Coming 2024 Holiday Season:

Read a behind-the-curtain story as to how my learning disability impacted this interview with Alison Fraser in my soon-to-be-released book, Behind The Curtain: The Mistakes, Lessons Learned & Triumphs of Interviewing Celebrities.

Original 2010 Interview:

Tonight, I had the distinct pleasure of sitting down with two-time Tony Nominee Alison Fraser after seeing her amazingly wonderful comedic genius of a performance in Charles Busch's The Divine Sister.

In this interview, Alison answered my call to reveal:

• Her inspirations
• Who she dreams about
• Her proudest moment
• Unusual talents
• So much more

You can catch Alison in The Divine Sister, along with fellow Call Me Adam participants Charles Busch and Julie Halston at Theater for The New City through March 7, 2010.

Connect with Alison: Website

1. Who inspired you to become a performer? Anthony Newley. I fell madly in love with him when I was fifteen and the die was cast. I got to meet him years later when I interviewed him for TimeOut and he was even better than I had imagined him. An amazing talent, and a really interesting guy.

2. Who is the one person you haven't worked with that you would like to? P!nk. I am totally obsessed with her and I desperately want to play her mother in a music video. Hopefully there will be aerial stunt work involved.

3. If you could dream about anyone while you sleep, who would it be? My late husband, Rusty Magee. A lot of other people have told me they have been visited by him in their dreams, and I haven't been, so I am jealous.

4. What is your proudest moment? I would have to say Sweet Appreciation. This was the night 300 people got together at the West Bank Cafe to celebrate my husband while he was still around to enjoy it. Lew Black really helped put this evening together and there were some great performers such has Rebecca Luker and Mary Testa. But the definite high point was when Rusty performed. He was on fire.

Alison Fraser and Me (Adam Rothenberg) at The Divine Sister
Theater For The New City in NYC

5. Favorite quote? Jonathan Swift: “Happiness is the perpetual possession of being well deceived.”

6. Do you have any strange or unusual talent that no one knows about? I used to be an acrobat. I’m very, very flexible. Are you listening P!nk?

7. Starbucks or Dunkin' Donuts? Dunkin’ Donuts all the way. They use free trade coffee, they don't burn it, they put the milk in for you and they are cheaper.

8. What do you order? Large coffee, whole milk. With a delicious breakfast sandwich on a biscuit if I am feeling peckish.

9. Favorite skin care product? Obagi physical sun block, Sabon "mud" soap, and almond oil. Almond oil, you ask? Our costume designer Fabio Toblini told me it's the best remedy for dry shins. It works great, but my cats keep licking my legs.

10. Favorite website?awfulplasticsurgery.com and gawker.com are guilty pleasures. Whenever I look a hundred years old in the mirror and think, hmmmm, a little nip, a little tuck, I go to awfulplasticsurgery.com, get revolted, and save myself thousands of dollars.

11. "Mary" or "Rhoda"? Mary. Rhoda's self-deprecation wears a bit thin. "ooh I'm so homely, ooh I'm so fat." What are you talking about?? You're gorgeous! Puh-leeze.

More Alison Fraser Interviews:

2013 (Watch Here): Love Therapy
2016 (Read Here): Joint Interview with the Cast of Charles Busch's The Divine Sister at Bucks County Playhouse
2017 (Read Here): Aaron Mark's Squeamish
2019 (Read Here): Join Interview with the Cast of Enter Laughing at York Theatre Company

Alison Fraser

More on Alison Fraser:

Alison Fraser is a two-time Tony Award nominee for her role of "Martha" in The Secret Garden and "Josefine" in Romance/Romance. Her other Broadway credits include her fantastic performance as "Tessie Tura" in the 2008 revival of Gypsy starring Patti LuPone, as well as "Dorine" in Tartuffe, and "Helena" in Drood.

Off-Broadway, Alison has captivated audiences as "Trina" in March of the Falsettos and In Trousers, "Connie/Petula/Brenda" in Beehive, "Uta" in The Green Heart, and "Miss Drumgoole" in Up Against It.

In television and film, Alison has lit up the screen in Between the Lions, Law & Order: SVU, Third Watch, The Thing About My Folks, and In The Blood.