Alice Ripley won the 2009 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her portrayal as Diana Goodman in Next to Normal, and is currently reprising her role in the show’s North American tour. In addition, Ripley has just released a new CD of rock covers, Daily Practice Volume 1, featuring such pop classics Bruce Springsteen’s “Thunder Road,” U2′s “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,” and REM’s “Everybody Hurts”; she will be performing a concert based on the CD at Chicago’s Stage 773 on May 2. TheaterMania spoke with Ripley about her album and the tour.