How Our Fiona Got Her Start
We are so proud to have one of our 5-Star Theatricals local alums back on stage with us! Alison Woods performed on the Kavli stage as a young lady In the California Dance Theatre’s production of The Nutcracker, as well as two of our previous shows, 42nd Street (ensemble) and The Sound of Music (Liesl). From there she has gone on to a successful career in television and film, as well as recently starring in the national tour of The Little Mermaid, as Ariel. This past week we caught up with Alison to see how she would describe her path to starring as Fiona in Shrek The Musical.
“I grew up dancing (starting in preschool), and was exposed to a lot of show tunes in my dance classes, so that was probably what first sparked my interest in musical theater. My first ballet teacher, Karyl Noily, would mix musical theater songs into the classes, and we would act them out. That was my first experience with acting of any kind, and I absolutely loved using my imagination in that way to tell stories. My parents also took my brother and me to see local musical theater productions, and I watched every movie musical I could get my hands on. I was also completely obsessed with Disney movies.
We moved from the valley to Westlake Village when I was seven years old. I studied dance at California Dance Theatre, where I performed in The Nutcracker and recitals every year (on the Kavli stage!). I was also on their tap competition team and had a great time performing at competitions all over LA.
I always loved to sing, too, and I would sing all the time at home when I was little. My parents even had to make a rule at my house—no singing at the dinner table (so I wouldn’t drive everyone crazy). I sang in choir at school, and from there I got involved in school musicals at Lindero Canyon Middle School and Agoura High. I continued to perform in musical productions through college, even though I didn’t major in theater (I have a degree in Psychology from UC Santa Barbara). When I graduated, I decided to pursue a professional acting career, and I’m currently living in NYC!”
We are so excited to have Alison back with us. She is a triple threat and we can’t wait for you to see her in Shrek The Musical playing Fiona!