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“I actually did my first ever legit play through University Theatre at Millersville,” shares Ashley Calderon, talking about a part she played in MU’s 2021 production of “Love and Information.” That was just five short years ago, and now, the 2023 alumna has landed a role in the upcoming national tour of the original Broadway show “Boop! The Musical.”
The show follows the iconic Betty Boop, who longs for an ordinary day off from fame in her black-and-white world and ends up on an adventure in New York City. Calderon will portray Trisha, who she describes as, “a very bubbly and excited teenage girl who loves Betty and everything she stands for. She starts off the show in just about every kind of Boop merch you can think of and then gets to meet and befriend the real Betty Boop!” She also notes the character has, “AMAZING costumes designed by Gregg Barnes, a three-time Tony Award winner, and it’s one of my favorite parts of the character.”
While Calderon’s first “official” show might have been at Millersville University, her first ever stage role was in the cult classic show “Little Shop of Horrors.” “It was my freshman year of high school, and I knew nothing about musicals,” she recalls. “I got to be in the ensemble, and I had one line. I had the time of my life.” Her love of music began when she was very young, and she says that she “always wanted to be a singer or a teacher.” Her childhood, Calderon remembers, was filled with the soundtracks of “High School Musical,” Demi Lovato, and “listening to whatever R&B songs my mom would have on in the car.”
What brought Calderon to Millersville? “I moved to Lancaster in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic because of my theatre friends that lived here. When I turned 24 the following year, I knew wanted to go back to school and start a career for myself before I turned 30.”
Millersville turned out to be the perfect fit, and she enrolled as a theatre major with a music minor. While studying here, she took acting classes, voice lessons from professors, joined a commercial lab band, and became a member and eventually the production manager of the All Campus Musical Organization, and of course, participated in stage productions. She also completed an internship at the iconic outdoor Gretna Theatre in 2022. “I auditioned for that role because of my experience in the MU theatre department, and working for a summer stock theatre was a great use of my time.”
As Calderon reflects on her time at Millersville, she shares, “I am glad I made the decision to go back to school when I did. I’m thankful that I had the chance to learn from Jonathan Strayer, associate professor and director of dramatics at MU, and for the friends I made through ACMO and the music and theatre departments. It was a big part of my life for four years, and I do really cherish the experiences I had at Millersville University.”
For those looking to expand their musical theatre horizons, Calderon recommends a viewing of the famed Lin Manuel Miranda’s first-ever musical, “In the Heights,” a personal favorite of hers. And for those hoping to catch a glimpse of her on the stage as Trisha, the national tour of “Boop! The Musical” begins in Rochester, New York; Lancaster locals can catch it at its Philadelphia stop from Nov. 17 to 29. Get your tickets here: https://boopthemusical.com/tour
