Taylor Alfano is “Putting On the Ditz” as Smart and Sassy Ginger Brooks

Taylor Alfano is Smartly Ditzy as Ginger Brooks

It’s hard playing opposites, especially when they are two sides of the same coin.  This is the challenge facing Taylor Alfano, who plays Ginger Brooks in The 1940s Radio Hour.  Taylor describes her character Ginger as “a waitress who always wanted to be more. She is a very clever girl, even though she acts dumber than she is when they are on the air.  It is not easy to play smart and ditzy at the same time. You have to have a lot more focus than you would expect, and when you add the dancing, singing and the rest of the show in, it does get a little overwhelming.”

Taylor loves being Ginger because of the relationships she shares with other characters: “Ginger and Clifton have a love/hate relationship that makes them more like family than they would like to admit. She plays tricks on him constantly and loves being late, just to make him insane. Ginger absolutely despises Johnny because of the way he treats women, and no matter how many times he tries, he will never win over Ginger. She does not fall for his charms or any of the games he plays with the other girls in the show.”  While Ginger loves the men’s attention, she also has “a huge heart. She took Connie under her wing when she first started in the show, and ever since then, they have been like sisters.”

Taylor wanted to audition for 1940's mainly to work with director Rachael Rose again:  “Rachael has become one of my best friends between 1940s and Little Shop of Horrors, and I couldn't be happier to be working with her again. She is so supportive and really puts her heart and soul into every aspect of the show she is directing.”  Taylor also expressed a love for Forties music, which has “stunning jazz harmonies that are pretty difficult, but when done right, they sound great. I have always wanted to sing ‘Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy’ so that definitely drove me to audition. The Forties style is one of my favorites, and the actresses from those days were so wonderful.”

Taylor made her Barn debut this year as Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors.  Taylor graduated from Central Michigan University with a Bachelor’s degree of fine Arts in 2011.  While there, she portrayed Cecile in Les Liaisons Dangereuses, the wicked stepmother in Into The Woods, and Sally in You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown!

The 1940s Radio Hour opens November 30th and runs through December 22nd.  Reserved seats for this musical comedy sponsored by Weinstein Jewelers are available now at www.farmingtonplayers.org or at the box office (248) 553-2955.