Actress and choreographer Alicia Dunfee has been a member of Boulder’s Dinner Theatre’s resident company for 12 years and is appearing in the ensemble of “The 1940s Radio Hour.”
She’s played dozens of roles at BDT, including Velma in “Chicago,” Rose in “Gypsy,” Golde in “Fiddler on the Roof” and Bloody Mary in “South Pacific.”
Q: So Ali, if you’ve been at BDT since 1995, that pretty much makes you the new kid on the block.
A: It does, which is kind of strange.
Q: Tell us about the family atmosphere there.
A: It’s a unique situation, and one I am proud to be part of. There are 10 to 12 of us who have been there for a decade or longer. It’s such an honor to be with these people. When my husband and I took a brief hiatus to Las Vegas, I learned that I needed my family surrounding me. I really did.
Q: You all pretty much know you are going to be in one show to the next, which makes you the envy of most actors in Denver.
A: We are all just blessed that we get to keep working so consistently. And most recently, we did a smaller-cast show, “Mid-Life, the Musical,” and that allowed some people to take vacations and come back, which is also a positive.
Q: Hey, I understand that show was completely bullet-proof from critics.
A: (Laughing) Well yeah.
Q: Even though it’s supposed to be closed by now, you’ve added additional Tuesday performances throughout November.
A: We have.
Q: Speaking of this husband you ran off to Vegas with, how did you happen to meet him?
A: Neil (Dunfee) is our musical director, and he played at my first audition. I didn’t know a soul, and he was the only thing that calmed my nerves.
Q: So, what – did he start making moves at the audition?
A: No, I think it was the other way around, actually. But the next show we did was “Guys & Dolls,” and I had to do a lot of dancing right in front of him. That turned into a nice little flirtation.
Q: Tell us about “The 1940s Radio Hour.”
A: It’s a sweet story set in 1942 New York, two days before Christmas Eve, and these actors are coming in to do their quirky, fun live radio show. But what truly highlights it is the incredible music like “Blues in the Night,” “I’ll Be Seeing You” and “Our Love Is Here to Stay.”
Q: You may have heard that the creator of your show, Walton Jones, lives in Fort Collins and is simultaneously debuting the sequel, “The 1940s Radio Christmas Carol,” at the Bas Bleu Theatre there. You may not know that he has only seen one staging of “Radio Hour” since it was on Broadway in 1979. But at his father-in-law’s insistence, he’s going to be breaking that embargo … to see you.
A: How great! Well, no pressure then, I guess.
John Moore: 303-954-1056 or jmoore@denverpost.com
“The 1940s Radio Hour”
Dates: Through Jan. 26
Site: Boulder’s Dinner Theatre, 5501 Arapahoe Ave.
Tickets: $34 to $53
Information: 303-449-6000 or
To hear John Moore’s entire interview with Alicia Dunfee,
