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Photo by Tony Cloer,
Courtesy of Alison Fraser |
ALISON
FRASER has appeared on Broadway in the original casts of the musicals
ROMANCE / ROMANCE and THE SECRET GARDEN. She recently finished a
Broadway run
as stripper Tessie Tura in the GYPSY revival with Patti LuPone & played
Mrs. Darbus in the HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL touring stage production.
Special thanks to
Kristopher McDowell
Productions for their assistance in arranging this interview. |
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As Tessie Tura in GYPSY
Photo by Joan Marcus
Source:
Playbill.com |
You played one of the most outrageous characters
in the recent Broadway run of GYPSY – stripper Tessie Tura. What did you want to
bring to such a recognizable character and what was your favorite aspect of
playing her? It's funny, but I
don't see Tessie as outrageous at all. I just think of her as a sad, tired woman
doing the best she can in difficult circumstances. It's the height of the
depression, she has no education, no family, and she's aging fast. She feels
that she is above her low station, but has no way of getting out of it. The only
bright spot in her bleak life is meeting Louise and championing her. She
provides a lot for Gypsy — her stage name, her dress, her shoes, her gloves, her
makeup. Many aspects of Gypsy's ultimate stage persona came directly from Tessie.
Above all, her ladylike demeanor in a decidedly non-ladylike profession had a
great effect on Gypsy's act. The brilliant Arthur Laurents let me explore the
sadness and anger of Tessie, rather than going the more traditional route of
bubbleheaded broad. There is nothing light about the sex industry — it's a dark
place, in which people who basically have no other choice in life are exploited
by others. I am grateful that Arthur let me explore the darkness.
In THE SECRET GARDEN, you were given one of the
show’s big power ballads, "Hold On." In addition to great vocal range, what do
you feel a vocalist needs to pull off a good power ballad?
The singer's best
friend is a great musical director. He or she is the one who will listen to the
voice and say, yeah, that's a great key, but let's try this one and see where it
goes. Michael Kosarin was terrific with me in THE SECRET GARDEN — he knew just
where to place Lucy Simon's soaring melody so it sat exactly right in my quirky
voice. A song like "Hold On" has to deliver, so it's important that the build is
proper. You have to have somewhere to go, so don't start off too strong. And
eat you oatmeal, because you'll need your strength!
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As Mrs. Darbus in the 2007 national tour
of DISNEY'S HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL
Source: Alison Fraser.com |
Younger audiences might recognize you as Mrs.
Darbus in the national tour of the stage version of HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL. How did
your son Nat feel about his mom appearing in such a hugely popular teen hit?
My son loved the show,
which was a huge surprise because he's not the biggest musical theatre fan. But
HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL has universal appeal because it's more than a fluffy little
musical. It's the story of the search for identity, and the need for tolerance.
In the world of HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL, clique boundaries are crossed, and art is
served by the union of differing forces. I am a big fan of this underrated show,
and director Jeff Calhoun elevated what could have been perceived as minor
material to an important statement about youth and its passions.
You’ve been dedicating much of your time to
“Sweet Appreciation,” a special project celebrating the life and work of your
late husband, musician Rusty Magee. Could you tell us more about “Sweet
Appreciation” and, for those of us who didn’t have the pleasure of knowing him,
what we should know about Rusty as a person and as an artist?
Ooo, that's a big
question. I would suggest visiting the website
www.sweetappreciation.com to read all about
Rusty Magee. He was an astonishing talent, and one of my missions is to make
sure his music lives on. THE CZAR OF ROCK AND ROLL, the musical he wrote with
Lewis Black, is being done at Joe's Pub soon, and THE GREEN HEART is a gem
waiting to be discovered. It had an unsuccessful run at Manhattan Theatre Club
thirteen years ago, but the score has been restored to what Rusty originally
intended, and Charles Busch has tweaked the script, and it is in wonderful
shape. I really hope someone does a full production of it, because this is a
neglected show that has fantastic commercial and artistic potential.
So what's next on your schedule?
Soon I start a
workshop of a hilarious new musical called BIG MONEY. I really enjoy working on
new projects, so it will be a fun two weeks. I also attend Fordham University
full time, so I have lots of homework! Wish me luck on my physics final...
Learn more about Alison Frasier....
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