In the Spotlight

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

(Present Day)

The show was a hit, they all got a standing ovation, and the cast gets Ashlyn to come out to give her bow to the audience since she was the one that put it together, and her family owns the theater of course.

After everyone went to greet their fans, sign playbills, and get pictures taken, Ash was talking to the crew on a job well done when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Come with me," Leigh smiles.

"What? Why?" she asked.

"I have a surprise for you."

Ash smiles, "Okay. Everyone sorry, Leigh has something I need to go see. Again thanks for your hard work tonight. Finish getting everything ready for tomorrow night and you can go home."

Everyone claps and thanks Ash as the girls leave the stage and go down the hallway to the offices.

Ash sees Sean and Michelle wait in the hallway smiling.

"What's going on?" Ash asked.

"I have someone in your office I think you'd love to meet," Leigh smiled.

Ash looks at Sean and heads to her office, which was open.

"No one is allowed in my office, it's supposed to be locked," Ash said as she goes to the doorway and stops as she sees someone looking around at her pictures and Playbills from the NYC trip 3 years ago as the group stopped behind her in the hallway looking in the office.

"So, did you have a great time in New York?" he asked before turning around and smiling at Ash. "Hello Ashlyn. Happy early birthday," Lin-Manuel Miranda told her with his iconic smile.

"OMG," Ash said and covers her mouth. "Lin-Manuel. Hi..." she beamed.

"Hi. Leigh reached out to me and told me about your show and I of course had to come see it."

"You came to see my show?" she asked, then shocked. "Wait, you kept your promise from three years ago."

"Ya. I love to see small-town musicals from time to time. Just see their side of the plays and musicals. When Leigh told me it was Mary Poppins, I just had to come since I remembered our first time we met and I promised you that I would come." He beams at Ash, "Yours was amazing tonight. You did a great job."

Ash blushes, "Thank you." She goes into her calm phase, and reaches her hand out to shake his hand, "It's my turn to say what an honor it is for you to come see my show. I've been a fan of your work for years."

"I remember," he beams that smile that everyone loves as he shakes hands with her.

Sean nods behind them, "We've seen every movie that you wrote music for or been in since Hamilton."

"Well, I'm honored." Lin-Manuel smiles, "I just wanted to come and say hello. But I have a small question?"

"Sure," Ash smiled as they let go.

He smiles, "Leigh told me, but I wanted to hear it from you. Why don't you perform? Your family owns this amazing theater. It's always in the family blood to be on stage."

Ash frowns, "Growing up with parents that love theater and makes you the star of every show, not giving others a chance; being in the spotlight burned me out by the age of 12. However, thanks to my drama teacher in middle school, she showed me behind the scenes, let me work on her shows backstage, and joined the drama club as she transferred to the high school. She, and some parents, even had a talk with my parents that I need to learn behind the scenes and give others a chance. Therefore, I learned everything about how to pick a musical/play, the orchestra, which is always the local one; to pick the right cast and the leads, all the way down to the final curtain. Once I was 18, my parents had me run the business. So, I started the Bowmer Drama Camp."