Full Circle: From Student Worker to House Manager – Meet Kaylee Alger

When Kaylee Alger first stepped inside ASU Gammage, she never imagined she’d one day be managing the very space that inspired her to chase a career in theater. What began as a student job during her freshman year at Arizona State University has now come full circle seven years later, as she takes on the role of ASU Gammage’s newest House Manager.  

Alger’s journey at ASU Gammage began before she wore a name badge. As a high school senior, she participated in the 2018 ASU Gammage High School Musical Theatre Awards. Backstage during rehearsals, she overheard one of the floor managers say she had seen HAMILTON 32 times.  

“I thought, how do I get that job?” Alger laughs. “From that moment on, I knew I wanted to work here.”  

Starting the first day of her freshman year, Alger would check the ASU Gammage website daily for job openings.   

“Finally, they were hiring. I applied for four different positions, and I ended up getting three different interviews: floor manager, concessions staff and security.”   

Alger joined the front-of-house team in 2018 as a student worker floor manager, kicking off what would become a defining chapter of her life.  

Alger’s journey through ASU Gammage reflects both her work ethic and her love for live theater. During her time as an ASU student, she worked her way up from floor manager to assistant house manager, balancing her shifts with coursework in Early Childhood and Special Education.  

After graduating in 2022, she transitioned from student worker to part-time while exploring a teaching career. But when she realized that her heart was still in the theater, she made a bold pivot — applying (and reapplying) for a full-time role at the place that had always felt like home.  

“I realized that I’d spent almost my entire adult life here,” she says. “This building, this team, it’s where I’ve grown the most.”  

Persistence paid off. In October 2025, Alger officially stepped into her new full-time role as House Manager, overseeing front-of-house operations and the guest experience for every performance.  

Now leading the team she once worked alongside, Alger is focused on one central goal: making every team member feel valued.  

“I’ve been in their shoes,” she says. “I want everyone on our front-of-house team — from students to supervisors — to know how important they are to the guest experience.”  

She’s also using this new chapter to challenge herself professionally.  

“I’m a people-pleaser by nature,” she admits. “But this role is teaching me to make confident decisions, to lead with both kindness and authority.”  

It’s no surprise that HAMILTON holds a special place in Alger's heart, not only as her favorite show, but as part of the moment that sparked her career at ASU Gammage. Other favorites include FALSETTOS, for its emotional storytelling, and WICKED, which she remembers seeing as a child — her very first Broadway show at ASU Gammage.  

This season, she’s especially excited to welcome THE NOTEBOOK to the Tempe stage.  

“I saw it on Broadway for my birthday last year,” she shares. “I cried three times. I can’t wait for audiences here to experience it.”  

When asked what she’d tell her 2018 self, the student nervously starting her first shift at ASU Gammage, Alger doesn't hesitate. 

“Just you wait,” she says with a grin.  

A nod to her favorite HAMILTON lyric, but also to the patience, persistence, and passion that carried her from backstage curiosity to leading one of Arizona’s most iconic theaters.  

“Everything I’ve learned — from student worker to house manager — has happened right here at ASU Gammage. It’s more than a job. It’s home.”