Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

Bye Bye Birdie ''Bye Bye Birdie'' is a stage musical with music by Charles Strouse and lyrics by Lee Adams, based upon a book by Michael Stewart. Originally titled ''Let's Go Steady'', ''Bye Bye Birdie'' is set in 1958. The short story "Dream Man", authored ...

voice-over Voice-over (also known as off-camera or off-stage commentary) is a production technique where a voice—that is not part of the narrative (non- diegetic)—is used in a radio, television production, filmmaking, theatre, or other presentation ...

Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its networks division's Kids and Family Group. It ...

The Blacklist ''The Blacklist'' is an American crime thriller television series that premiered on NBC on September 23, 2013. The show follows Raymond "Red" Reddington (James Spader), a former U.S. Navy officer turned high-profile criminal who voluntarily s ...

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel ''The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel'' is an American period comedy-drama television series, created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, that premiered on March 17, 2017, on Amazon Prime Video. Set in the late 1950s and early 1960s, it stars Rachel Brosnahan as ...

The Week Of ''The Week Of'' is a 2018 American comedy film written and directed by Robert Smigel in his feature length directorial debut, and co-written by and starring Adam Sandler. It co-stars Chris Rock, Rachel Dratch, Steve Buscemi, Allison Strong, an ...

Oscar Mayer Oscar Mayer is an American meat and cold cut producer known for its hot dogs, bologna, bacon, ham, and Lunchables products. The company is a subsidiary of the Kraft Heinz Company and based in Chicago, Illinois. History Early years German im ...

Union City, New Jersey Union City is a city in the northern part of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. According to the 2020 United States Census the city had a total population of 68,589,Park Performing Arts Center and

Montclair State University Montclair State University (MSU) is a public research university in Montclair, New Jersey, with parts of the campus extending into Little Falls. As of fall 2018, Montclair State was, by enrollment, the second largest public university in New ...

, where she majored in musical theater. She is also an award-winning poetry reciter. She has performed at the

New Jersey Performing Arts Center The New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), in downtown Newark, New Jersey, United States, is one of the largest performing arts centers in the United States. Home to the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra (NJSO), more than nine million visitors ( ...

and on the morning TV show '' Good Morning America'', for numerous governors of New Jersey, as well as at the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in ...

and for Colombian President

Álvaro Uribe Álvaro Uribe Vélez (born 4 July 1952) is a Colombian politician who served as the 31st President of Colombia from 7 August 2002 to 7 August 2010. Uribe started his political career in his home department of Antioquia. He held offices in t ...

. A

Colombian American Colombian Americans ( es, Colomboestadounidenses), are Americans who trace their ancestry to Colombia. The word may refer to someone born in the United States of full or partial Colombian descent or to someone who has immigrated to the United Sta ...

herself, she writes and performs vocals in both English and Spanish, and composes on both piano and acoustic guitar. Strong's debut, dual-language album, ''March Towards the Sun'', was released August 31, 2014 to positive reviews. In 2015, she played Ado Annie Carnes in an Annandale-on-Hudson, New York production of ''

Oklahoma! ''Oklahoma!'' is the first musical written by the duo of Rodgers and Hammerstein. The musical is based on Lynn Riggs' 1931 play, ''Green Grow the Lilacs''. Set in farm country outside the town of Claremore, Indian Territory, in 1906, it tell ...

'', for which she garnered praise by ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

''.

Early life and career

Allison Trujillo Strong was born in New Jersey. She grew up in Union City. Her great-grandfather, Rubén, who died in the 1940s, made his living in Colombia as a poet for the national periodical ''

El Colombiano ''El Colombiano'' (''The Colombian'') is the leading newspaper in Antioquia Department in Colombia whose headquarters are located in Medellín. The first edition of this newspaper was published on February 6, 1912, which only had one page, 13 adve ...

'', an activity in which Strong herself developed a strong interest and connection to him. As a child, some of her earliest creative influences came from the Colobmian folk songs and poetry that her grandparents, Soledad and Carlos, taught her at the dinner table. Strong grew up in a Spanish-speaking household and spoke only Spanish until an incident in a store. As Strong explains, "A woman yelled at my mother and told her that she should be ashamed of herself for not teaching me English, since I'd need it in school...From that point on, she only spoke to me in English. But once I got to high school, I decided to throw myself into the English as a Second Language program and took Spanish classes with all of the kids who had just come to this country, and it forced me to learn." At age three, Strong was given a dollar store microphone with an echo function, which kindled her interest in singing. At age seven, her mother, Patricia Trujillo, addressed Strong's shyness by enrolling her in acting classesMoses, Claire (October 15, 2009)
"Hudson teen in Broadway cast of 'Bye Bye Birdie'"

NJ.com NJ.com is a digital news content provider and website in New Jersey owned by Advance Publications. According to a report in ''The New York Times'' in 2012, it was the largest provider of digital news in the state at the time. In 2018, comScore r ...

. October 15, 2009 at the John Harms Center for the Arts (now the Bergen Performing Arts Center) in Englewood. From grades 1 - 8, Strong attended Woodrow Wilson School (now known as Sara M. Gilmore), an arts-integrated school in

Weehawken Weehawken is a township in the northern part of Hudson County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is located largely on the Hudson Palisades overlooking the Hudson River. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 17,197.

, where she studied drama under Joseph D. Conklin.Rosero, Jessica (May 14, 2004)
"'You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown' Park Players bring life to the Peanuts gang"
''

The Hudson Reporter ''The Hudson Reporter'' is a newspaper chain based in Hudson County, New Jersey. ''The Hudson Reporter'' publications mainly focus on local politics and community news. The oldest newspaper in the chain is the ''Hoboken Reporter'', founded in 1983. ...

''. Strong began her singing career in the contest circuit at age 9, when she won

New Jersey Network The New Jersey Network (NJN) was a network of public television and radio stations serving the U.S. state of New Jersey. NJN was a member of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) for television and the National Public Radio (NPR) for radio, br ...

(NJN)'s Hispanic Youth Showcase with the first show tune she ever learned, "Much More" from ''

The Fantasticks ''The Fantasticks'' is a 1960 musical with music by Harvey Schmidt and book and lyrics by Tom Jones. It tells an allegorical story, loosely based on the 1894 play ''The Romancers'' (''Les Romanesques'') by Edmond Rostand, concerning two neigh ...

''. She would go on to win that competition three times, later hosting an Emmy-winning show for the channel.(Secondary archive at Kickstarter)
/ref> At age 10, Strong joined the Park Players of Union City, an acting troupe based out of Union City's Park Performing Arts Center. She received professional vocal training, and learned to sing opera, eventually becoming member of the

Metropolitan Opera The Metropolitan Opera (commonly known as the Met) is an American opera company based in New York City, resident at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, currently situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The company is oper ...

Children's Chorus. In November 2001, 11-year-old Strong was selected from more than 2,000 entries and 10 finalists as the winner of

Oscar Mayer Oscar Mayer is an American meat and cold cut producer known for its hot dogs, bologna, bacon, ham, and Lunchables products. The company is a subsidiary of the Kraft Heinz Company and based in Chicago, Illinois. History Early years German im ...

's second Concurso Cantando Hasta La Fama ("Sing for the Fame") contest, in which she sang the brand's jingle in Spanish. Her victory earned her the opportunity to appear in a national Oscar Mayer commercial and $20,000 toward her college fund.

Her first lead role was at age 12 as

Dorothy Gale Dorothy Gale is a fictional character created by American author L. Frank Baum as the protagonist in many of his ''Oz'' novels. She first appears in Baum's classic 1900 children's novel '' The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' and reappears in most of it ...

in her school's production of '' The Wizard of Oz''. The same year she appeared in the Metropolitan Opera's '' Carmen''. By age 13 Strong appeared in the Park Players' May 20, 2004 production of ''

You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown ''You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown'' is a 1967 musical with music and lyrics by Clark Gesner and (in a 1999 revision) Andrew Lippa. It is based on the characters created by cartoonist Charles M. Schulz in his comic strip ''Peanuts''. The musical ...

'', her fifth production with the Park Players. That same year Strong was one of 48 participants selected statewide for NJPAC's sixth annual Summer Youth Performance Workshop Showcase program, which features the state's most gifted performing arts students. On April 7 and 8, 2006, Strong, while a sophomore at

Union Hill High School Union Hill High School was a public high school serving students in grades 9–12 from Union City in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States, operating as one of two high schools of the Union City Board of Education, an Abbott District. The ...

, appeared in the school's production of '' Annie Get Your Gun''. On March 27, 2008, Strong won the statewide Poetry Out Loud competition, a contest sponsored by the

National Endowment for the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal ...

(NEA) and the

Poetry Foundation The Poetry Foundation is an American literary society that seeks to promote poetry and lyricism in the wider culture. It was formed from ''Poetry'' magazine, which it continues to publish, with a 2003 gift of $200 million from philanthropist Ru ...

, in which students recited and performed poems of their choosing. Strong beat over 5,000 students from 44 high schools and one home-schooled student.Millan, Nicholas (May 6, 2008)
"Only the 'Strong' survive UC student, state poetry reading champ to compete nationally"
''

The Hudson Reporter ''The Hudson Reporter'' is a newspaper chain based in Hudson County, New Jersey. ''The Hudson Reporter'' publications mainly focus on local politics and community news. The oldest newspaper in the chain is the ''Hoboken Reporter'', founded in 1983. ...

''. Strong earned $1,500 in scholarship and awards, and praise from the judges, who noted, "Strong elegantly relates the mounting tone from astute humor to quiet triumph." Strong's performance of the

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

sonnet “My Mistress’ Eyes are Nothing Like the Sun” appears as the fifth segment of a DVD compilation of the 2006 – 2007 finals that was released that November for schools and teachers.McGlone, Peggy (November 11, 2008)
"New Jersey 'Poetry Out Loud' champ featured on new DVD"

NJ.com NJ.com is a digital news content provider and website in New Jersey owned by Advance Publications. According to a report in ''The New York Times'' in 2012, it was the largest provider of digital news in the state at the time. In 2018, comScore r ...

In June 2008, Strong graduated from high school, where she was that school's final

salutatorian Salutatorian is an academic title given in the United States, Armenia, and the Philippines to the second-highest-ranked graduate of the entire graduating class of a specific discipline. Only the valedictorian is ranked higher. This honor is tradi ...

before it was converted to Union Hill Middle School. Following graduation, she attended the Cali School of Music at

Montclair State University Montclair State University (MSU) is a public research university in Montclair, New Jersey, with parts of the campus extending into Little Falls. As of fall 2018, Montclair State was, by enrollment, the second largest public university in New ...

, where she majored in musical theater.Staab, Amanda (April 5, 2009)
"A local 'little woman'"
''The Hudson Reporter''. In September 2008, Strong participated in the NEA's Sixth Annual Poetry Pavilion at the

National Book Festival The National Book Festival is a literary festival in the United States organized and sponsored by the Library of Congress, founded by Laura Bush and James H. Billington in 2001. Background In 1995 the First Lady of Texas Laura Bush (a former ...

. On March 28 and April 5, 2009 she played

Jo March ''Little Women'' is a coming-of-age novel written by American novelist Louisa May Alcott (1832–1888). Alcott wrote the book, originally published in two volumes in 1868 and 1869, at the request of her publisher. The story follows the lives ...

in a production of '' Little Women'' at the Studio Playhouse in

Montclair, New Jersey Montclair () is a township in Essex County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Situated on the cliffs of the Watchung Mountains, Montclair is a wealthy and diverse commuter town and suburb of New York City within the New York metropolitan area. ...

.

Professional career

In 2009, Strong read about an open casting call in an issue of '' Backstage'' for a production of ''

Bye Bye Birdie ''Bye Bye Birdie'' is a stage musical with music by Charles Strouse and lyrics by Lee Adams, based upon a book by Michael Stewart. Originally titled ''Let's Go Steady'', ''Bye Bye Birdie'' is set in 1958. The short story "Dream Man", authored ...

''. Strong slept on the street for hours in a sleeping bag in front of the

Roundabout Theatre Company The Roundabout Theatre Company is a leading non-profit theatre company based in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, affiliated with the League of Resident Theatres. History The company was founded in 1965 by Gene Feist, Michael Fried and Elizabet ...

in order to audition, an act that she saw as the start of her professional career. On May 5, 2009, on the same day Strong's maternal grandmother died in Colombia, came the bittersweet news that Strong was cast in the ensemble, as a member of the chorus and in the role of Helen Miller, one of the friends of the cast's female lead, Kim McAfee. The show, which starred John Stamos, was produced at the

Henry Miller's Theatre The Stephen Sondheim Theatre, formerly Henry Miller's Theatre, is a Broadway theater at 124 West 43rd Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Owned by the Durst Organization and managed by the Roundabout Theatre ...

in Manhattan, and debuted on October 15 of that year, marking Strong's Broadway debut. Commented Strong, "I'm making my Broadway debut at the same age Julie Andrews and Liza Minnelli did. To get my big break so young…is a little frightening, but it assures me that performing is what I was born to do.” Strong took a six-month break from school in order to focus on rehearsals."Reaching the Top". ''The Union City Reporter''. June 28, 2009. p. 4. To promote the show, Strong and her castmates performed their rendition of the song “Honestly Sincere” on the morning TV show '' Good Morning America''. In 2010, during her freshman year at Montclair, Strong was a writer for ''Backstage'' magazine's "Take 5" column. By 2010, Strong had performed solo for every governor of New Jersey since Christie Todd Whitman, as well as at the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in ...

for President

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...

, and for Colombian President

Álvaro Uribe Álvaro Uribe Vélez (born 4 July 1952) is a Colombian politician who served as the 31st President of Colombia from 7 August 2002 to 7 August 2010. Uribe started his political career in his home department of Antioquia. He held offices in t ...

. On May 27, 2011, Strong sang at the

New Jersey Performing Arts Center The New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), in downtown Newark, New Jersey, United States, is one of the largest performing arts centers in the United States. Home to the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra (NJSO), more than nine million visitors ( ...

's Victoria Theater as part of the 2011 NJN Hispanic Youth Showcase, in celebration of the Showcase's 25th anniversary, and in honor of the Showcase's first participants and the memory of music teacher Perla Espinal. The show was broadcast on NJN on June 29, 2011."2011 NJN Hispanic Youth Showcase"
. NJN. June 2011. Retrieved June 3, 2012. June 2011 saw the debut of ''Perks'', a musical webseries described by '' Playbill'' as "''

Glee Glee means delight, a form of happiness. Glee may also refer to: * Glee (music), a type of English choral music * ''Glee'' (TV series), an American musical comedy-drama TV series, and related media created by Ryan Murphy * ''Glee'' (Bran Van 30 ...

'' meets Wii", in which Strong stars as Courtney, the object of affection for

geek The word ''geek'' is a slang term originally used to describe eccentric or non-mainstream people; in current use, the word typically connotes an expert or enthusiast obsessed with a hobby or intellectual pursuit. In the past, it had a general ...

y high school gamer Josh (Alex Wyse), the series’ male lead, who is too shy to express his feelings to her. In August 2011, Strong auditioned for the Broadway musical '' Mamma Mia!'', on the advice of ''Bye Bye Birdies musical director. A week later she was cast as a temporary replacement for a cast member who had suffered a concussion. Strong sang all 23 songs in the production, learned multiple dance numbers, and was the understudy for Ali, the supportive best friend of the show's main character, Sophie. On June 2, 2012, Strong sang the

American National Anthem "The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States. The lyrics come from the "Defence of Fort M'Henry", a poem written on September 14, 1814, by 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet Francis Scott Key after witnessing the b ...

and the Colombian National Anthem at the opening of Union City's Columbia Park, which celebrated the city's Colombian American population, before a crowd that included Union City Mayor

Brian P. Stack Brian P. Stack (born May 16, 1966) is an American Democratic Party politician who serves in the New Jersey Senate, where he represents the 33rd Legislative District and serves Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. He has also served as ...

and the city's Commissioners. In 2013 Strong was one of 14 applicants selected to attend the week-long Johnny Mercer Foundation Songwriter's Project at

Northwestern University Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world. Charte ...

in Chicago, a workshop for promising American songwriters.Purcell, Carey (June 6, 2013)
"Participants Announced for Johnny Mercer Foundation Songwriters Project"
. '' Playbill''Morris, Paige (August 9, 2013)
"Union City actress, musical performer Allison Strong to play from debut EP at NYC show Sunday"

NJ.com NJ.com is a digital news content provider and website in New Jersey owned by Advance Publications. According to a report in ''The New York Times'' in 2012, it was the largest provider of digital news in the state at the time. In 2018, comScore r ...

. That July Strong played Captain Jess Hartline in the off-Broadway play ''Volleygirls'', for which Strong and her fellow cast members were given the 2013 NYMF Award for Excellence for Outstanding Ensemble Performance at the

New York Musical Theatre Festival The New York Musical Festival (NYMF) was an annual three-week summer festival that operated from 2004 to 2019. It presented more than 30 new musicals a year in New York City's midtown theater district. More than half were chosen by leading theate ...

."NYMF Awards for Excellence 2013"

New York Musical Theatre Festival The New York Musical Festival (NYMF) was an annual three-week summer festival that operated from 2004 to 2019. It presented more than 30 new musicals a year in New York City's midtown theater district. More than half were chosen by leading theate ...

. July 29, 2014. The following month saw the release of Strong's debut EP album, ''Rewind'', a 12-track record described by ''Playbill'' as an "eclectic fusion of Latin, country-folk and piano rock." In analyzing the title track "Rewind", whose lyrics describe making amends with a lover, Katie Lebert of

Gadfly Online ''Gadfly Magazine'' was a periodical that was created in February 1997 and launched as a full-size print publication in January 1998. The publisher is the Rutherford Institute. The magazine is based in Charlottesville, Virginia. At the Utne Reade ...

stated, "In her revealing chorus 'Can I apologize for what I have realized?', Strong accurately encapsulates the guilt and indecision we may face near the end of a failing relationship. A truthful, memorable track, Strong immediately proves that sincerity and emotion." In November 2013, Strong won the Top Female Solo and People's Choice awards at the Hoboken Music Awards. The following month she performed at Rockwood Music Hall in Manhattan. On January 12, 2014, she performed at

Pianos The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...

on Manhattan's Lower East Side. On August 23 that same year, she performed at the fourth annual Lackawanna Music Festival, an

independent music Independent music (also commonly known as indie music or simply indie) is music that is produced independently from commercial record labels or their subsidiaries, a process that may include an autonomous, do-it-yourself approach to recording a ...

event held in Hoboken, New Jersey.McGovenrn, Patrick (August 25, 2014). "Indie music fest strikes right notes". ''

The Jersey Journal ''The Jersey Journal'' is a daily newspaper, published from Monday through Saturday, covering news and events throughout Hudson County, New Jersey. ''The Journal'' is a sister paper to ''The Star-Ledger'' of Newark, ''The Times'' of Trenton an ...

''. p. 3 Not long after, actor/director/producer

Diego Luna Diego Dionisio Luna Alexander (; born 29 December 1979) is a Mexican actor, director, and producer. He is known for his portrayal of Cassian Andor in '' Rogue One: A Star Wars Story'' and the Disney+ series ''Andor''. Following an early car ...

flew Strong to Bogotá, Colombia to appear in an episode of ''Back Home'', a documentary TV series on the

Fusion Fusion, or synthesis, is the process of combining two or more distinct entities into a new whole. Fusion may also refer to: Science and technology Physics *Nuclear fusion, multiple atomic nuclei combining to form one or more different atomic nucl ...

network that follows a different celebrity guest each week on "an intimate and emotional voyage to their family's country of origin." Strong subsequently appeared in ''Under My Skin'', a comedy written by Robert Sternin and Prudence Fraser, who were the creative forces behind TV series such as '' Who's The Boss?'' and ''

The Nanny ''The Nanny'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on CBS from November 3, 1993, to June 23, 1999, starring Fran Drescher as Fran Fine, a Jewish fashionista from Flushing, Queens, New York, who becomes the nanny of three ch ...

''. The show opened May 15, 2014 at the Little Shubert Theatre. Strong's debut, dual-language album, ''March Towards the Sun'', was released August 31, 2014 on iTunes,

Amazon Amazon most often refers to: * Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek mythology * Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin * Amazon River, in South America * Amazon (company), an American multinational technolog ...

,

Google Play Google Play, also known as the Google Play Store and formerly the Android Market, is a digital distribution service operated and developed by Google. It serves as the official app store for certified devices running on the Android operating sy ...

and

Spotify Spotify (; ) is a proprietary Swedish audio streaming and media services provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. It is one of the largest music streaming service providers, with over 456 million monthly active us ...

. Katie Lebert of Gadfly Online called the first single, "One and Only" "beautiful", referred to the title track "Hacia el Sol" as "truly anthemic", and praised Strong's rendition of the song "Pueblito Viejo" as a "captivating, nostalgic song showcases Allison’s Colombian roots, as well the depth and range of her voice." Of the album overall, Lebert said, "Her truthful, relatable lyrics shine with Broadway strength vocals as she is accompanied by a symphonic variety of instruments and styles. Varying between catchy, carefree songs to emotional ballads to Latin inspired, romantic melodies, Hacia el Sol is undoubtedly one of the strongest, most unique albums I have listened to this year." The album was also praised by Neil Mach of ''Raw Ramp'' magazine, who commented, "Allison's vocals are thoroughbred. And the clever lyrics are well articulated. With a ripple of real meat running through their veins." Mach called "One and Only" "wonderful", and mused, "Allison shows, with this song, that folk music does not necessarily have to be all about fragility, flippy-floppy hippiness or floating fluffiness. She proves that folk songs can be supplied with drive and determination. And with business attitude." August 2014 also saw the premiere of

Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its networks division's Kids and Family Group. It ...

's animated children's television program '' Dora and Friends'', on which Strong provided the voices of villagers in an episode that aired that year. She subsequently voiced Farmer Dog and the Doggie Land Dogs in two episodes that aired in 2015. In 2015, Strong played Ado Annie Carnes in an Annandale-on-Hudson, New York production of ''

Oklahoma! ''Oklahoma!'' is the first musical written by the duo of Rodgers and Hammerstein. The musical is based on Lynn Riggs' 1931 play, ''Green Grow the Lilacs''. Set in farm country outside the town of Claremore, Indian Territory, in 1906, it tell ...

'', for which she sang " I Cain't Say No". Her work garnered praise by Ben Brantley of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'', who called her performance "captivating". On June 16, 2023, Strong released her her next album, the six-track ''Brontë'', which features the single "La luna". The accompanying

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device ...

was produced by Brett Parnell and featured Stanley Martin, an alumnus of the musical ''Aladdin''.

Wider exposure in television and film

On February 4, 2016 Strong appeared in "Alistair Pitt", the 13th episode of the third season of the

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

crime thriller TV series ''

The Blacklist ''The Blacklist'' is an American crime thriller television series that premiered on NBC on September 23, 2013. The show follows Raymond "Red" Reddington (James Spader), a former U.S. Navy officer turned high-profile criminal who voluntarily s ...

''. In the episode, Strong plays Alicia Vacarro, the daughter of a mafia boss who agrees to be married off to the son of a rival mafia family in order to avert a mob war. Strong gained wider exposure with her first feature film role, playing Sarah, the daughter of Adam Sandler's character, in the 2018

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fi ...

film ''

The Week Of ''The Week Of'' is a 2018 American comedy film written and directed by Robert Smigel in his feature length directorial debut, and co-written by and starring Adam Sandler. It co-stars Chris Rock, Rachel Dratch, Steve Buscemi, Allison Strong, an ...

'', which was directed by

Robert Smigel Robert Smigel (born February 7, 1960) is an American actor, comedian, writer, director, producer, and puppeteer, known for his ''Saturday Night Live'' " TV Funhouse" cartoon shorts and as the puppeteer and voice behind Triumph the Insult Comic D ...

, and which garnered her the "Homegrown Music Video" award at the Garden State Film Festival in New Jersey. Later that year, she guest-starred as Talia Goldstein in the

Amazon Video Amazon Prime Video, also known simply as Prime Video, is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming and rental service of Amazon offered as a standalone service or as part of Amazon's Prime subscription. The service pr ...

series ''

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel ''The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel'' is an American period comedy-drama television series, created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, that premiered on March 17, 2017, on Amazon Prime Video. Set in the late 1950s and early 1960s, it stars Rachel Brosnahan as ...

'', appearing as Talia Goldstein in the fourth and fifth episodes of the second season.

Style and influences

Strong says she works to honor her roots in her music, explaining that the Colombia culture that played a part in her upbringing influenced her music as an adult, saying, "I'm a Latin-inspired American folk singer-songwriter. I grew up singing Colombian folk songs because my grandparents taught me

hem A hem in sewing is a garment finishing method, where the edge of a piece of cloth is folded and sewn to prevent unravelling of the fabric and to adjust the length of the piece in garments, such as at the end of the sleeve or the bottom of the g ...

" She writes and performs vocals in both English and Spanish, and composes on both piano and acoustic guitar, having initially exhibited a guitar-driven country style, before later shifting more towards piano accompaniments. Her music draws inspiration from pop, country and Latino music, and she has compared its sound to that of Sara Bareilles, whom she cites as an influence. Aside from her grandmother, other influences Strong has cited include Zoraya, Carlos Vives,

Shakira Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll ( , ; born 2 February 1977), professionally known by the mononym Shakira, is a Colombian singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Barranquilla, she has been referred to as the " Queen of Latin Music" and is n ...

, and Fonseca. She has also expressed an admiration for Latin artists like Laura Pausini, Carlos Vives,

Jesse & Joy Jesse & Joy () is a Mexican pop duo formed in 2005 by brother and sister Jesse (born December 31, 1982, as Jesse Eduardo Huerta Uecke) and Joy (born June 20, 1986, as Tirzah Joy Huerta Uecke), in Mexico City. The duo have released five studio ...

,

Soraya Soraya ( fa, ثریا) is a feminine Persian name. It is derived from the Arabic name for the Pleiades star cluster, ''Thurayya'' ( ar, ثريّة). The name is also popular in Europe due to its association with Soraya Esfandiary-Bakhtiari, th ...

, and

Shakira Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll ( , ; born 2 February 1977), professionally known by the mononym Shakira, is a Colombian singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Barranquilla, she has been referred to as the " Queen of Latin Music" and is n ...

, as well as American artists such as Ingrid Michaelson,

India.Arie India Arie Simpson (born October 3, 1975), also known as India Arie (sometimes styled as india.arie), is an American singer and songwriter. She has sold over five million records in the US and ten million worldwide. She has won four Grammy Awards ...

,

Aloe Blacc Egbert Nathaniel Dawkins III (born January 7, 1979), known professionally by his stage name Aloe Blacc (), is an American singer, songwriter and rapper. He is best known for his singles " I Need a Dollar", " The Man", which topped the charts in t ...

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, and

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. Aside from solo performances, Strong is part of a studio band that includes fellow Jersey musicians Alex Brumel on guitar, Eric Novod on percussion and Erik Kase Romero on bass.

Personal life

Strong's favorite authors include

Emily Dickinson Emily Elizabeth Dickinson (December 10, 1830 – May 15, 1886) was an American poet. Little-known during her life, she has since been regarded as one of the most important figures in American poetry. Dickinson was born in Amherst, Massac ...

,

Mitch Albom Mitchell David Albom (born May 23, 1958) is an American author, journalist, and musician. His books have sold over 40 million copies worldwide. Having achieved national recognition for sports writing in his early career, he turned to writing the ...

, and Jane Austen. She enjoys baking, playing the piano, performing the

national anthem A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and Europea ...

at events, and hosting a show on a local television channel.

Awards and accolades

* 2008 New Jersey Poetry Out Loud * Top Female Solo artist, 2013 Hoboken Music Award * People's Choice award, 2013 Hoboken Music Award * 2013 NYMF Award for Excellence for Outstanding Ensemble Performance (for ''Volleygirls'', shared with rest of cast) * 2019 Garden State Film Festival Rising Star"Allison Strong To Receive 2019 Rising Star Award at The 17th Annual Garden State Film Festival"
February 4, 2019. ''Broadway World''. Retrieved February 7, 2019.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Strong, Allison Living people People from Union City, New Jersey Union Hill High School alumni Actresses from New Jersey American child singers American people of Colombian descent Hispanic and Latino American musicians American musical theatre actresses American sopranos American women guitarists Hispanic and Latino American actresses Singers from New Jersey Montclair State University alumni Year of birth missing (living people) Guitarists from New Jersey 21st-century American women