Quickly making a name for herself in the performing arts industry, senior Ashlee Byers will be performing in the 2015 Christmas show Deck the Halls at the American Music Theatre in Lancaster from November 3 to December 30 with Cast A.

  Complete with song and dance to ring in the holiday season, the Christmas show has been recognized as Lancaster’s most beloved holiday show.  Rehearsals for the show began October 4, yet excitement has surrounded the opportunity since Byers discovered that she was cast in the production during the summer.  Perhaps what Byers is most eagerly anticipating is being immersed in a professional environment, which is an enormous step towards her ultimate goal of being on Broadway.

  Ever since she began singing and dancing as a young girl, Byers has always found her performances to be hugely rewarding.

  “[My favorite part about performing is] the thrill of being on stage and making people smile,” said Byers.

  Performance has played an important role in her life ever since she began training with the Hanover School of Ballet at age four.  One of the most impactful people in Byers’s life is Frank Hatchett, an illustrious figure in the performing arts industry, who passed away almost two years ago but is still an immense inspiration for Byers.  Both of Byers’s parents have also been influential in her life as her mom Deborah Blume-Byers is the Artistic Director at the studio and her dad is a singer.  Two other mentors that have greatly impacted Byers’s journey in the performing arts are: Kermit Finstead, who trained her voice for eight years, and Scott Fredricks,  whom she currently trains with.  

  Many of Byers’s scholastic mentors throughout her life have also taken quick notice to her undeniable talent and hard work.

  Assistant principal James Hollinger, who watched Byers perform in May of 2014 at the spring show in Hanover, praises both Byers’s ability and work ethic.

  “As a performer, she is unbelievably talented,” said Hollinger. “I know she works very hard at dancing… I was very impressed [when I saw her perform].”

  Byers’s innate talent and determination have been evident not only in her recent years but also in her younger years.

  Sixth-grade teacher Katie Lhotsky taught Byers in the 2009-2010 school year at Friendship Elementary School and has since continued to enthusiastically commend her dedication to her craft.

  “Ashlee was born to perform,” said Lhotsky. “It’s in her DNA.  She works so incredibly hard to constantly hone her talent and improve.”

  To add to the excitement of Byers’ performance, her sister and 2010 graduate Britnee Byers will play Mrs. Potiphar and Wife #1 in the National Tour of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, which will travel to 87 cities all over the country and even to Japan throughout the upcoming year.  One stop will be at the Strand Theatre in York on February 15.

  Tickets for Deck the Halls, which are $42 for adults, $32 for AMT members and $21 for children, can be found at www.AMTshows.com or purchased from the box office at 1-800-648-4102.  To purchase tickets to see Britnee Byers in the National Tour of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, visit www.josephthemusical.com.