The Pink Unicorn's Alice Ripley on Next to Normal & Revisiting Sunset Boulevard

Tony winner Alice Ripley is once again stepping into the shoes of Trisha Lee, a Christian widow whose daughter recently came out as genderqueer, in Elise Forier Edie's The Pink Unicorn. Originally running at off-Broadway's Episcopal Actors’ Guild in May 2019, Ripley is now starring in the solo show at The Cell Theatre through August 25. "The script has changed a little bit; it's improved," Ripley told Paul Wontorek in a recent interview on Broadway.com's #LiveAtFive. "The story is really Trisha's journey about finding strength and enough clarity to go forward with what she knows is right. We have an open conversation; it is by no means the final word."

Taking on this project was personal for Ripley, who sees it as a chance to promote advocacy, awareness and inclusion. "I have always been an ally [to the LGBTQ community]," she said. "Recently, I've learned the difference between ally and advocate. It was after the Pulse tragedy that something dawned on me about being an advocate. When this play came to me, I saw it as a chance to help as an advocate, too."

While Ripley says she views The Pink Unicorn as a comedy, she also sees similarities to her Tony-winning turn in Next to Normal. "Next to Normal broke people's hearts open and this is doing the same thing," she said. "I could see people physically change, and that's happening here. It's exciting for me because, again, this is another world I didn't really know. I'm taking on a voice, and I'm humbled that I get to be the one to be Trisha's voice just to start the conversation."

Ripley has appeared in several acclaimed Broadway productions and she is returning to a beloved show from early in her career for a short stint later this summer. "I'm playing Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard at the North Shore Music Theatre," she said. "I've been singing 'As If We Never Said Goodbye' because it's just my personality. Norma's pretty layered. It's a short run; it's like a free sample. It's a perfectly baked five-star version, but a sample of the true core of Norma."

Check out Ripley in The Pink Unicorn through August 25!

Watch the full #LiveAtFive interview below!