Arts Alive! podcast: Ashley Thunder of ‘Pinocchio’

Ashley Thunder very nearly played professional tennis. And she did play professional football. She also holds a degree in Business Administration.

So how did this multi-hyphenate from Ohio wind up singing opera in Florida? It’s a fascinating story, and on this edition of Arts Alive! the personable Ms. Thunder tells the total tale. “Thunder,” for example, is a nickname, bestowed upon her during her college sporting days at Ohio Dominican.

As for her football career, two words will explain it all: Lingerie League.

Thunder performs, this weekend and next, with St. Petersburg Opera Company, in the annual production of Pinocchio. It’s a 60-minute family-friendly musical, essentially an opera for children, in which the classic “always tell the truth” fable spools out through comic dialogue and witty songs set to classic opera music.

All the performers, like Ashley Thunder, are professional opera singers.

Click on the arrow to listen to the interview.