Musical theatre alumna joins crew of Parade

Bethany Novotny | Department of Theatre & Dance | 6/6/2023

Ashley Digiovanni standing under Broadway theatre sign

Congratulations to alumna Ashley Digiovanni who recently joined the crew of Parade on Broadway as the third chair Wig and Hair Assistant.

Ashley sitting on table wearing long wig — Ashley with the Rapunzel wig she created for Into the Woods

Ashley graduated from Auburn in spring 2022 with a BFA in Musical Theatre. While at Auburn, she honed her craft as both a performer and a wig master/designer. Her Auburn credits include Into the Woods (Cinderella / Wig Master), Spring Awakening (Anna / Wig Designer), A Doll’s House (Wig Master), Bring it On (Ensemble), The Theory of Relativity (Mira), Big Fish (Ensemble), Together Apart (Ensemble), New Day Dawning (Ensemble), Little Women (Wardrobe Crew), and The Belle's Stratagem (Wardrobe Crew).

Only a week after graduating, Ashley moved to Long Island for an 8-month contract with The Gateway Playhouse as their wig supervisor. During her contract, she worked on shows such as Head Over Heels, Little Mermaid, Christmas Carol, Beauty and The Beast Jr., and The Cher Show. Ashley described The Cher Show as one of the most demanding things she had ever done. As one of three people working with 60-plus wigs, she explained the daunting task of doing initial styling, upkeep, wig changes, post-show work, and more for a show of that magnitude. Despite the challenge it presented, Ashley says she learned a great deal about herself and her professional pursuits from the experience.

Ashley moved to New York in January 2023 and got a wig-building position working for Tom Watson (a prolific wig designer based in New York who has designed for iconic shows such as Wicked). Within the studio, she has learned how to build wigs from scratch for use in touring productions of Wicked. A fun fact she shared is that you know someone is working on a Wicked wig when their fingertips are stained red from the hair dye.

Now that Ashley has joined Parade her job consists of a six-day work week, Tuesday through Sunday, eight shows a week. Every Tuesday is a work call day, where routine maintenance like scheduled wig washing and restyling is done. She is responsible for the upkeep and application of three wigs used during the show's run, as well as hairstyling for two of the actresses. Additionally, she is responsible for assisting the supervisor and second chair with whatever they might need.

When asked about her time at Auburn, Ashley recalls walking into the costume shop during her freshman year and seeing a peer working on wigs. From that moment she knew it was something she wanted to pursue, and reflected on the enthusiasm and encouragement she was greeted with when she began her wigs journey. She is especially grateful to Jennifer Salter, our Costume Studio Coordinator, for her mentorship and support. She said, “Without my time at Auburn I wouldn’t even know that this field existed.”

Parade runs until August 6th at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre.

The Department of Theatre and Dance is so proud of Ashley and can’t wait to see what she does next.

Tags: Theatre and Dance