Brittain Ashford
EducationUniversity of Washington
Occupations
  • Actress
  • singer
  • songwriter
Years active2008–present
Known forNatasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812

Brittain Ashford is an American actress, singer and songwriter best known for portraying Sonya Rostova in the 2016 Broadway musical Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812,[1] as well as fronting the band Prairie Empire.[2]

Early life and education

Originally from Seattle, Washington,[3] Ashford attended Roosevelt High School. She attended college at the University of Washington, Seattle.[4][5][6]

Career

Theatre

Ashford's first theatrical performance was as Sonya Rostova in the 2012 Ars Nova production of Dave Malloy's Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812. Ashford continued to perform with the show in all future incarnations of it, including productions at Kazino, the American Repertory Theater, and at the Imperial Theatre, the latter of which marked her Broadway debut in 2016.[7] Of her role, Ashford says, "I sympathize with Sonya, and I really love that she's there as this best friend presence that could be nothing, but she also gets this really tender, intimate, important moment in the show to talk about that friendship, which I think is just so nice and kind of refreshing."[8] Ashford received praise for her performance as Sonya, and was nominated for multiple awards over the course of the shows multiple runs.[1] Ashford was temporarily replaced as Sonya by singer-songwriter Ingrid Michaelson, but she returned as Sonya on August 15, 2017.[9]

Ben Brantley of the New York Times stated in his article "The Tonys 2017: Who Will Win (and Who Should)"[10] that Ashford "should have been nominated" for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical.

Ashford also performed in Dave Malloy's song-cycle Ghost Quartet.[11] Ashford provided vocals for the show, as well as autoharp, keyboard, and percussion. She was praised for her performance as part of the quartet, with the Litro saying she "sounds like she's singing from the bottom of a sea of honey; her voice is at once lovely and perfectly eerie."[12] Ashford stayed with the show while it performed at various venues across the US, including the American Repertory Theatre[13] in Boston. The song-cycle re-opened at Next Door at NYTW, a black box theatre component of New York Theatre Workshop, in October 2017.[14]

Music

In 2008, Ashford released her first solo album, There, But for You, Go I, via the Parisian label Waterhouse Records.[15] In June 2012, she released her first record with her band Prairie Empire. Ashford recorded Prairie Empire (Trailer Fire Records) in Portland, Oregon, with support from members of the band Harlowe.[16] Leslie Ventura of Las Vegas Weekly notes the "sheer emotive power of her voice",[17] while Daytrotter praised the transportive capacity of the album's lyrics.[18] Ashford has been praised for the unique and distinctive qualities of her voice, with one critic saying, "Her voice is tender, but also strong and determined…the threatened vulnerability was serenely vanquished."[19]

In July 2016, Ashford released The Salt, her sophomore album with Prairie Empire, via Commodore Trotter Records. Ashford, who provided vocals, guitar and arrangements for the album was joined on drums by bandmate Nim Ben-Reuven, as well as Brent Arnold (cello), Jeff Hudgins (clarinet, sax, baritone sax), Danah Olivetree (cello), Alec Spiegelman (pump organ), Scott Colberg (guitar) and Matt Bauer (vocals).[20] Additionally, the band was joined on tour by Jacki Paolella, who helped to produced The Salt at TAPTAP Records in Norfolk, Virginia. In a review for Veer Magazine, Shannon Jay said The Salt "embodies a delicate toughness", calling attention to Ashford's vocals, the "ambient complexity" of the arrangements and the album's powerful storytelling.[21]

Ashford has also released five non-album singles under her own name: "Good for Goodness", "Time Takes Time", "Please Leave a Light on When You Go" (featuring Great Comet writer Dave Malloy, "Bells, Boxes", and "For the First Time".[22] In December 2018, she released a four-song EP with songwriting collaborator Matt Bauer.

On February 18, 2019, Ashford announced an Indiegogo campaign to fund her second solo studio album, entitled Drama Club. The album was released on September 24, 2019. The album features covers of musical theatre songs "run through a David Lynch filter", including a new version of "Sonya Alone" from Great Comet. The first single from the album, a cover of "You're the One That I Want" from Grease, was released on March 15, 2019.[23] A second single, a cover of her aria from Great Comet, "Sonya Alone", was released on July 16, 2019.

Ashford's third solo album, "Trotter", came out on May 19, 2023.[24]

Theater credits

Year Production Character Category Theatre
2012 Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 Sonya Rostova Off-off-Broadway Ars Nova
2013 Off-Broadway Kazino
2014–15 Ghost Quartet Performer Bushwick Starr/Curran
2015 Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 Sonya Rostova Regional American Repertory Theater
2016–17 Broadway Imperial Theatre
2017 Ghost Quartet Performer Off-off-Broadway New York Theatre Workshop
2018 Regional Seattle Theatre Group
2018 Blood Wedding Wife Regional The Williams Project
2019 Cowboy Cowboy Off-off-Broadway The Doxsee

Discography

Albums

  • There, But For You, Go I (2008)
  • Drama Club (2019)
  • Trotter (2023)

with Prairie Empire

  • Prairie Empire (2012)
  • The Salt (2016)

Extended plays

  • Auld Lang Syne (2012)
  • Tinsel and Snow & Other Mid-Winter Missives with Matt Bauer (2018)
  • Day Inside a Night with Matt Bauer (2020)

Singles

  • "Please Leave a Light on When You Go" (feat. Dave Malloy) (2012)
  • "Good for Goodness" (2017)
  • "Time Takes Time" (2017)
  • "Bells, Boxes" (2017)
  • "For the First Time" (2019)
  • "You're the One That I Want" (2019)
  • "Sonya Alone" (2019)
  • "Bitter and the Herb" (2020)
  • "Ugly" with Matt Bauer (2020)
  • "Night in Saguaro" with Matt Bauer (2020)
  • "Fade into You" with the Memory Spells (2021)
  • "Could've Done You Better" (2023)
  • "Hold on Tight" (2023)

Cast recordings

  • Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 (Highlights From the Original Cast Recording) (2013)
  • Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 (Original Cast Recording) (2013)
  • Ghost Quartet (2015)
  • Ghost Quartet: Live at the McKittrick (2016)
  • Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 (Original Broadway Cast Recording) (2017)

Awards and nominations

Sources: TheaterMania,[25] Lortel Archives[26]

Year Award Category Play Results
2014 Lucille Lortel Award Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical Natasha, Pierre, & The Great Comet of 1812 Nominated
2016 IRNE Award Supporting Actress, Musical Nominated

References

  1. 1 2 Isherwood, Charles (November 14, 2016). "Review: 'Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812,' on the Heels of 'Hamilton'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 15, 2016.
  2. ↑ Knittel, Fred (January 27, 2013). "Folkadelphia Session: Prairie Empire". The Key. WXPN. Retrieved December 12, 2016.
  3. ↑ "Austin Shows Brittain Ashford". do512.com. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
  4. ↑ Vinh, Tim. "Roosevelt's popular principal to step down". The Seattle Times. Retrieved December 21, 2016.
  5. ↑ Arnegger, Sarah Jane. "Schools of the Stars: Where The Great Comet Cast and Creators Went to College". Playbill. Retrieved December 21, 2016.
  6. ↑ Anderson, Cynthia M. "CHID alum, Brittain Ashford played a lead role in the Musical nominated for a record 12 Tony Awards, Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812. | Comparative History of Ideas | University of Washington". chid.washington.edu. Comparative History of Ideas Program, University of Washington. Retrieved August 9, 2017.
  7. ↑ Gordon, David. "Phillipa Soo and Brittain Ashford on Sharing a Year with Natasha, Sonya & the Great Comet of 1812". TheaterMania. Retrieved December 20, 2016.
  8. ↑ Myers, Victoria (March 23, 2017). "Women of "The Great Comet of 1812"". THE INTERVAL. Retrieved August 9, 2017.
  9. ↑ Lefkowitz, Andy (August 3, 2017). "Original Cast Member Brittain Ashford Will Return to Broadway's Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812". Broadway.com. Broadway.com. Retrieved August 9, 2017.
  10. ↑ Brantley, Ben (May 11, 2017). "The Tonys 2017: Who Will Win (and Who Should)". The New York Times. Retrieved June 17, 2017.
  11. ↑ Gioai, Michael. "Dave Malloy's Ghost Quartet". Playbill.
  12. ↑ Burton, Tara Isabella (January 19, 2015). "Haunting: The Power of Dave Malloy's Ghost Quartet - LitroUSA". www.litrony.com. Litro Magazine. Retrieved August 9, 2017.
  13. ↑ Byrne, Terry (September 10, 2015). "At Oberon, a spirited 'Ghost Quartet' from Malloy and company - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Boston Globe Media Partners, LLC. Retrieved August 9, 2017.
  14. ↑ "Dave Malloy's Ghost Quartet Will Re-Open New York Theatre Workshop's Black Box Space | Playbill". Playbill. Retrieved October 23, 2017.
  15. ↑ "Grace Mclean and Brittain Ashford to Headline Farm-to-Table Dinner with Hayfields". HAMLETHUB. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  16. ↑ "Prairie Empire". Trailer Fire Records. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  17. ↑ Ventura, Leslie (September 9, 2011). "Neon Reverb: Leslie's Thursday Journal". Las Vegas Weekly. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  18. ↑ Moeller, Sean. "Prairie Empire". Daytrotter. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  19. ↑ Mann, Zaph. "Review: The Woods - Sellwood's classy new venue". www.opb.org. Oregon Public Broadcasting. Retrieved August 9, 2017.
  20. ↑ Prairie Empire: The Salt, Midheaven Mailorder
  21. ↑ Jay, Shannon (July 2016). "CD Reviews: Prairie Empire, The Salt". Veer Magazine.
  22. ↑ Rearick, Lauren (April 27, 2017). "mp3: "Time Takes Time" - Brittain Ashford". The Grey Estates. Retrieved August 9, 2017.
  23. ↑ "You're the One That I Want - Single by Brittain Ashford". Music.apple.com. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  24. ↑ Mosk, Mitch (May 4, 2023). "Premiere: Brittain Ashford Dwells in Soul-Stirring Melancholy on "Hand Wringing/In the Wings"". Atwood Magazine. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
  25. ↑ "Broadway-Bound Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 Leads IRNE Award Nominees". TheaterMania. Retrieved December 21, 2016.
  26. ↑ "Brittain Ashford". Lortel Archives.
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