First Wheelchair Bound Student in Musical Theatre Graduates From Tisch School of the Arts

By Richard Pierce

      The Ridgewood, New Jersey native discovered her talent for singing at an early age, but when it came time for college, several top musical theatre training programs told her not to bother to apply because of her disability. In 2005, Alyson Stroker was the first wheelchair bound student to be accepted into the Department of Drama’s musical theatre conservatory program at CAP21. Stroker receives her B.F.A. degree today from the Tisch School of the Arts
      The soprano, who can belt a song like a Broadway star, was injured in an automobile accident at the age of two. The crash not only left Stroker a paraplegic, but emotionally traumatized as well. Jody Schleicher, her mother, is convinced that the time she spent playing music for her daughter helped get her through the ordeal. When she was six, Stroker performed the title role in the musical Annie in a backyard production at her parents’ home in New Jersey.
      “Performing with her father and 10 other neighbor kids from down the block brought her out of her shell,” says Schleicher. “It served as the spark that lit her passion for singing and acting.”
      Stroker doesn’t see her disability as a handicap. A national record holder in wheelchair racing, she maneuvers around the city to get to class and make the rounds of casting directors and auditions. In January, she performed in the musical theatre industry night showcasing new Tisch talent at CAP21 and was soon signed with a major New York talent agency.
      “Why would we not want to be associated with this beautiful young actress who possesses a stunning voice that would hold its own, and in many cases surpass, those currently working on Broadway?” says Jed Abrahams, a representative at the Talent House agency. “Ali has a dynamic presence and the genuine but flexible acting chops one needs to move an audience and make them laugh. We are very excited for her.”