Multi-talented film and television actress Alecia Batson is a classically-trained singer with a hip voice over sound and cute feet. Her attention to detail and passion for learning communicate a genuine, vibrant and distinctive performance every time in characters as diverse as a vengeful friend, a legal aide, a ditzy schoolteacher, a rude call center representative, a shoe-loving lesbian, a golden statue, and an on-the-beat TV reporter.

A native of international film and music hub Austin, Texas, Alecia’s public performance career began at age five when she sang in her first oratorio as Head Angel. Since then her career has taken her from the heart of Texas to the heart of the American Revolution—Boston—and has grown to encompass film, television, voice over, classical music and opera, and print. No matter the medium, Alecia always manages to leave an indelible impression.

Film and TV

Alecia began her film and television career in the award-nominated feature film Where the Heart Is, starring Natalie Portman (The Professional, Garden State) and Ashley Judd (Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, De-Lovely). She was cast as the Scuba Bride in 27 Dresses, starring Katherine Heigl (Grey’s Anatomy, Knocked Up) and James Marsden (X-Men, Enchanted), and she portrayed a story-hungry TV news reporter in experimental sci-fi indie feature Circuit, under the direction of Andrew Landauro. Alecia has also worked on studio-backed feature The Departed, directed by Martin Scorsese, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon and Jack Nicholson, and Mel Gibson project Edge of Darkness. Alecia can be seen as vindictive friend Ellen in dramatic short Time Heals All Wounds, and an insolent customer service operator in the comic Eyestar series, produced by award-winning director Kevin Anderton (The Good Son).

On television, Alecia portrayed clueless-yet-loveable teacher Jenn Randall in TV sitcom pilot The Six Fifty-Seven. She was a featured legal aide in the Warner Bros. TV episodic Waterfront, directed by Richard J. Lewis (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, The Chris Isaak Show), and starring Joe Pantoliano (The Sopranos, Dr. Vegas) and William Baldwin (Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Dirty Sexy Money). Alecia also worked on Hallmark Channel movie Meet the Santas, under the award-winning direction of Harvey Frost (Beverly Hills, 90210, Road to Avonlea), starring Steve Guttenberg (Veronica Mars, Police Academy) and Crystal Bernard (Wings).

Her commercial credits include Hood, Novell, Krispy Kreme, the Maine Lottery, the Vermont Lottery, the Massachusetts State Lottery and Stop & Shop, among others.

Recently, Alecia stepped behind the camera, working as assistant director on film Fate Scores (Boston International Film Festival, Wisconsin Film Festival), which was written, directed and produced by Albert M. Chan (Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, Brotherhood). She also sang in the premiere recording of the innovative original score, fALATIMI, by composer Christian Coleman. The piece was written for the film as one continuous composition for soprano, piano, violin, cello and marimba, and can also be performed independently in concert as a chamber work.

Music

For nearly all of Alecia’s life, music has been ever-present. While the “Original Broadway Cast Recording” of Annie was her production of choice at age three, she graduated from playroom to stage by five, singing as Head Angel in her first oratorio.  After that, piano lessons, choirs, musicals, chamber ensembles, recitals and operas abounded.

Alecia earned her Bachelor and Master degrees in Vocal Performance, attending as a scholarship recipient at both The School of Music at The University of Texas at Austin and New England Conservatory of Music. She has studied with internationally-acclaimed soprano Darlene Wiley and teaching powerhouse Helen Hodam, and has been the recipient of many awards, including “Outstanding Soloist in Texas” as part of University Interscholastic League competition and “Best Soloist” at the Crescent City Festival in New Orleans. Alecia has worked with a variety of multi-talented singers and directors, including: Daniel Helfgot, Harry Lyn Huff, Craig Hella Johnson, William Lewis, Rose Taylor, Jess Walters and Benjamin Zander.

In recital, Alecia presented the Boston and New England premieres of The Poetry of Donald Rumsfeld by composer Bryant Kong at Killian Hall.  Most recently Alecia appeared as the gold-encrusted Muse of Music in the 2008-2009 Boston Lyric Opera production of Jacques Offenbach’s Les Contes d’Hoffmann under the direction of emerging young Canadian director Renaud Doucet and the baton of Keith Lockhart, conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra.  Weekly, Alecia can be heard as a soprano soloist with the Sanctuary Choir at Old South Church in Boston, Massachusetts, one of the most critically and historically influential churches in United States history.

Voice Over

If you think you recognize Alecia’s speaking voice, you’re not the only one.

Responding to a flyer calling for three men and three women, Alecia inadvertently auditioned for a radio commercial originally thinking it was for an early music ensemble.  Long story short: she got the job.  But this was not just any voice over gig—Alecia was selected as the first and only National Female Voice for dot-com-phenom Collegestudent.com.  For two years, every college-aged student in the nation heard about his or her “local, online campus community” thanks to Alecia.

Known for her energized and quirky, college-cool delivery, as well as various languages and accents, Alecia has worked with major corporations like Time Warner Cable, Reebok, Gozaic and Blue Cross Blue Shield, and her voice has been heard in commercials airing on MTV and VH1.  Most recently she recorded for a new Adobe Software advertising campaign.

Print and Modeling

In 2003, Alecia ventured into the world of print out of sheer curiosity. After three cattle call auditions and one print job, an avenue appeared that Alecia had never before considered taking.  A casting director, noting her size 6 foot, asked her if she would be interested in modeling shoes.  Like Cinderella and her glass slipper, it was a perfect fit.  Since then, her portfolio has expanded beyond the confines of a solely leather sole and Alecia has procured a variety of print ads for varied companies like Hewlett-Packard, Clarks of England, Creative Playthings, the Massachusetts State Lottery and White Mountain Shoes.