Alyssa LeClair
- Jeff Martin
- 03 Jul 2016
From the Hamilton Children’s Choir to New York City
A newly-minted Master of Music from New York University (NYU) Steinhardt’s Vocal Performance Program, Alyssa LeClair applauds her eight years with the Hamilton Children’s Choir (HCC) for helping her find her voice, and eventually providing the foundation for a career in music and theatre.
“I always jokingly said I was in a ‘rep’ traveling choir. Most people didn’t get it. I missed so many things because of choir – dances, trips. But it really formed the foundation of who I am and how music speaks to me. And when I’m back in Hamilton, it’s important for me to go back to the HCC to lend my support.”
Says HCC artistic director Zimfira Poloz, “I’ve taught and coached music for 35 years. Alyssa’s voice is a treasure. It has enormous colour, volume, tone, a large octave range, and she is so flexible in so many different styles: classical, opera, or popular music. She has a natural ability to project some amazing, beautiful sound.”
LeClair credits Zimfira for helping her with an immodestly loud voice. “Instead of stuffing me in the back row so I would blend, she fostered my sound and made me fall in love with who I was as a singer. She was the first person that told me not to be quiet.”
Despite her love of choir and music, LeClair headed to Queen’s University to major in Global Development with the goal of saving the world. In her freshman year, she auditioned for several musicals, eventually landing the role of Audrey Jr., the man-eating plant in Little Shop of Horrors that would signal a serious transition in LeClair’s direction.
“It wasn’t a usual casting choice as they went against type,” says Alyssa. “I’m forever in debt to the director, Sarah Bruckshwaiger, who let me see that I was capable of more than just a featured ensemble role – that I could be sexy and mischievous and full of power. I tapped into it and created an alluring and empowering ‘Aretha Franklin’ persona for Audrey Jr. It really did change my life.”
As the director predicted, by year-end, LeClair abandoned her Global Development major for a drama major – and she never looked back. During her final term at Queen’s, she zeroed in on NYU and Glasgow for their graduate performance programs.
“In January 2013, I filmed my required two songs, and sent my applications, and NYU was the first school to contact me. The next month, I had a vocal consultation with the associate dean of Vocal Music, Dianna Heldman, who would eventually become my private voice teacher. By the end of the month, I had been accepted and I ended up moving to New York that same August. It happened so fast.”
NYU Steinhardt School’s program in Vocal Performance combines intensive performance training with related academic study. The program, among the top 10 music pro- grams in the U.S., integrates the studies of voice and acting, offering singers the opportunity to study in the finest of performance settings.
At NYU, it’s mandatory for music students to audition for all shows. For their first auditions, students are cautioned that they will not likely be cast. Expecting nothing, LeClair was cast as the Medium/Aunt Monica in Michael John LaChiusa’s See What I Wanna See and performed in the historic Provincetown Playhouse.
“I saw Alyssa perform during her first semester at NYU,” said Bill Wesbrooks, past head of Steinhardt’s Vocal Performance program. “I thought it was an incredibly beautifully realized performance in a complex role – both musically and dramatically. Her talent, which is extraordinary, is a truly exceptional voice, but she’s also an incredibly powerful actor.”
Wesbrooks explains that while people start with different degrees of natural ability, Alyssa’s was profound. “I would also suggest that as an actress, it’s more than having a gift, it’s being really intelligent about how you are in a scene, how you actually participate and deal with other people. She’s somewhat unique in that combination of singing and acting ability.”
In her second semester, LeClair was cast as Nettie Fowler in the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic Carousel. Reknowned theatre critic Michael Portantiere spoke on his radio show in praise: “To think a college-aged person could sing the role of Net- tie Fowler so beautifully. It was unbelievable. I’ll never forget her rendition of You’ll Never Walk Alone and June Is Bustin’ Out All Over. I was thrilled to be there at the final performance.”
Last summer, right out of school, LeClair had a role lined up in My Fair Lady at Connecticut’s Sharon Playhouse. While there, she was also asked to perform in a cabaret called Blame Canada!, celebrating the works of Canadian writers and composers. A feature film with Mel Rodrigeuz, Vivica A. Fox, Anabelle Acosta, and Chris Redd called Fat Camp followed. “I thought I’d eventually get into movies and this was so quick and fun, and a great experience – and I got to go to Los Angeles.”
Since then, LeClair’s pace hasn’t slowed for a second. Returning to New York, she knew it was time to audition – for everything.
“I had to let the casting directors know who Alyssa LeClair is. I was going to six to eight auditions a week. Some were open calls. I would literally go to sign up at 4:00 in the morning, go home, back to bed for an hour, then get up again, get ready, do my hair, and go to audition. I auditioned for roles that I knew I’d never get, but if the director knows me and was casting something at another time, I’d get a call. Exposure is more important than get- ting a part, especially when you’re right out of school.”
LeClair returned to hometown Hamilton to perform her one-woman show, Expensive Cheese, at Hamilton’s Pearl Company. The sold-out performances featured some singing, some storytelling and a good dose of comedy, perhaps reminiscent of a young Barbra Streisand.
“I hope I can weave humour into my career – explore improv and stand-up comedy. I grew up with humour, my dad always watched stand-up comedy. It was always part of our family. Once you get people laughing, they’re with you. It’s definitely part of who I am as performer.”
As Alyssa becomes established, Westbrooks believes people will want to write for her. “Much of this has to do with the uniqueness of her voice. Someone will write to her sense of comedy to take advantage of that. She’s a very strong personality – someone who has worked with her and knows her will want to write to her strengths.”
With calls coming in for auditions, LeClair is busy getting her visa in order so she can move forward with her career. Looking ahead, she would love to play a romantic part, not the typecast roles for bigger women.
“Madame Thenadiér in Les Misérables is a dream role of mine, or Madame La Grande Bouche or Mrs. Potts in Beauty and the Beast. I’d love to explore roles with more depth like Madame Armfeldt in A Little Night Music when I get older, or Miss Lovett in Sweeney Todd. But my all-time dream role is Rose Fenney in Pasek and Paul’s Dogfight.”
Zimfira Poloz believes in Alyssa and feels she will have a huge future in music and theatre.
“It’s all about being in the right place at the right time. She has to tirelessly continue to audition just to showcase her voice and get more exposure. It’s very competitive, and too often young singers get depressed and frustrating when they’re continuously trying out for parts and not getting them. I’m confident we’ll see Alyssa singing on the big screen and the big stages of New York. Quite confident.”
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