Ryan Scott Oliver Speaks at 5th Avenue Theatre's JASPER IN DEADLAND Spotlight Night Tonight

The 5th Avenue Theatre welcomes audiences to Spotlight Night: an exclusive, free, behind-the-scenes look at Jasper in Deadland, an exhilarating new pop/rock musical about love, death, and life in the underworld.

This Spotlight Night focuses on one of the up-and-coming writers of this daring work, Ryan Scott Oliver, and the myths and legends that inspired him. Hosted by Executive Producer and Artistic Director David Armstrong, Spotlight Night gives audiences backstage access and an Insider's glimpse of this intoxicating new show. Complete with performances from Broadway's Matt Doyle and the cast of Jasper in Deadland and a quick trip though ancient mythology with University of Washington's Professor Alexander Hollmann, this intimate look at Jasper in Deadland is one evening audiences won't want to miss.

Spotlight Night for Jasper in Deadland begins at 7:00 PM, tonight, April 2, 2015 at The 5th Avenue Theatre. To reserve tickets to this free event, or for additional information, visit www.5thavenue.org/show/jasper-spotlight, call 206-625-1900 or stop by the Box Office at 1308 5th Avenue in Downtown Seattle. Spotlight Night is made possible through the generous support of U.S. Bank.

Spotlight Night Host David Armstrong and Professor Alexander Hollmann, Associate Professor of Classics at the University of Washington will delve into the world of myths and monsters, and in particular, into the timeless power and influence of the legend of Orpheus in the Underworld upon which Jasper is based.

This will bring audiences to an exhilarating conversation with the show's creator, composer and co-book writer, Ryan Scott Oliver and the show's director, Brandon Ivie. Together with Armstrong, they will guide attendees through the inception and journey of Jasper in Deadland. Audiences will discover how and why they were inspired by some of the world's oldest stories to create this thrilling contemporary pop/rock musical. Oliver began working on Jasper over six years ago, and since then the show has gone through numerous incarnations and reincarnations including a six-person production Off-Off-Broadway last year and the 14-person production that will be introduced on The 5th Avenue Stage next month.

Spotlight Night audiences will get intimate with the music of Ryan Scott Oliver-not only his work on Jasper, but a number of his other musicals still in development. Oliver was recently hailed by Entertainment Weekly as "a major new voice in musical theater," and Seattle is thrilled to be among the first to hear some of his work in progress. The evening will include performances from Broadway's Matt Doyle and the cast of Jasper in Deadland.

An electrifying new musical in the spirit of RENT and Spring Awakening, Jasper in Deadland takes audiences on a mythological thrill-ride through the underworld. As teenage Jasper faces gods and monsters in search of his best friend (and true love) Agnes, he learns to let go of the demons of daily life and embrace the music within. With a pulsating contemporary score and vibrant roots in ancient Greek, Egyptian, Roman, and Norse legends and fables, this spine-tingling, hair-raising, heart-stirring show explores what it means to be truly alive.

Jasper in Deadland plays April 30 - May 24 (press opening May 14) at The 5th Avenue Theatre (1308 5th Avenue, Seattle). Tickets start at $29 and may be purchased at www.5thavenue.org, by phone at 206-625-1900 or at the Box Office at 1308 5th Avenue, in Downtown Seattle.

About Professor Hollmann - Dr. Alexander Hollmann holds a Ph.D. from Harvard in Classical Philology (the study of language in ancient texts). The author of six books and numerous articles, his main interests are in Greek language, literature, and religion. His studies also focus on religion and magic, specifically how signs are interpreted through oracles, portents, dreams, riddles, and objects.

About the Authors of Jasper in Deadland - Ryan Scott Oliver (composer and co-book writer) is an award-winning musical theater writer, composer, and educator. He was called "the future of Broadway...a major new voice in musical theatre" by Entertainment Weekly and "the best composer working today without a major production" by Backstage Magazine. Hunter Foster (Co-Book Writer) is a successful Broadway performer (Urinetown, Little Shop of Horrors, and The Producers) who has written for television, film, and stage, including musical adaptations of the films The Summer of '42 and Bonnie and Clyde. Their Off-Off-Broadway production of Jasper in Deadland enjoyed a sold-out run in 2014.

About the Director of Jasper in Deadland - Brandon Ivie directed the Off-Off-Broadway run of Jasper in Deadland last summer. An Issaquah native who trained at the UW School of Drama, he most recently directed the holiday hits A Christmas Story and Cinderella (Footlight Award) at The 5th and is currently directing Lizard Boy at Seattle Repertory Theatre. As the Gregory Award-winning artistic director of Contemporary Classics, he has directed or produced Seattle premieres of Next to Normal (Gregory nom), Zanna, Don't! (Footlight Award), The Yellow Wood and many others, as well as the New Voices series. Brandon served as the assistant director for the Broadway productions of First Date; Next to Normal; A Christmas Story, The Musical and Catch Me If You Can, as well as the pre-Broadway engagement of Gigi at The Kennedy Center.

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