Alison Johnson: Ready for her Debut

You know a performer is good when even her classmates are waiting to find out if she’s been cast as one of the main leads in . Junior Alison Johnson will take on her first lead as Christine in the high school musical, which debuts tonight and not only are her classmates waiting to hear her sing; so is the rest of the town. Johnson has the and she’s been working on it for a long time. She was in Cantare at and has been singing at the high school since her freshman year. This year, she is a member of concert choir and Music Makers. Prior to her first lead role this year, Johnson has been a member of BHS performing arts since freshman year and has held ensemble roles in On the Town and Pirates of Penzance. As she takes the stage for her first time in this monumental role, she seems poised and confident. Her only challenge, she shared, is that her counterpart, The Phantom played by Ryan Bloomquist, (meet him on Thursday) “is very legitimate.” She furthered, “I am getting used to that!” Get to know Johnson before her debut tonight:

Q: Are you looking forward to your first lead role as Christine in Phantom of the Opera?
A: I am so excited. It’s going to be awesome. I can’t even begin to describe how excited I was when I got my part. The songs are gorgeous and it’s so much fun singing opposite Ryan and .

Q: Tells us about Christine…
A: The character of Christine is really complex. The Phantom and Raoul are fighting over her… she’s going to have to shift in moods quickly. She is mesmerized and entranced in the Phantom… see my moods change from loving life to a darker side where you can still enjoy things but when she’s with the Phantom, she’s more focused on him. She relates to the Phantom as a father figure and will stop anything to be with him.

Q: How do you identify with Christine?
A: We’re both similar because she loves music. She really enjoys what she does. She is courageous and I find that to be a really good characteristic.

Q: How are you preparing for your role?
A: I’ve never been a lead before so it’s been new to me. It’s one thing to have a solo and portray a character at the same time. It’s been a little challenging but pretty cool.

Q: What was the first musical you ever saw?
A: Wicked when I was in sixth grade. That got me interested in Broadway. People were spontaneously singing all together– and come one, that’s cool!

Q: Would you like to continue to sing after high school?
A: I want to be a voice major in college and pursue a career in that.