Q&A with Alison Lawrence When Beth T. read Clay's account of his tough singing teacher Miss Lawrence in Clay's book, Learning to Sing: Hearing the Music in Your Life, she didn't immediately make a connection to the Alison Lawrence she'd known in community theater years before. When she read that "Alison Lawrence" would have the lead role in the Joyful Noise 2005 Tour, things still didn't click. It wasn't until she read Alison's bio in the Tour program that Beth realized she knew exactly who Alison was. In 1988 at Fort Bragg, NC, the two had shared the stage in a production of Cinderella. Beth had played the title role and Alison won Best Supporting Actress for her performance as the Fairy Godmother. Beth had the opportunity to catch up with Alison at the Joyful Noise show in Baltimore and was even able to help Alison secure a theater group for two of the upcoming shows. In return Beth got an invitation to participate as an extra in one of the shows... and a promise for an interview for Clay Nation News! Beth: How long have you been singing and acting? ALISON: For 100 years or so....after I realized around 16 yrs old that I was never going to be a ballerina, I decided I wanted to be an opera singer. I started taking voice lessons and went to the Metropolitan Opera on a field trip to see Madame Butterfly....I knew then that was what I needed to do. I had grown up listening to a mixture of Big Band, Broadway, Opera and pop from the 50's and 60's because of the generations in my family. So, I had quite a library in my head of all styles of music. Beth: Do you have a favorite type of music? ALISON: I really like all styles except rap and most hip hop...sorry. Beth: What about a favorite song? ALISON: I have favorites in every style and they change monthly. Right now I'm in love with a song by the composer of Wicked, Stephen Schwartz. He wrote a little musical called The Baker's Wife and this song is from that and called "Meadowlark." It is gorgeous and a fabulous challenge to sing. Beth: A favorite singer? ALISON: I admire and adore Bette Midler and Maureen McGovern and I'm really liking Michael Buble, aside from Clay. Beth: What is your favorite role you have played? ALISON: I think Anna from The King and I holds a very special place in my heart and for pure fun, I loved playing Adelaide in Guys and Dolls and Winnifred in Once Upon a Mattress. Beth: How long have you been a school teacher? ALISON: I taught public school for only one year full time (the year of Clay) and then I substitute taught for 5 years pretty much full time while I built up a private voice studio. I did both for 5 years. Beth: How long have you taught voice? ALISON: I taught some voice while working on Ft. Bragg for 5 years and then part-time for 5 years while I also subbed. I have been teaching voice full time for 10 years. Beth: Most of the fandom first learned of you as the infamous "Miss Lawrence" in Learning To Sing -- did Clay tell you in advance you would be in the book? ALISON: I was actually interviewed by Allison Glock. Clay told me he was doing the book and she would be interviewing a lot of people. I didn't know I would be in it, but I thought I might be mentioned. By the way, it's page 101 in the hardback volume and I haven't checked it out in paperback yet.... Beth: How soon before it was published did you find out and what did you think about being included? ALISON: I didn't know before it was published. I didn't know I was in it until I read it!!!! Beth: For how many years was Clay your student? ALISON: Clay was in my chorus class for a year and then I helped him with audition pieces for school musicals and Raleigh Little Theatre and North Carolina Theatre and then I cast him in a number of shows that I directed. I kept up with his performances and he even asked my help for his AI audition. He called me on the phone twice before the audition and sang to me over the phone. We both decided to go with his first instinct. It worked! Beth: How and when did you first realize Clay's voice was special? ALISON: The first time he opened his mouth and sang in chorus class for me...need I say more? Beth: How did you and Faye come up with the idea for Clay to clean the bathroom floor with a toothbrush? ALISON: It was something I had heard of while working on Ft. Bragg and since I was more than a little annoyed at his disrespect for me and the music, I suggested it. Actually Faye suggested the toothbrush!!!! She thought it was a good idea. Beth: Are there any other school stories about Clay you can share? ALISON: He straightened up after the "bathroom cleaning". We actually sang a few times together in performances (not in school). I cast him in The Sound of Music at a dinner theatre his junior year along with classmates Meredith Brown and Audra Brown. He and Meredith played Rolf and Liesl and Audra played Louisa . And, Frankie Muniz (Malcolm In the Middle) played Kurt. I got to see [Clay] play Will in Oklahoma at school....he was perfect for the part. He should have been cast as the prince in Cinderella at [Raleigh Little Theatre]....I guess they didn't have an imagination or a woman's ear :). Beth: Clay marks your performance as Nancy in Oliver as a turning point for him -- did you know he had come to see the show? ALISON: Yes I knew he was coming with his mom and some friends. It was another one of those things his mom and I both felt he needed to see. Not only because I was a teacher, but because he would know what to learn from it, which he did. Beth: Were you aware of the influence you had on him? ALISON: No. Rarely does a teacher have the chance to come full circle and have a student show their appreciation or have them realize it publicly. Beth: Had you kept in touch with Clay since he left your class? ALISON: Yes. I saw him a lot during his high school years. We did a number of shows together and socialized some. Often, he would just come by my house and talk with other students and me. It was a little less often after he graduated, but we still touched base every so often to catch up. And then [American Idol] happened and I heard a lot more from him... Beth: Did you follow Clay's progress on American Idol? ALISON: I was teaching a kid's Musical Theatre class on Tuesday nights and I would bring my old portable 11" TV to class. We'd stop class when the show came on and watch Clay. When others were on, we did class. Then after the show and class were over, everyone drove home with cell phones on re-dial and the assignment was to vote as much and as long as they could. I like to believe my class helped him stay on... Beth: Clay has often mentioned asking a teacher for the arrangement of "Bridge Over Troubled Water" he did on finale night - Were you the teacher he was referring to? ALISON: Yes I was. It was an arrangement we had sung in chorus his freshman year and obviously it stuck with him all those years. Byrd, the musical director for the show called me and when she introduced herself on the phone, I sort of went into shock : ) I hadn't seen the arrangement (sheet music) for quite a while and as we were talking, I was searching my studio frantically. I thought I had an idea where it was and I was praying I could find it easily as they needed it IMMEDIATELY! I went to the place it should have been and laid my hand right on it as she asked for the publisher. It was sitting right on the top of the pile just waiting for me. I thought they were going to do it as a group number on the tour. I had no idea he was using it on the show as a solo. I was at Raleighwood (the Raleigh Clay headquarters) that night and absolutely leapt out of my seat and yelled when I heard the first few notes. I was thrilled to tears. Beth: When did you find out about Clay's plans for the Joyful Noise Tour 2005? ALISON: Clay came to a production I was in at [North Carolina Theatre] in January 2005 and came backstage to talk. We had barely been talking for a few minutes in which he was telling me the basic concept when we were rudely interrupted by cast members wanting to meet him....oh well....some people just have no clue.... Anyway, I was interested but nothing was set in stone. Later in April there was some more discussion and in August I pretty much knew I was going on tour!!!! Beth: What did you think when you found out it was based on the song you had introduced to him? ("Merry Christmas With Love"). ALISON: We both love that song. Again, it was one we did his freshman year in high school. It was very sweet for him to give me all the credit for the song and being the model for the story.... Not that Beverly and I really have anything in common... Beth: What did you think when he asked you to be a part of the tour? ALISON: I was really surprised. I'm not as young as I appear in real life, but what a fabulous opportunity for me at this point in my life....who'd have thunk I would finally be going on tour? And going with a whole bunch of youngun's including Clayton? Whew!!! Beth: Did you have any input on the story vignettes? ALISON: Only in the sense of character development. For example, what words would Beverly actually use to be more specifically southern and more mature. We added some colloquialisms I had picked up over the years of having some "steel magnolias " in my life experience. Some of the actual blocking/staging as well. I kind of came up with the idea of the past meeting the present with Beverly and her "dead young" husband dancing together. I loved doing that with Adam. It was a high point in the show for me. Beth: Other than having to change it up when Gregory got sick, were there any significant changes that occurred from the first rehearsal to the first show? ALISON: No, not really. Beth: Whose idea was it for you to do a duet with Clay? ALISON: Clay's. It was inspired, I think. Don't you? Beth: Were any other songs besides "Silver Bells" considered for the duet? ALISON: Not that I know of....it would've been lovely. I think our voices are a good match/blend. Beth: Is it true Clay changed his "angel suit " from black to white because his mother suggested it would make the character clearer? ALISON: I think he wanted it white just so I would have to dye the pants in tea bags and then have to hem them...I don't know for sure why the change, but I thought it was better. [When asked for more information about the reference to 'tea bags' Alison sent this response:] The tea bag story is this. The coat was winter white cashmere. The pants were white linen. They didn't match and a matching pair of pants was not to be found in time. Sooooo, we got tea bags and made tea in a large laundry sink and I soaked the pants for a brief minute, and we put them in the dryer and PRAYED. Sure enough when they came out and were pressed, VOILA! It was an excellant match. I could NOT believe it!!! It was such a random thing to do and I had no clue what I was doing. I had done a project in junior high for pioneer days and researched how fabrics were made and dyed, so I had a very small inkling that it might work. Of course we needed the right kind of tea bags...I can't remember, oh I think it was Earl Grey tea bags....talk about karma or fate or whatever. I guess it was just meant to be. Oh yeah, I had to hem them after they were dried and pressed and all of this was about 90 minutes before the show. Beth: I know finding Community Theater groups turned out to be a challenge occasionally -- can you talk a little about that aspect of the show? ALISON: At first we were going to use the school choruses from the [2004 Joyful Noise Tour], but as the script developed and there was more acting involved, it seemed a good idea to use community theatres instead. After all, Clay had his start in public performances in theatres. It would also give the theatres exposure to a different audience and expose them to theatre in their area. I started looking for groups in the American Association of Community Theatres and unfortunately they were not very helpful so I took to Google and spent more hours than I ever wanted to on the computer. I probably contacted at least 3-4 theatres per city and sometimes only one would return my call. There were even a few groups that NEVER called me back. And, because these are community theatres, the budgets are so small they don't have full time staff and so I left a lot of messages on box-office answering machines. I think a lot of groups also couldn't believe I was with Clay Aiken and that he wanted them to do his show. I was even turned down by a number of theatres! Can you believe that???? But, we had wonderful groups in each city that really rose to the occasion....sometimes without any preparation. They were wonderful people too. What a great time for me to meet all these actor/singers across the country. WOW! Beth: In interviews, Clay joked a lot about being able to "boss you around now." Did he really? ALISON: I wouldn't say he bossed me around...that's just plain hard to do. But he was the "boss" . We actually make a good team. Beth: What was it like working with Clay day-to-day? ALISON: It was actually pretty normal. Everyone did their job efficiently and well. He's a normal person doing what is his normal job is and we all adjusted to the routine quickly and smoothly. Beth: As a vocalist and vocal coach, what do you do to condition your voice and keep it in good shape? ALISON: I am in the habit of singing 5-8 hours a day because of my teaching schedule, so my voice is in pretty good shape most of the time. I did more acting than singing during the tour and it took a few weeks of getting back into warm-ups and exercises when I got home to restore the full range. I also usually get a good amount of rest, and keep hydrated. Having to be a good example to students and having to sing all the time is the best way to keep up the strength and stamina of the voice. The voice is just like any other muscle group, it needs to be stretched, exercised, used, and taken care of. Beth: Did you give Clay any vocal tips during the tour? ALISON: I wasn't hired to be a teacher or coach, so if he didn't ask, I didn't say anything. He knows his own voice, how to treat it and how it works best. I certainly would have offered up tips if asked...that's my nature. : ) Beth: Did you help at all with Gregory's tutoring? ALISON: No, not really. Although I tutored him in the ways of being a kid with all those "adults." And that respect for one's elders is vital to survival...We did a lot of acting things as well since this was only his second big part. He also learned stage etiquette, and how to push through and persevere no matter what. After all, the show MUST go on! I learned stuff from him too and brushed up on my French! Beth: Clay seemed to really like his tutoring duties and occasionally mentions going back to teaching. How would you grade Teacher Clay? ALISON: He is an excellent teacher with exceptional standards and the drive and need to bring others up to that place. He is patient and understanding, but not a pushover. He's still got the spirit of a kid, so he would and could be an excellent teacher. Not to mention, he's had 1 or 2 super teachers himself to pattern after....tee hee hee. Beth: How did you stay grounded on tour -- emotionally, physically, spiritually. Did you have certain routines? ALISON: The tour itself creates the routines that keep you grounded. You rehearse, do the show, eat, get on the bus, sleep, drive , wake-up, and start all over again. Because the "family" base is innate, it really is easy to stay fairly grounded. And, maybe it was fate that these particular people were together, but we all had a good spiritual center which just keeps everything as it should be. Also our production manager, Chris, kept an eye out for me by making sure all the community theatre dressing rooms were as far away from my dressing room as possible so I would have good exercise walking long distances and a lot of stair climbing. So that took care of the physical challenge...thanks Chris. I did lose some weight and got my legs and butt back in shape....thanks again Chris. Beth: What did you like to do on your time off -- maybe I should ask did you ever have any time off? ALISON: We had very little time off and I spent most of it on the computer or the phone working on the community theatre issue. Other than that we all spent a lot of it catching up on sleep or shopping or ...well that's about all of the time we had. I did get to see a few movies - Rent, which Adam and Trisha were in for about 8 seconds in the Maureen Tango scene. They were the best thing about it! Beth: What did you do to keep the show fresh each night? ALISON: Live theatre is always fresh. When you are dealing with people, electronics, a new community theatre every night, an 11 yr. old kid, different stages, etc. Well, there is just nothing like it and it's always fresh and new. Besides, it was FUN!! Every night. Beth: Everyone seemed to have a lot of fun backstage -- was the group close? ALISON: We did have a great time backstage, on stage, on the bus. It was FUN! We are all close...very much family. In fact, I like them more than most of my own family. Beth: Did you all do things together off-stage? ALISON: Yup. We went to see some movies, did some, well, very little Christmas shopping, had dinners together. We were together A LOT! We liked it too! Beth: Are there any funny stories you can share? ;) ALISON: Lots of funny stories, but they are mostly "had to be there" kind of stories. Beth: Do you all still keep in touch now? ALISON: Yup. We e-mail and call each other. Brianne was in Raleigh for a few days and I got to see her and Nick. That was lovely. I miss them all a lot too. Beth: Are you still teaching? ALISON: Yes. I took a few weeks off to recuperate and catch up on sleep, and get my house back in order and have enough time for the dogs and cats to get used to me again...and start to listen to me too. Then I slowly starting teaching and am pretty much back to capacity again. Beth: Any plans for Joyful Noise Tour 2006? ALISON: Hope so, but I don't know... Beth: Is there anything else you'd like to share about your experience? ALISON: It was the hardest work I've EVER done and the best time I've had to date. I'd go again in a heart beat. Beth: You brought so much joy to concert attendees during the Joyful Noise Tour, Thanks so much for sharing once again. Photo credits: dc4clay, Tasapio, Invisible926, Permaswooned Please send feedback to cnn@claynationnews.com ClayNationNews.com and the Clay Nation News mailing list are not affiliated with Clay Aiken, RCA, 19 Entertainment, SAM, or American Idol. ClayNationNews.com is an unofficial fan site created and maintained to help Clay Aiken's fans support him and his music.