PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — Ashlyn Brown's voice carries a power that commands attention. The local opera singer is turning a heartbreaking situation into an inspiring one.
"I realized I love to sing, I love this kind of music, and I love acting, what way can I combine all these things?" Brown said. "Naturally, opera was the best route of things."
Brown is a part of Palm Beach Opera's Young Artist Program for emerging professional artists. The program is a five-month residency that provides artists' development.
However, behind Brown's talent as she prepares for her role as Stephano in Romeo and Juliet at the Palm Beach Opera, lies a story of resilience and heartache.
WATCH: How a Palm Beach Opera singer uses her talents to overcome her own tragedy
"Fortunately we get to pretend to be other people, and so when you're on stage, and you're doing this, for a moment you can pull yourself out of yourself and away from the situation," said Brown.
Brown's world came burning down in a matter of minutes as fires tore through California, devastating her family's property in the Palisades—a home steeped in cherished memories. Originally owned by her grandfather, an immigrant from Lithuania who played NFL football and worked as a stuntman, the house had been passed down to Brown's parents after his passing in 2004. They used it as a rental property, a cornerstone of their family's retirement plans.
"I fell to my knees in the Houston Airport, I just cried, I was angry, confused," Brown said. "You know you think like this will never happen to me, and then all of a sudden, you're on the phone with FEMA. Only two of the houses on our entire street survived."
The home connected her grandfather's legacy and the dreams he had nurtured for his family.
"For my grandfather, it was the most tangible proof that he had made it," Brown said. "I remember sitting on my grandfather's lap and just watching the ocean from the back porch."
Grappling with the emotional devastation, Brown has turned to the one thing that has always been her refuge, channeling her grief into her art. The role in Romeo and Juliet became more than just another opportunity to showcase her talent—it became a lifeline, a way to escape the harsh realities of loss and to honor her family's story through her voice.
"My parents are very lucky to be able to come out to come see Romeo and Juliet, because our family needs something good to happen and opera provides a very rare opportunity where we can walk away from tragedy and welcome beauty," Brown said.
As she prepares to take the stage, Brown reflects on the community and experiences that have shaped her journey and the friends and colleagues who have rallied around her, offering support and encouragement.
"I'm very lucky that Palm Beach has been so supportive, everyone that works here has been really my backbone," Brown said. "My donors have reached out to me, my company has reached out to me. I'm grateful that if this was going to happen, there are only two places that I would really want to do this right now and that's here with my colleagues or at home with my parents."
