You may have seen Ashley Moniz this season performing the role of Jane in Tarzan, or Mrs. Bucket in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, or perhaps as Quasimodo’s mother, Florika, with her stunning solo in the final scenes of The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
To pull off this feat of starring in simultaneous productions isn’t easy, even for such a talented and experienced performer. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication, with day after day of rehearsals, as well as evening performances six days a week. That kind of rigor is made even more challenging when your husband is also in the theater business, and you’re both navigating parenthood for the first time.
Back up to year 2014, and we see where Moniz’s life took an unexpected turn that first led her down this path. At the time, her performing arts career had her traveling between New York and L.A., as well as all across the country for national Broadway tours. In fact, it was when she had just returned to New York from performing in Sister Act’s first national tour that she met Benet Braun.
“My best friend said, ‘You need to come meet the music director in my show because I’m pretty sure he’s your future husband,’ ” says Moniz with a grin. “And we’ve been together ever since!”
But it wasn’t until Moniz experienced life at Tuacahn that she realized being a professional performer didn’t necessarily mean she had to sacrifice becoming a mother.
“I was always nervous to become a mom,” Moniz confesses. “As an actress, it’s tough to find the right time. It was actually here [at Tuacahn], when I was doing A Gentleman’s Guide [to Love and Murder]. There were so many mothers in the cast, as well as Shari Jordan, and our director, the late Peggy Hickey, who left us early this year. There were so many amazing mothers around me that it was the first time where I thought I could do this. So, I was picking everyone’s brains, and we decided to go for it.”
Moniz and Braun were blessed with a baby girl, named Everly (Evie) in 2020, and once Moniz was cast for the 2023 outdoor season, Tuacahn’s Casting Coordinator and Associate Producer, Shari Jordan, was able to keep their family together by taking advantage of Braun’s talent as well, hiring him both to be on the keys, as well as to be the Associate Music Director for Tuacahn’s indoor show, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical.
“Shari worked her magic to find a place for Benet at Tuacahn, and we’re so grateful for that,” says Moniz. “This is the only place I can do long contracts because Tuacahn has daycare on the property and show care during the shows. Once when we were rehearsing outside, I looked up and saw Evie waving to me from the window. It was awesome! We just love the caregivers, and the creative teams here have been so supportive about me being a mother. It’s very rare to find this level of support, and it’s a big gift to our family.”
Moniz and Braun haven’t wasted a minute while they’ve been in the area. “We are so impressed with the cities of St. George and Ivins. There are so many great things here, like the Children’s Museum and all the parks and splash pads. We love Ancestor Square and the All-Abilities Park. Now that I’m not in rehearsals, Evie’s taking swim lessons and dance class. We’re just trying to keep her active and around other kids.”
Motherhood isn’t just a new thing for Moniz in real life, it’s also new on the stage. “Being a mom has helped me as a performer. It’s brought out other things in me, allowing me to tell stories better. This is my first time playing a mom—as Mrs. Bucket, but also, I feel like Jane is so motherly when she’s helping Tarzan.”
While Moniz and Braun’s little family has struggled with being away from their extended family, it hasn’t stopped their family from coming to them. “My mom has come out once a month, and my dad at least every other. And we FaceTime with them. It makes it a little bit easier. Right now, we are looking at this as being a fun adventure. Evie’s at a great age, where we can throw her in a backpack and go, and Tuacahn’s a magical place—a kind of, all-in-one location for performers, and there’s something wonderful in getting to do what you love for a living.”
Don’t miss out seeing Ashley Moniz perform in one of her three roles at Tuacahn’s Outdoor Amphitheatre. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory shows through Oct. 19, The Hunchback of Notre Dame through Oct. 20, and Tarzan through Oct. 21. For tickets and showtimes check out www.tuacahn.org or call 435-652-3300.
