AL: Go to school if you can. Try to learn a lot about things other than actual theater knowledge. You need good technique and good teachers. Do a lot of plays and readings but have life experience too because the life experience helps. It can get intense and sometimes you have to roll with things, so you'll be able to cope. You'll be able to go with it if you're solidly grounded.

NR: What's the best advice you were given?

AL: I had two professors in school who said, "Just go for it. You should just do it. Just go and don't hold back." I had a tendency to hold back and they told me to just go and just dive in.

NR: Now, you probably answered this already. I was going to ask if you weren't a performer, what would you be. I guess you would be a teacher.

AL: I guess so. I think drama in schools is just so important. I think the fact that they always cut the arts first is not very good at all. It's very good for children. Even if you're not necessarily performing, if you can take anything in a classroom that the kids are not getting and then break it down into something by doing a skit, or turning something into a song, or doing something creative with it, I just think it's so important. And also, doing the plays and all the shows and stuff. But, mainly, if teachers can bring it to the classroom as much as possible, it helps.

NR: Does it surprise you that the League supports the ensemble too, and not only the leads?

AL: (enthusiastically) No, I think it's great! I think it's so great. I love it.

NR: I heard that you went to the Wildhorn brunch the other day.

AL: Yes, I stopped by for a couple of minutes on my way over.

NR: Does it feel kind of strange to have this big group of fans?

AL: Yeah, it was a little overwhelming.

NR: What do you wish you had more time for?

AL: I wish I had more time to see my family and to see other plays.

NR: What would you like to do in the future?

AL: I want to do everything. (laughs)

NR: Do you want to do a lead?

AL: Of course. I would love to originate a lead. That would be really fun. A little character part would be great. I would love to do a sitcom. I would really love to do a half hour sitcom. I'd really love to do a straight play, like Noel Coward or something.

NR: Have you ever thought of recording, or anything like that?

AL: I'd love to do that too. I don't know. I'm not as familiar with the music industry. But I think that would be great.

NR: Well, good luck. Thanks so much.

AL: You're welcome.

Alison is so sweet and you always see her with a big smile on her face. She's had the good fortune to get to Broadway in a very short period of time and she's aware of what a great opportunity she's been given. She has her entire career ahead of her and I wish her the very best in the future.

Questions suggested by:

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