Brandon Ivie to Direct UW Musical Theater Program's THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE

University of Washington alum Brandon Ivie will direct the second annual production of the newly established Musical Theater Program at the University of Washington. The production, THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE, will unite working professionals like Ivie and musical director Jordyn Meeker with undergraduates enrolled in the program.

"Adding professional artists to the creative team exposes our students to different perspectives and working methods," states Musical Theater Program Director Wilson Mendieta. "It also allows the opportunity for these guest artists to get to know the wonderful talent in our program and get a first glance at the next generation of musical theater artists."

Director Brandon Ivie, an alum of the School of Drama, has been working as a musical theater director both regionally and on Broadway. He most recently directed Lizard Boy at Seattle Repertory Theatre and Jasper in Deadland at The 5th Avenue Theatre. "I'm so thrilled to come back to UW and work with these passionate, talented students," states Ivie. "It's especially sweet that I get to help with the introduction of their musical theater program, an art form I love and a program I wish existed when I was at UW."

THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE is a popular musical comedy that chronicles the experiences of six adolescent outsiders vying for the spelling championship of a lifetime. While candidly disclosing stories from their home life, the tweens spell their way through a series of [potentially made-up] words hoping to never hear the soul-crushing, pout-inducing, life un-affirming "ding" of the bell that signals a spelling mistake.

THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE features a cast of UW undergraduate students and a design team comprised of MFA students from the School of Drama.

THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE runs January 29 - February 7 (previews on January 27 & 28). Performances are Wednesday-Saturday at 7:30 pm and Sundays at 2 pm. Tickets range from $10-25 and are available online or over the phone through the ArtsUW Ticket Office, 206-543-4880 / artsuw.org. The ArtsUW Ticket Office is located at 1313 NE 41st Street, open Monday-Friday, 11 am-6 pm. Performances are in the Floyd and Delores Jones Playhouse located at 4045 University Way NE.

Brandon Ivie directs and develops new musicals and plays, most recently the world premiere of Justin Huertas's Lizard Boy at Seattle Repertory Theatre, Jasper in Deadland by Ryan Scott Oliver and Hunter Foster both Off-Broadway and at The 5th Avenue Theatre, The Noteworthy Life of Howard Barnes by Michael Kooman and Christopher Dimond at Village Theatre, and the musical web series "The Hinterlands" by Michelle Elliott and Danny Larsen. Broadway assisting: First Date, A Christmas Story, next to normal and Catch Me If You Can. NYC: Lincoln Center Theater, The Public Theater/Joe's Pub, Signature Theatre, Prospect Theater Company, New York Musical Theatre Festival, 54 Below, NAMT, and more. Regional: The Kennedy Center, Paper Mill Playhouse, Signature Theatre, Ford's Theatre, and more. In his native Seattle, he is the artistic director of Contemporary Classics, directing/producing lauded Seattle premieres of Next to Normal, The Last Five Years, THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE, A New Brain, john & jen, Zanna, Don't!, the new musical The Yellow Wood, and is founder of the popular New Voices series.

The University of Washington College of Arts & Sciences offers a program of study in Musical Theater culminating in a Bachelor of Arts with a major in Individualized Studies. Through a collaborative and unique cross-departmental partnership with the School of Drama, the School of Music, and the Dance Program, this course of study offers a dynamic range of coursework and practical application including robust training in acting, singing, and dancing; performance-based projects; faculty and student directed productions; and special workshops with leading musical theater professionals. The program is designed to graduate well-rounded individuals equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to transition into the musical theater profession, and to approach their careers from an entrepreneurial perspective.

The Musical Theater program was made possible by a group of founding donors. Led by a leadership challenge from Marleen and Kenny Alhadeff, this group has provided essential funding to produce THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE and create a dynamic musical theater program at the University of Washington. Other Founders of the UW Musical Theater program include H. David Kaplan; Karen Koon; Stephen P. and Paula Rosput Reynolds; Ron Simons; Sarah Nash Gates; Kerry and Jan Richards; Randy Everett and Gary Fuller.

To post a comment, you must register and login.