It is my true honor to introduce you to Ali Ewoldt. Ali has been seen on Broadway in the first revival of Les Misérables as Cosette as well as in The Phantom of the Opera as the first Asian-American to play the role of Christine. Other credits include Luisa in The Fantasticks (Off-Broadway), The King and I, and the National Tours of West Side Story and Les Misérables. She has also performed regionally with The Muny, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Hyperion Theatre, Disneyland, and The McCarter Theatre, just to name a few.

I have been a fan of Ali for many years now, and when her name is on the playbill, I truly know that I am in for an original and amazing performance. She is bar-none one of my favorite artists to watch perform, and I truly feel she has only scratched the surface of how far she will go. I am so honored to have the chance to interview this talented actress!

How old were you when you knew you wanted to be an actress?

Hmm...it's hard to say. I know that I was obsessed with musicals by the time I saw my first Broadway show, A Chorus Line, when I was 8. I was also enamored with professional musical theater actors when I did my first (and only as a child) professional show, the Yeston/Kopit Phantom at the Westchester Broadway Theater when I was 10. But, I went through a bit of a denial phase when it came time to choose a college and decide what to study. My aim was to find something else that I was similarly passionate about. I ended up as a psychology major at Yale University, but as evidenced by all of my extra-curricular and summertime performing, my heart was still with theater.

Are there any mentors in your life who truly helped you become the amazing performer you are today?

Absolutely! My first and probably most influential mentor was my very first voice teacher, Dr. Renato Vellutino. "Doc" as I call him, was also in charge of the band, chorus, theater class, and annual musical at my small public high school. He taught us all a tremendous respect for music and musical theater with such memorable mottos as "your body is your instrument" and "fun is excellence, and excellence is work."

We are living in some unprecedented times in the world. For all artists (especially actors), it is definitely a time of uncertainty. What has your everyday routine been like during Quarantine and what are some things you do to keep your spirits up?

In some ways, I think the general uncertainty that comes with being an actor has helped me through the extraordinary circumstances we are living in right now. While I am not familiar with living during a pandemic, I am familiar with being unemployed. I've tried to exercise daily (mostly yoga) and have relied on my wonderful network of family and friends (and of course my dog Mia Belle). I've been fortunate to be asked to participate in a number of collaborative ventures (virtual duets, group numbers, masterclasses, panel discussions, play readings, etc).

I've also done some creative things in my community (or rather the community I grew up in, as I spent the first 4 months at my parents' house in the suburbs). The most memorable was a neighborhood sing-a-long video to Les Misérables complete with parody lyrics, a professional French horn player, flag-waving, and marching.

I have been so inspired by your career and your amazing spirit. Are there any shows or experiences in your career that will always stick out and be near and dear to your heart?

Thank you! My goodness-- so many experiences/shows, really. I have certainly learned and grown from every experience I have had in this business. Of course, I loved doing Les Misérables. It was the first show I was obsessed with as a child and my first Equity job when I joined the tour. Being in the ensemble of that show was a BLAST, and making my Broadway debut as Cosette was a dream come true as was playing Christine in Phantom on Broadway, of course. I am very grateful for the time I spent at the Majestic and the "phamily" I gained there.

What advice would you give any young aspiring artists in these challenging times?

There is no one correct path to being a professional artist, and there is no one correct way to be an artist during a pandemic. I think we all just have to make sure we are taking care of ourselves (and others by wearing masks!) physically, emotionally, and spiritually during this time which means constantly evaluating what will make you feel inspired and fulfilled.

For me, some days that means making silly fun videos with my friends, and some days that means watching all of the Marvel movies in chronological order. Comparing ourselves to others is generally unhelpful and, I think, particularly unhelpful right now. Let’s all try to focus on being kind to ourselves first and then doing our best to help the world heal.

To learn more about Ali make sure you visit her official website at - https://aliewoldt.com

"Let's all try to focus on being kind to ourselves first." - Chatting with the Amazing Ali Ewoldt!

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