MH: What makes you different from other Opera Divas?                        ALISON: I am a diva who can also be a Pop or TV star! I can sing many types of music and  can be many types of people! Cannot do or be one thing. I have focused this down on the opera front and for the voice so I  just sing the VERDI roles that suite me and the larger MOZART plus the CONTEMPORARY roles that suite my temperament! My Cabaret Opera Act uses my operatic voice and yet covers all the ranges of music; opera, song literature, classical and present day musical comedy, pop, jazz PLUS stand up comedy! WILD!

MH: What the French think about you as an American woman and as an American Opera singer?                                                                                       ALISON: They LOVE and FEAR my outgoing nature! Are intrigued by my openness; for example, when I walk down the street and stop to say how beautiful someone looks or talk to a dog; make small talk with a neighbor. Or sing in the park! As far as an American Opera singer, I get some rope because ALL opera singers are eccentric in their own ways - Italians and the color purple - or nor eating milk products 5 days before the performance  - drinking whiskey to clear the throat - or fainting before they go on stage! As far as THAT I am quite normal. But I think sometimes folks think I am a bit too much on the happy, energetic side! There have been questions SOMETIMES about my seriousness in the music! That is always there, I do not compromise! I just LOVE to sing and to hear the orchestra and I laugh and clap my hands for joy and the pleasure of it all!

MH: The most daring thing you have ever done and why?            ALISON: I woke up my cherie at 4:45am to make a 6am flight to Rome AND woke up my 7 year old daughter and the nanny who were staying with us! No one was packed! We had changed the flights for ourselves the night before thinking we did not have the money to do the trip, so basically we did not KNOW if we would get on the flight with my daughter and the nanny AND if we did , we did not know how MUCH we would have to pay to change back the ticket! I was scheduled to sing a rehearsal for LADY MACBETH in Rome. I wanted to do this and to study the role since it is PERFECT for my voice and my acting ability! Going through divorce and changing my life to live in Europe has from time to time made money a scary thing to face! I went to sleep that night and said; " OK God, if we are supposed to do this, just give me that gut feeling! I leave myself out of this!"  I woke up at 3am not being able to sleep; did the numbers on the trip;  then out of the blue felt a kick in the pants honestly ; "JUST GO!" So; Voilà!  Got the whole house up and we got to the plane 20 minutes to spare; they comped our change; we arrived in Rome and our rooms had been given away  (with a 7 year old this is tragedy in the making) but we found a hostel that ended up to be a joy and we made huge friendships and I got to do the MACBETH! Success!