Ashley Blanchet Shines in Working Girl: A New Musical with Heart, Hope, and Serious ’80s Vibes

By Cesar A Reyes

Broadway favorite Ashley Blanchet is back — and she’s ready to work. Known for lighting up the stage in hits like Frozen, Waitress, and Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Blanchet is now bringing her sparkle to La Jolla Playhouse in the world-premiere musical Working Girl. The show, inspired by the beloved 1988 film starring Melanie Griffith, Harrison Ford, and Sigourney Weaver, runs through December 7 and promises big dreams, bigger hair, and all the heart you could ask for.

With music by pop legend Cyndi Lauper, a book by acclaimed playwright Theresa Rebeck, and direction by Tony Award winner Christopher Ashley (Come From Away), Working Girl is all about ambition, friendship, and finding your voice in a world that’s not always ready for you to succeed. Blanchet plays Cyn — the loyal, outspoken best friend of Tess, the scrappy secretary who dreams her way up the corporate ladder. It’s a role filled with humor, love, and a lot of truth, and Blanchet is having the time of her life bringing her to the stage.

“It’s wonderful to be back in La Jolla since working on the Hunter S. Thompson musical in 2022,” Blanchet said. “It’s also very special for me to be here for Artistic Director Chris Ashley’s final production because my Broadway debut was in the dance ensemble of Memphis. He was a large part of my theatrical initiation, and so it’s very meaningful to be a part of his legacy farewell moment.”

There’s a beautiful full-circle energy to that — Blanchet got her start under Ashley’s direction, and now she’s helping him close out his incredible 18-year run at La Jolla Playhouse with a brand-new musical.

For anyone who hasn’t seen the original Working Girl movie, Blanchet describes the story as both eye-opening and inspiring. “Working on this piece has reminded us all how different things were for women in very recent memory,” she explained. “As recently as 1978, women could legally be fired for becoming pregnant. There was an assumption that women in the workplace were not necessarily serious because pretty soon she might likely be married and leaving the job. So this piece is very much a revolutionary message about what it takes to have bigger dreams than the world that you were born into expects you to have.”

That message feels especially timely in 2025 — and Blanchet’s Cyn embodies it perfectly. Loyal, funny, and full of heart, she’s the kind of friend who tells it like it is and cheers you on anyway. “What I appreciate about our production is that it takes the beautiful relationship between these two women and places it in the forefront of the story,” Blanchet said. “A feminist message in 2025 is the idea that you can be a working girl and be a CEO — and also be a working girl and be more traditional — and everything in between. And I think these two women show that in the way that they learn to love and support each other despite the different ways they dream. It’s a love story.”

Of course, Blanchet isn’t taking on this story alone. The cast is a powerhouse lineup of talent. Pop star Joanna “JoJo” Levesque — yes, the early 2000s hitmaker behind “Leave (Get Out)” and “Too Little Too Late” — leads the show as Tess McGill, the ambitious Staten Island secretary with sky-high dreams and even higher hair. JoJo’s powerhouse vocals bring a fresh, emotional edge to the character, making her both relatable and irresistible.

Anoop Desai, who fans may remember from American Idol and his more recent Broadway turn in Once on This Island, plays Jack, the charming businessman who sees Tess’s potential — and maybe her heart, too. Broadway favorite Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer (Beetlejuice, Spamalot) sinks her teeth into the role of Katharine, the deliciously cunning boss whose schemes are as sharp as her wardrobe. And Joey Taranto (Kinky Boots, Rock of Ages) rounds out the main cast as Mick, Tess’s on-again, off-again boyfriend whose old-school mindset clashes with Tess’s big-city ambitions.

And yes, the 80s vibes are strong. Blanchet is fully embracing the era — right down to the shoulder pads. “I think shoulder pads are a phenomenal fashion item,” she laughed. “It was glamorous when it first appeared on Hollywood starlets of the 30s, when they brought it back in the 80s… and even though many people may disagree with me, I think we should bring them back again today!”

Beyond the big hair and bold looks, Blanchet says what really makes this experience special is the chance to create something new from the ground up. “People often ask actors about their dream role,” she said. “The ultimate dream for many of us is to have the chance to create something new. It certainly is that way for me.”

And with Cyndi Lauper’s music leading the charge, it’s safe to say audiences are in for a treat. “Cyndi Lauper is a genius,” Blanchet said. “The songs that she has written for this piece are like a selection of platinum hits that got lost in the vault. She’s an artist because she has something to say; she’s an icon because of the brilliant way she says it.”

So what does Blanchet hope audiences take away from Working Girl? “That women support each other, that feminism is about the right for women to have the freedom to choose the most meaningful life, that being ‘successful’ means not leaving yourself behind in the process,” she shared. “But most of all, I’m really looking forward to hearing from audiences about what resonated most for them.”

She sums it up with one word: POWERFUL. “It represents Cyn, it represents how I feel about women, and I hope — as well as feeling entertained — it will reflect how audiences feel about our piece.”

Catch Ashley Blanchet, JoJo Levesque, and the rest of the Working Girl cast at La Jolla Playhouse — and get ready for a night that’s funny, heartfelt, and absolutely empowering.