He directed Jeffrey by Paul Rudnick Off-Broadway at the WPA Theatre in 1993,[5] for which he received the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Director.
[6] Ashley directed the musical Memphis, which opened on Broadway in October 2009, receiving the Outer Critics Circle Award nomination for Outstanding Director[7] and Tony Award nomination, Best Direction of a Musical.
He directed the Sondheim Kennedy Center Celebration productions of Sweeney Todd and Merrily We Roll Along in 2002.
[11][12][13] He was originally set to direct a film adaptation of the musical, which was canceled on February 2, 2021, because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
[14][15][16][17] He directed the new musical stage version of Freaky Friday, which premiered at the Signature Theatre, Arlington, Virginia in October 2016.