Electric City Curtain Call Scranton, PA

1/25/07

PRINCESS OF POWER

Five questions for 'Aida' star Leah Allers...

Before joining the (Big League Theatricals) national tour of Aida, Leah Allers, who plays Egyptian princess Amneris, could be found performing in regional theater productions and independent films in the Los Angeles area. Allers supplemented her musical theatre studies at UCLA with acting training from Beverly Hills Playhouse and 10 years of private voice lessons. Aida is the first national-tour experience for all three of the production's leads. ec/dc spoke with Allers via phone from Youngstown, Ohio, where Aida had one more show before boarding the buses and heading to Pennsylvania.

How would you describe Amneris?

She starts off in the first act as the comedic relief. She's a spoiled, sheltered, naïve princess whose world revolves around wardrobe. Beauty and clothing are her main concerns in life. And through her relationship with Aida, she really starts to learn about herself. As the show progresses she matures into a pretty incredible woman. She turns into the leader of Egypt and she becomes really noble and empowered, and in the end really is a hero.

Does the Elton John/Tim Rice score require a different singing style than musicals?

It's definitely rock-influenced, and so this is probably the most belting that I've done.

What's been the greatest challenge in this role for you?

You can play this role to the extreme, and a lot of women have. The script is very funny and she is very shallow and almost catty in the beginning. And it's really easy to make her funny, but catty and sort of a bitch.

So Paris Hilton?

Yeah. And you can go that route and you'll get laughs, but if you go for that cheap laughter in the beginning, the audience will not care about you by Act II and when the tragic things start happening to (Ameneris) and she starts learning and growing and becoming a really good, decent person.

Are there political overtones to Aida?

I wouldn't say political but it does address race relationships between blacks and whites. And there are definitely undertones of the history of slavery in America. There are these powerful scenes between Aida and her people - "The Gods Love Nubia" closes Act I and it's always a huge crowd-pleaser. People are just very moved by it. The entire ensemble is in it and the dancers are phenomenal. ... (But) it's not just pretty dancing, but also the relationships between her and each of these slaves, who are her Nubian people. And I think that is what makes this story so powerful for people.