Today we’d like to introduce you to Mary Ellen Ashley.
Hi Mary Ellen, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I made my Broadway debut in 1943 in The Innocent Voyage and went on to do the entire run of the original Broadway Production of Annie Get Your Gun with Ethel Merman beginning in a role that was created just for me: The Little Girl in the Lampshade Hat. I would then play all of the Oakley sisters and stay with the show for the entire run. But I actually was discovered a bit before that when I performed at the Original Madison Square Garden for the War Relief Effort. I then did radio that included Nila Mack’s Let’s Pretend on CBS and The Horner and Hardart Children’s Hour on NBC and numerous others that then moved into early TV where I was cast as Judy Ann The Tootsie Roll Sweetheart for the Tootsie Hippodrome. I also did numerous early serials including: When a Girl Marries, Bright Horizons, Dr. Christian and Death Valley Days. I co-starred in the opening musical at The Tropicana Hotel in Las Vegas opening for Eddie Fisher. and then Carol Channing, Jane Mansfield, Vivian Blaine and others. I also worked in the Borscht Belt in the Catskill Mountains opening for comics and stars such as Jack Carter, Rodney Dangerfield, Noonan and Marshall and Henny Youngman. I then began to be cast as the star in major musicals playing Dolly Levi in Hello Dolly, Mama Rose in Gypsy and Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd at the major regional theater’s around the country and hundreds of other roles in theater film and television. Highlights included The National Tour of Music Man opposite John Davidson, Paint Your Wagon opposite John Carradine, The Student Prince opposite Zero Mostel, Norman is that You? opposite Don Knotts, Gyspy with Rita Moreno, After Play opposite Rue McClanahan and two productions of Mame with Carol Laurence and Lauretta Swit.
I also did a plethora of shows Off-Broadway including: Echoes of War at The Mint, The Audience with The Transport Group, Finkl’s Follies at The John Houseman and 70 Girls 70 at Encores! Directed by Kathleen Marshall. I would return to Broadway playing several roles in the original Broadway cast of Yentl opposite Tovah Feldshuh. I have also been fortunate to work with Susan Stroman as one of the Little Old Ladies in the Feature Film, The Producers starring Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick and opposite Lea DeLaria in the film Mercury in Retrograde and co-starred with Stephen Rea in the film, A Further Gesture. Most recently, I have played Grandma in a regional production of Billy Elliott, co-starred in the series, The Bunny Hole by Ken Davenport, created the role of Mary in My Dinner with Mary for Theater for the New City and am the star of the award-winning Documentary Film, Just a Broadway Baby: Mary Ellen Ashley. I am currently working on the follow-up to the film, a live cabaret featuring songs from many of my Broadway and regional productions and just wrapped starring in the short film New Material.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The disappointments in my career have been minimal in comparison to the haven I felt in the business working with remarkable talents and dear friends many who have remained close to me even today. I made the choice to raise a family and take a break from the career but I had already come so far and accomplished so much that I felt enabled to take a break and be with my two little ones and those were joyous years. I even turned down a recording contract to be with my family because they took priority at that time. Of course, performing and theater are part of who I am and so it never really left me and when the children were old enough, I began to do more work again.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am most proud of the variety of roles both in musical theater roles and straight dramatic roles that I was able to do and that my career has spanned 80 years, working with some of the biggest names in the business. My singing and dancing were on par with my acting so I was considered a triple threat throughout my career,
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
I have learned to always look on the bright side of life, focus on the work, the creative people and the audiences and my mantra has always been…Onward!
Contact Info:
Image Credits
The headshot in yellow is Doug Piburn The production photo on the striped chair is Shane Adams The other photos are courtesy of Mary Ellen Ashley Archives
