October 20, 2006

Local Evergreen girls featured in ‘The King and I’

By Lorraine Gabbert
Staff Writer

When the American Musical Theatre of San Jose presents Rodgers’ and Hammerstein’s lavish musical, “The King and I” on October 31st, three Evergreen girls will be among its talented cast: Victoria and Abigayle Ashby and Kristina Anderson.

Pictured: (l-r) Abigayle Ashby, Victoria Ashby, Debby Boone and Kristina Anderson. Boone stars as Anna Leonowens, teacher in the court of the King of Siam to the royal children. Evergreen residents Abigayle, Victoria and Kristina are three of 24 young actors who will perform in AMTSJ's production Oct. 31 - Nov. 12. Photo by Theresa Anderson

The girls play the roles of princesses and are sure to feel like royalty while performing at the Center for the Performing Arts.

“The children are all very well behaved and focused,” said Director Stephen Bourneuf. “I always make sure to allow each of the performers…to bring some of their own personality into the group. These girls are able to do this and seem very comfortable in the theatrical environment. They’re outgoing, enthusiastic and seem to enjoy working with the group.”

Bourneuf believes that through working with professional productions, children learn discipline and creativity, essential aspects of the theatrical structure. They also benefit from watching and working with professionals, such as Debby Boone and Francis Jue in “The King and I.”

Victoria and Abigayle’s mother, Bernadette Ashby, believes that performing helped her daughter Abigayle to overcome her shyness and increase her self-esteem. “It’s given her confidence,” said Bernadette, “and the ability to speak confidently and boldly.”

Kristina’s mother, Theresa Anderson, agrees. “Kristina is quiet,” she said, “but when she’s onstage she seems to blossom.”

The Ashby Sisters
Victoria Ashby (age 10) started in theater at age 6 with the Children’s Musical Theater San Jose. As her mother always yearned to be in theater, it was an opportunity she didn’t want her children to miss. The chance arose one summer with a production of “Alice in Wonderland.”

“She just loved it,” said Bernadette, “and was excited thereafter to do more musical theater.”

Victoria also played the queen in “Snow White” with the Yancy Theater Company and the lead in various church productions. Most momentous was landing the lead in “Sleeping Beauty” as Princess Melisande with the Children’s Musical Theater (CMT).

“That really catapulted her into an arena where she absolutely loved theater,” said Bernadette, “partly due to working closely with the director, choreographer and voice coach.”

In addition, Victoria appeared in “The Velveteen Rabbit” and has participated in children’s choir at church for five years.

“This all lends to her experience,” said Bernadette. “She is confident and a leader in her own right. She enjoys creative things and is very intelligent. She is also very articulate.”

Although outgoing with friends, Victoria also enjoys some downtime by herself, reading books and making crafts. With her talented voice, poise and presentation, Victoria was runner-up in a Youth Focus Talent Competition, taking home four trophies.

“Most kids her age are self-conscious,” said Bernadette, “but she’s not at all. She responds well to direction and takes her roles seriously.”

Abigayle Ashby (age 8) had her first foray into theater with a production of “The Velveteen Rabbit” through CMT at age 6.

“The audience enjoyed the play,” said Bernadette, “but there was one little bunny they absolutely loved, and that was Abigayle.”

Abigayle also appeared in “Aladdin” and “Heidi” with CMT, but it was while playing a fairy in “Sleeping Beauty” that she brought the house down. When her father was working backstage, a man asked him if he happened to know who “Sleeping Beauty” was.

“That was my daughter, Victoria,” her father recalled, in replying. “Wow, she was amazing,” said the man. “And how about that cute little fairy?” “That’s Abigayle, my other daughter,” he replied.

A free spirit with a great creative flair for the arts, Abigayle enjoys photography, drawing and composing music. According to her mother, she also has a talented voice and has taken voiceover classes. Her diligence paid off when she landed her first job doing voiceover work for a SEGA videogame, making $250 an hour.

For both girls, being onstage seems to come naturally. Although auditioning for “The King and I” with 60 other children proved nerve-wracking, their experience, training and abilities saw them through. Victoria has five years of dance, three years of piano training and two years of vocal training to fall back on, in addition to her stage experience.

“She is very comfortable and confident,” said Bernadette.

Both girls had years of experience with CMT and are now able to add the American Musical Theatre of San Jose (AMTSJ) to their resume.

“In the future, we’re going to be looking for more professional roles for the girls because of their abilities,” Bernadette added.

Because they are home schooled, balancing schoolwork, childhood and acting is manageable for the Ashby family. Bernadette works with each child individually, following the Thomas Jefferson philosophy of education in which students have a leadership role in education, focusing in-depth on topics they wish to study. The girls spend time writing essays, reading the classics and playing piano. Their evenings are homework free.

As a pianist herself, Bernadette has taught her children to play more than 50 pieces by heart, such as works by Beethoven. Abigayle especially enjoys playing music she composes herself. Bernadette hopes that she may become a musician in her own right.

“I’m pretty proud of my kids,” she said. “My goal for them is to have an impact on this world. As parents, we want to provide opportunities for them to grow in whatever area they’re gifted in, be it academics, fine arts or theater. We will put every effort in for them to do whatever it is that they love.”

Kristina Anderson
Third-grader Kristina Anderson (age 8) feels excited when she’s onstage.

“I like to play acting,” she said.

And when the audience applauds, she wants to do it again. Kristina is so thrilled about performing in “The King and I” that she said she would certainly like to be in another show. Kristina started acting at age 6, performing in “Dear Edwina” in kindergarten. Through Capital Dance Company, she also performed in “Peter Pan,” “The Wizard of Oz,” “Alice in Wonderland,” “Aladdin” and “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.”

When she isn’t dancing or putting on a show, Kristina enjoys reading history books, especially about ancient cultures and rich historic lands, such as Egypt. She is currently reading the History of the World in chronological order. In addition to dance, her extracurricular activities include piano, art, Brownies, gymnastics, skating, swimming and cheerleading.

Like the Ashby’s, Kristina follows a disciplined schedule. A conscientious student, she completes her homework immediately after school and does her best to juggle dance comp teams, swim team, piano practice and theater rehearsals.

“It’s tough,” said her mother, Theresa. “We try to make sure she gets the best of both worlds.”

With her busy schedule, Theresa also arranges for her daughter to have some free time.

“With the Evergreen School District,” she said, “our minimum day is Thursday, so I don’t schedule anything after school so she can be a kid and play. I also don’t schedule any activities on the weekend except for AMTSJ rehearsals.”

One of the things Kristina likes about performing is meeting other children interested in theater.

“They all have a joy and passion for it,” said Theresa. “For her, it comes naturally. It’s like playtime. She’s happy onstage and can ham it up; theatre brings that extroverted side out in her.”

Kristina is used to performing in front of others. At Capital Dance Company, in her Performance Awards Class, she is evaluated in a solo dance routine by a representative from the Academy in Ballet.

“We’re very proud of her,” said Theresa. “Because she’s an only child, we’re fortunate that we can indulge her in whatever she wants to try.”

She may not be sure what she wants to be when she grows up, but when she’s in high school, Kristina would like to teach children to dance and to swim. Whatever path she chooses, she is aided by her parents’ support.

For now, all three girls can look forward to performing before the footlights in their first American Musical Theatre production.

“Most rewarding,” said Bourneuf, “is the excitement and satisfaction of their hard work when they’re in front of an appreciative audience. We’re all looking forward to a terrific run of ‘The King and I.’”

About the show
The American Musical Theatre San Jose presents “The King and I,” playing October 31 through November 12 at the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts, and featuring Broadway stars Debby Boone and Francis Jue. “The King and I” portrays the story of Anna Leonowens (Boone) who arrived in Bangkok in 1862 with her son at the behest of King Mongkut (Jue) to teach his children and wives English language and culture. Some of the most memorable songs from this legendary score include, “Getting to Know You,” “Shall We Dance,” and “Hello Young Lovers.”

For tickets and information, call 1-888-455-SHOW (7469), 408-453-7108, or visit www.amtsj.org.