Four Inane Questions with actor Alec Walberg

Alec Walberg stars in Into the Woods. // Courtesy image

Showmanship apparently runs in Alec Walberg’s family.

“I credit my parents for starting me in performance. My dad is a veteran of the stage, and he got that from his parents,” he says. “I’ve been able to share the stage with each of my siblings and my dad multiple times in my life, which has been so fun.”

Walberg is also closing in on a milestone—his 50th overall production in the KC area which—fingers crossed—he’ll hit next year. Currently, he’s starring in Stephen Sondheim’s Into The Woods at The Lewis & Shirley White Theatre at The Jewish Community Center. The hit Broadway musical kicked off JCC’s 2023-24 season and runs through November 19.

The show is a family affair—and homecoming of sorts—for Walberg.

“The role I’m currently playing, Rapunzel’s Prince, is a role my dad played on the Theatre in the Park stage in 1993, so this is a legacy role for me,” he says. “I hope he sees a little bit of himself onstage when he watches this show.”

When he’s not busy being a thespian, Walberg works in software development and spends his free time “building costumes out of craft foam, rewatching Star Wars, or enjoying quality time with my fiancé, Kaitlyn,” he says. “I’m also a proud cat dad of three—Leo, Milo, and Hera!”

We caught up with the perpetually busy actor in between shows to waylay Walberg with our whackadoo questionnaire. Each of his answers was its own soliloquy—because, of course, it was. Bless.

Alec Walberg. // Courtesy image

The Pitch: What’s been your worst case of buyer’s remorse?

My worst case of buyer’s remorse occurred on Black Friday in 2020. At this time, I was working at the Disney Store in Oak Park Mall. Just down the hall from the Disney Store, in all its glory, was the LEGO store. Oh, boy—a man’s true weakness. 

Now, anyone who knows me will tell you that I am the world’s biggest Star Wars fan. (Try me.) Naturally, my first thought was, “Let’s see what the Star Wars LEGO deals are!” 

However, in a shocking turn of events, I strayed from the Star Wars section. I found myself standing in front of the LEGO Disneyland Castle. $400. Surely I shouldn’t buy this massive 2.5 ft tall LEGO set? I can’t possibly budget this. It would be irresponsible. Well—oops!—I bought it. I felt guilt immediately. Of course, my co-workers were all excited and demanded pictures once it was finished. I brought it home but couldn’t bring myself to open it. It sat in my closet for about a week until I finally sucked it up and returned it. Ultimately, I did the responsible thing. 

What’s one cereal you could eat every day for the rest of your life?

Cap’n Crunch. Here’s the deal—you can’t eat it right away. We all know that raw Cap’n Crunch can scar the roof of your mouth, and that’s no fun. You have to let it soak for a minute or two and let it absorb the milk (I’m dairy-free, so I use oat milk). After that, the flavors truly come alive. 

Fun fact: I wrote a speech in college titled “The Psychological Effects of Cap’n Crunch on Children in the 21st Century.” The children’s cereal industry specifically requests that their boxes featuring mascots (Tony the Tiger, the Trix rabbit, the Captain, etc.) be shelved on lower levels to be at eye level with kids. Studies show that when kids make eye contact with the mascots on the boxes, they are more likely to pick that box. It establishes a psychological connection between the character and the kid. (Go think about that for a little bit.)

Courtesy image

You can take up residency on any planet in our solar system. What are you choosing? 

Let’s first take a moment to assume, in this hypothetical, that the planet I choose has been made inhabitable, and I won’t be crushed by intense gravity, or freeze to death, or be melted by solar flares and radiation. Assuming all this to be true, my answer is Mercury. 

The Roman god Mercury, in Greek mythology, is Hermes. My sister Willa and I are pretty big Percy Jackson fans. Based on my personality, my “godly parent” would be Hermes. He’s known as the messenger god and is considered a “trickster,” the God of humor, mischief, and oration. These gifts are things that I think can be found in myself. So, Mercury is my answer, not necessarily because of the planet itself, but because of the mythology surrounding the planet.

What’s the absolute most you’d be willing to splurge on a front-row concert ticket? And who are you seeing?

If I was going to splurge on a concert or performance of my choice, I’d go back in time to June of 1973 and see the world premiere of the Rocky Horror Show at the Royal Court Theatre on West End. I acknowledge that the original West End cast is not identical to the film cast, but it does feature many of the same actors, which would be more than enough for me—especially Tim Curry.

I’m using a loophole here: If I were to time-travel back to 1973 and bring my 2023 currency, I would be able to afford front-row tickets pretty easily. In 2023 currency, I would be willing to spend no more than $200 for front-row tickets, which would be plenty of money in 1973 (even converted to British pounds).

Bonus 5th Question: What non-traditional Thanksgiving food/dish needs to be added to the T-Day menu?

I’m going with a firm “Baked Potato Pizza.” Hear me out. 

Regular crust with sour cream as the sauce. Cheddar cheese, bacon bits, chives, ranch drizzle, and, of course, potatoes. The potatoes can be shredded, cubed, or scalloped—however you want. Now I know what you’re going to say: We already have mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, etc. To that, I say, “So what?”

In the words of my fiancé, “I’ve never met a potato I didn’t like.” Plus, who doesn’t like pizza? It will be gone in a flash.