Ashley was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area and feels lucky to have grown up immersed in a culturally and artistically diverse environment. As the product of Spanish-Portuguese grandparents on her mother’s side, music, dance, and laughter were just a part of life. One of Ashley’s earliest memories is being in Nana’s kitchen, with a dish towel tied with bananas on her head and learning “Mamãe Eu Quero”. If it wasn’t Carmen Miranda, it was always someone or something else Ashley was impersonating to get a laugh. But soon Ashley discovered Gene Kelly and Judy Garland too, and in between school, dance classes, and voice lessons, she would spend hours studying every note and step of those classic movie musicals. Gene, Judy, Ann, Ginger, Fred, Debbie, and Donald became like old friends. It was pure magic and the catalyst for Ashley choosing the path she would follow.

Ashley is a graduate of the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in Los Angeles with a BFA degree in Musical Theatre, a proud member of Actor’s Equity, a working actor, and an educator to those hopeful for a professional career in the performing arts. She’s still wearing fruit on her head, mostly figuratively these days, although there’s always a possibility...