Christopher Ashley
Christopher Ashley (born July 6, 1964) is a Tony Award-winning [1] American stage director. Since 2007, he has been the artistic director of the La Jolla Playhouse.[2]
Career
Ashley graduated from Yale University in 1986, with a Bachelor of Art in Theatre.[3][4] In 1987, he completed The Drama League program for directors.[5] He was appointed artistic director of the La Jolla Playhouse, California, in 2007.[4]
Ashley directed the musical Memphis, which opened on Broadway in October 2009, receiving the Outer Critics Circle Award nomination for Outstanding Director[6] and Tony Award nomination, Best Direction of a Musical.[7][3] He previously directed the musical version of the cult 1980 film Xanadu (2007) on Broadway, receiving a Drama Desk Award nomination, for direction, as well as several other plays and musicals.
He has directed many stage works Off-Broadway, including at the Manhattan Theatre Club. He directed Jeffrey by Paul Rudnick Off-Broadway at the WPA Theatre in 1993,[8] for which he received the Lucille Lortel Award, Outstanding Director. He also directed the film version, which was released in 1995.[9]
He directed the Sondheim Kennedy Center Celebration productions of Sweeney Todd and Merrily We Roll Along in 2002.[10]
He directed the new musical Come from Away, which premiered at the La Jolla Playhouse in June 2015,[11] and opened on Broadway in February 2017 at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, receiving a Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical.[12][13][14] He was originally set to direct a film adaptation of the musical, which was canceled on February 2, 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, he directed a live stage film recording of the show at the Schoenfeld Theatre in front of an invited audience including survivors and first responders from the 9/11 attacks, which was released on Apple TV+ on September 10, 2021, to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the attacks.[15][16][17][18]
He directed the new musical stage version of Freaky Friday, which premiered at the Signature Theatre, Arlington, Virginia in October 2016.[19]
Personal life
Ashley is openly gay.[20]
Work
- Broadway
- Diana (2021)
- Escape to Margaritaville (2018)
- Come from Away (2017) Tony Award, Best Direction of a Musical[14]
- Leap of Faith (2012)
- Memphis (2009)
- Xanadu (2007)
- The 24 Hour Plays (2005) (Special Benefit): That Other Person"
- All Shook Up (2005)
- The Smell of the Kill (2002)
- The Rocky Horror Show (2000) (Revival) Tony Award nomination, Direction of a Musical[21]
- Voices in the Dark (1999)
- Jackie (1997) (Production consultant)
- Off-Broadway (select)
- Blown Sideways Through Life written by Claudia Shear (1993 and 1994), also TV film (1995)[22][23]
- Jeffrey (1992 and 1993), also the film (1995)[23][24]
- Fires in the Mirror: Crown Heights, Brooklyn and Other Identities, written by Anna Deavere Smith (1992) Lucille Lortel Award, Outstanding Director
- The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told (1998)
- Communicating Doors, written by Alan Ayckbourn (1998)
- Valhalla (2004), written by Paul Rudnick;[25] Lucille Lortel Award nomination, Outstanding Director
- Regional
- Escape to Margaritaville, La Jolla Playhouse (2017)
- Freaky Friday, Signature Theatre (2016)
- Come from Away, La Jolla Playhouse (2015)
References
- "La Jolla Playhouse Wins Big at Tony Awards" Los Angeles Times June 11, 2017
- "Christopher Ashley Named Artistic Director of La Jolla Playhouse" broadway.com, April 10, 2007
- American Repertory Theater, accessed January 29, 2022
- Boehm, Mike. "La Jolla Playhouse names artistic director" Los Angeles Times, April 11, 2007
- Drama League, accessed January 29, 2022
- Gans, Andrew."Memphis, La Cage, Zeta-Jones, Finneran and More Are Outer Critics Circle Award Winners" Archived 2010-07-21 at the Wayback Machine playbill.com, May 17, 2010
- "Nominations, 2009-10" tonyawards.com, retrieved May 18, 2010
- Holden, Stephen. "Review/Theater; Laughs That Mask the Fears of Gay Manhattan" The New York Times, January 21, 1993
- James, Caryn. "Film Review; Comic Side of Sex in Age of AIDS" The New York Times, August 4, 1995
- "The Kennedy Center Sondheim Celebration" sondheimguide.com, retrieved May 18, 2010
- McNulty, Charles. "Generosity overcomes terrorism in unpretentious 'Come From Away'" Los Angeles Times, June 15, 2015
- " Come from Away Broadway" Playbill (vault), accessed October 9, 2016
- Viagas, Robert. 9/11 Musical 'Come From Away' Books a Broadway Theatre" Playbill, September 15, 2016
- "Tony Awards 2017: Complete Winners List" Variety, June 11, 2017, retrieved June 15, 2017
- Lefkowitz, Andy (17 November 2017). "Come From Away Tony Winner Christopher Ashley to Direct Musical's Film Adaptation". Broadway.com. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
- D'Alessandro, Anthony (February 2, 2021). "eOne To Make Feature Production Of Tony-Winning Broadway Musical 'Come From Away'".
- Vincentelli, Elisabeth (September 10, 2021). "'Come From Away' Review: Looking for Light in Somber Times". The New York Times.
- "How Christopher Ashley Got COME FROM AWAY Camera-Ready". Broadway World (with video). September 5, 2021.
- Rothstein, Mervyn. "What To Expect from 'Freaky Friday 'the Musical" Playbill, October 4, 2016
- Folliard, Patrick (15 March 2010). "Exploring diva worship and gay relationships". Washington Blade. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
- "List of 2001 Tony Award Winners" The New York Times, May 15, 2001
- " 'Blown Sideways Through Life' Film Overview" tcm.com, accessed October 9, 2016
- Internet Movie Database listing imdb.com
- " 'Jeffrey' Film, 1995" tcm.com, accessed October 9, 2016
- Sommer, Elyse. "A CurtainUp Review 'Valhalla'" CurtainUp, February 4, 2004