Alberoni was born in Cleveland, Ohio, the youngest of three children. After her family moved to California, Alberoni started modeling at age two, and shortly after, took up dancing lessons, joining her older brother Roy. She also learned to play trumpet. Alberoni's biggest hobby was collecting dolls, and by her teenage years she had several hundred. Alberoni displayed a generosity of spirit that would stay with her throughout her life. She volunteered for charity work, and became so successful at it that she was proclaimed a "Red Feather" girl by the Community Chest. This enabled her to attend opening day at Disneyland in 1955, where she first met Walt Disney. Both Sherry Alberoni and her brother tried out for the Mouseketeers in the spring of 1956. Roy was up first, and after realizing his chance was slipping away, gallantly volunteered that his little sister could play the trumpet while tap-dancing. The casting judges then called for Alberoni and she performed as advertised, in the process nearly knocking her teeth out. What really got her a spot on the show though was her lisp; director Sidney Miller thought it was hilarious. Alberoni graduated from Westchester High School in Los Angeles, where she was a straight "A" student.
Alberoni joined The Mickey Mouse Club as a second season replacement and was assigned to the Blue Team. She had few solo performances in her one season with the club, but was part of many audience scenes for guest stars and circus acts. She had a long show business career as an adult, including voice work for cartoons. At age nine, Sherry Alberoni was the youngest Mouseketeer for the show's second season. She used the stage name Sherry Allen upon the advice of her first agent, who thought some casting directors might not hire an ethnic talent. Episodes from the second season are unavailable for viewing today, as the studio hasn't released production numbers from that year on video or DVD.
Though normally assigned to the Blue Team for Circus Day and Guest Star Day audiences, Alberoni was also given roles in several Anything Can Happen Day numbers. She recalled in later years that director Sidney Miller would often change her lines to include many sibilants, so fond was he of hearing her lisp.
Other activities
Alberoni played Midge Beamer in The Ed Wynn Show and Debbie Potter in The Tom Ewell Show. She also provided the voices of Laurie Partridge in Partridge Family 2200 A.D. and Wendy in Super Friends. Alberoni appeared in the film Dance with Me, Henry, the last Abbott and Costello picture. Lou Costello advised Alberoni to stick with her original last name. She followed that up with guest appearances on Bronco before going to Europe in 1960 to make The Three Worlds of Gulliver. In 1962 her brother Roy founded a professional combo called The Rhythmaires, for which Alberoni was the lead vocalist. Throughout the sixties Sherry Alberoni appeared on episodes of many television series, such as The Donna Reed Show, The Farmer's Daughter, Ripcord, My Three Sons, The Man from UNCLE, and The Monkees, while also doing bit parts in minor films. Her biggest recurring television role was as Sharon James on Family Affair. Alberoni also took a regular part in entertaining Marines at Camp Pendleton during these same years for a monthly production called "The Julie London Show". It was also in the late sixties that she began doing voice work for animated series, like Josie and the Pussycats, Super Friends, and in 1984, Mighty Orbots. She also is credited with dubbing in Patty Duke's singing voice for Duke's character, Neely O'Hara, in the 1967 release Valley of the Dolls. During the seventies she also featured in two horror films, Nightmare Circus and Sisters of Death. In 1980 Alberoni took part in the televised Mouseketeer Reunion, and for once got a chance to tap dance with the Red Team. Sherry took part in the Mouseketeer live performances at Disneyland in the 1980s, and also became a fixture on Mouseketeer personal appearance tours during the late 1980s and 1990s, often teaming with Bobby Burgess.
Personal life
Alberoni has been married to Dr. Richard Van Meter for 40 years. The couple has two adult daughters and four grandchildren, and resides in Southern California. Throughout her life, she has done volunteer work for charities.
