What ever happened to Alice Ripley

[Theatrefanboy1]

Posted: 8/17/25 at 10:23am

Has anyone heard of any projects or life updates that would explain Alice Ripley's absence? I was hoping to once again see her perform but she hasn't been on Broadway for nearly a decade, and I can't really find any concerts or anything. 

[binau]

Posted: 8/17/25 at 10:28am

I actually saw her in concert in late 2023 at one of those small off broadway spaces (the green room?). She was in glorious voice. Unfortunately, the room was almost empty. Seriously just a hand full a fans and one of the writers of ‘side show’. It was a little sad. I think she has been caught up in a lot of offstage behaviour plus her obvious vocal damage I think people just got a bit off her. 

Still a massive fan and saw her also do an absolutely amazing job in the Barcelona next to normal a few years back. 

[BorisTomashevsky]

Posted: 8/17/25 at 10:30am

She retreated a lot due to the grooming accusations (founded or not, I don’t know) and then reprised her Next to Normal role in Spain (or was going to… did that happen?).

ETA: Confirmed by binau above that she did the show. 

Updated On: 8/17/25 at 10:30 AM

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 8/17/25 at 11:30am

Her vocal damage was apparent even during NTN. At the performance I attended, she not only sounded extremely rough but was singing in what at times sounded like an Irish accent - weird vowel formation to perhaps ease vocal tension? I remember being furious that I spent $140 (a lot of money for a 26 year old) on my ticket to see that dumpster fire of a performance. She won a Tony because it’s a great role, not because she was great in it. Between that and her creepy behavior with teenage girls I’m not surprised her career ended prematurely.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 8/17/25 at 11:38am

The Distinctive Baritone said: "She won a Tony because it’s a great role, not because she was great in it."

Let’s not rewrite the past toooooo much. The general consensus is that she was excellent in a great, awards-bait role in the early months of the run.

There was also nobody even remotely close to being a runner-up, she steamrolled to a deserving win in a weak year. Josefina Scaglione in WSS probably being the closest thing to a runner up, followed by Allison Janney in 9 to 5, Sutton Foster in Shrek, and Stockard Channing in a closed (and disliked) production of Pal Joey.

Updated On: 8/17/25 at 11:38 AM

[WldKingdomHM]

Posted: 8/17/25 at 11:56am

Love her ! I think she did a concert in p town last year. Wish she would come back in a play or that 60 minute Next to Normal. 

[Kad]

Posted: 8/17/25 at 11:56am

Ripley in N2N was a bonafide sensation at the time, for a time. 
 

But even prior to the accusations, which only came out in 2021, it’s not like her career was incredibly hot. Her only other Broadway appearance after Normal was a pretty minor role in American Psycho, as well as a couple of small roles Off-Broadway.  I think she made it very hard to hire her. 

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 8/17/25 at 12:00pm

The Distinctive Baritone said: "She won a Tony because it’s a great role, not because she was great in it. Between that and her creepy behavior with teenage girls I’m not surprised her career ended prematurely."


No, she won a Tony for giving one of the best musical theatre performances of all time.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 8/17/25 at 12:03pm

It’s true that Alice’s voice isn’t like it used to be but she’s excellent at modifying her song choices in concert to match her abilities, now. My all-time favorite “normal” album by a theater person is her “Everything's Fine” from 2000. Her song “Drive” is really one of the prettiest songs I’ve ever heard. 

I haven’t seen her since a concert about 2 years ago but I’m always hoping she comes back in a new show and makes everyone take notice of her, again. She’s just one the best. 

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 8/17/25 at 12:04pm

TotallyEffed said: "The Distinctive Baritone said: "She won a Tony because it’s a great role, not because she was great in it. Between that and her creepy behavior with teenage girls I’m not surprised her career ended prematurely."

No, she won a Tony for giving one of the best musical theatre performances of all time."

OF. ALL. TIME. 

[desperateAndee]

Posted: 8/17/25 at 12:16pm

I remember her stating at the time that Sheik/Producers promised a new solo song for Patrick's Mother in the AP 2016 transfer but it never materialized. It was still great to see her in the show and I could listen to her rendition of Nice Thought with Jennifer Damiano @ 54 Below every day for the rest of my life. 

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 8/17/25 at 12:47pm

TotallyEffed said: "The Distinctive Baritone said: "She won a Tony because it’s a great role, not because she was great in it. Between that and her creepy behavior with teenage girls I’m not surprised her career ended prematurely."

No, she won a Tony for giving one of the best musical theatre performances of all time."

 

Not at the performance I attended.

[abcd12]

Posted: 8/17/25 at 2:40pm

Say what you want about Ripley as a human, but rewriting history to say that her performance wasn’t a great one is just ridiculous. 

[Bwaygurl2]

Posted: 8/17/25 at 3:51pm

abcd12 said: "Say what you want about Ripley as a human, but rewriting history to say that her performance wasn’t a great oneis just ridiculous."

 

In defence of baritone, everyone has a bad performance. It is known that she had a serious vocal crises; it's possible he attended on a night when she was struggling. 

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 8/17/25 at 5:01pm

Vocally, she struggled regularly. I saw her four times in the role, and every night was different and amazing. This woman threw every bit of herself into this role and I didn’t care if she was flat or her voice was ragged. She became Diana Goodman (maybe a little bit literally offstage) and it was an incredibly powerful performance. One for the ages. I rank it among LuPone in Gypsy, Erivo in The Color Purple, and Ebersole in Grey Gardens.

 

Absolutely unforgettable.

[yankeefan7]

Posted: 8/17/25 at 5:09pm

"No, she won a Tony for giving one of the best musical theatre performances of all time."

I saw "Next to Normal" shortly after it opened with my daughter and Ms. Ripley was fantastic. My daughter wanted to do the stage door thing which was not crowded that night. Ms. Ripley was so nice to my daughter and noticed her NYU bag. She asked what classes she was taking and spent several minutes chatting with us about Broadway before heading home. The allegations were so sad for us to hear years later. Anyway, my daughter still loves her picture from that night with Aaron Tveit -lol

[darquegk]

Posted: 8/17/25 at 5:21pm

I miss "Ripley-the-Band." That stuff would be HUGE on TikTok today.

Was it David Lynch knockoff quasi-fetish material? I mean, maybe, but the surrealism of her just repeating "peppermint twist" over and over again in some kind of Russian accent never got old.

[George in DC]

Posted: 8/17/25 at 5:31pm

I saw "Next to Normal" during it's pre NYC run. Ms Ripleys performance left me shattered. It was truly a Great Performance. 

Updated On: 8/17/25 at 05:31 PM

[GlindatheGood22]

Posted: 8/17/25 at 6:21pm

I want to echo what others have said about the (d)evolution of Alice in Next to Normal. I saw it for the first time when I was sixteen, and she gave what was and remains the single best performance I have ever seen, which made it all the more disappointing to see what became of it toward the end of her run in the show.

And I disagree that 2009 was a weak year for Best Actress, or that Ripley had no serious competition. I remember people on here at the time wondering if Allison Janney might beat her out, with several posters drawing the comparison to David Hyde Pierce upsetting Raul in 2007, also in a less showy, comedic role. 

[NOWaWarning]

Posted: 8/17/25 at 6:48pm

This thread title makes me want a Baby Jane musical reuniting Ripley and Skinner.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 8/17/25 at 7:38pm

NOWaWarning said: "This thread title makes me want a Baby Jane musical reuniting Ripley and Skinner."

 

[Jumpin_J]

Posted: 8/17/25 at 9:32pm

All time? I take it many people who think this haven't seen many musical before 2008. Not even top 10. When I saw her in NTN, she sang constantly flat. Granted, it's a demanding part. I'll give her that much. But I saw her in Sideshow and I knew she sang better than NTN. She's talented. But even if she had a good night, "All time"? C'mon. 

[Play Esq.]

Posted: 8/17/25 at 9:59pm

^ This. 

Her performance was very very good, great even. But definitely not one for the books. Saw her in previews on Broadway, after opening, and again in LA. I always thought the performance was noteworthy, but man did it take a nose dive on tour. 

[Laurapattifan]

Posted: 8/18/25 at 12:48am

darquegk said: "I miss "Ripley-the-Band." That stuff would be HUGE on TikTok today.

Was it David Lynch knockoff quasi-fetish material? I mean, maybe, but the surrealism of her just repeating "peppermint twist" over and over again in some kind of Russian accent never got old."

The twist twist peppermint twist twist twist… 

[binau]

Posted: 8/18/25 at 3:20am

At the time there was certainly A LOT of hype of ‘greatest of all time’ for Ripley and it’s because of the intensity of her emotions, the strange uncanny feeling that Ripley’s performance was coming from a deep place of genuine trauma, and the unusual and thrilling quality of her unusual rock voice that is tested in all sorts of ways throughout the score. 

I fully accept that without the voice everything seemed to collapse. I did see her on tour and everyone’s complaints are justified - it was painful watching her struggle with ‘so anyway’. But I will admit I still find myself occasionally ‘listening’ to the tour vocals intentionally because it’s like the most broken and sad version of her Diana - as if she has been trapped for years and has almost given up hope. I watched Ripley give every breath and ounce she could deliver the notes in ‘light’ and it was moving (and you'll find some way to survive....) - I don't think I've seen this moment so moving another time because of how desperate and real it looked like Ripley was trying to hold on, although she then missed the two following performances. 

For what it’s worth, I think Ripley’s vocals improved a bit for the Barcelona version than the tour (but they also changed the ending of so anyway so she doesn’t have to hit those notes). 

I have a feeling that people really don’t like vocal damage in actors. It was deadly for Bernadette (especially Follies), it was deadly for Ripley, it is deadly for Billy right now in Cabaret. 

People seem forgiving for people who never really had a voice. But for people who did have a voice, when it goes, people don’t like it. Personally, I think it can add a certain broken quality to the performance and character but I always accept everything is always better when the voice is healthy. 

Updated On: 8/18/25 at 03:20 AM