Alice Ripley

I come from the Midwest, from the suburbs - growing up hanging out at the mall and looking at the corn fields across the street. I kind of was embarrassed by it for a long time. Then I decided, 'Hey, if everyone else can embrace their homeland and where they're from, I can do the same!' ”

The road's a tough life, but I said 'yes,' because as a kid growing up in Ohio, I never had a chance to see a Tony-winning actress in a role she won the Tony for. ”

All day I wait for my job, which I do at night, and once I get there, I walk a tightrope, jump through hoops, and take breathtaking dives. ”

Next To Normal' is rock music. It's a rock opera. That, definitely, has a place in popular music. ”

Writing is the place where I can do it all and get away with it. You can't do that in the theatre. ”

You've got to chop back the performance like a rose bush. That's when it's beautiful. ”

Knowing there is a capable back-up willing to give it a try always makes you feel better. ”

The audience fills me back up, definitely. ”

There were eleven kids, and we all shared a bathroom. It was enough to drive us all insane. ”

I wasn't a musical-theater kid. We went to plays at school and took field trips to see Shakespeare. And that really sparked that fire for me, and so that's still going, and I haven't given up on it. ”