SEATTLE — Because he grew up with Village Theatre, Brandon Ivie is a name well known to musical theater audiences in Everett.
Perhaps less well known is the fact that the gifted Ivie is emerging as a Broadway director and one of the most talented and popular directors in Seattle. Currently he is directing “Jasper in Deadland” at the 5th Avenue Theatre.
Among his other recent directorial works are “Lizard Boy” at the Seattle Repertory Theatre and “A Christmas Story” at the 5th Avenue, along with “The Noteworthy Life of Howard Barnes” at Village Theatre and “Next to Normal” for Seattle’s Contemporary Classics.
Ivie directed a smaller version of “Jasper” last summer at an off-off-Broadway theater.
On opening night on May 14 in Seattle, Ivie wore red skinny jeans and a black jacket (colors worn in the show) and enthusiastically applauded his cast. At intermission he laughed with friends and talked briefly with me about the importance of Village Theatre in his life.
“I started with KidStage at Village,” Ivie said. “Village gave me my first chance to direct. Village Theatre has shaped who I am as an artist.”
And Ivie is beloved at the 5th Avenue. It’s not easy taking on a new musical, but the nonprofit theater’s executive producer David Armstrong believes in this young man.
In Seattle, the 5th is nationally renowned for birthing musicals that go on to Broadway. Ivie has followed some of those to New York, assisting with such shows as “Catch Me If You Can,” “First Date” and “A Christmas Story.”
Hunter Foster and Ryan Scott Oliver’s hip, funny, fantastic musical “Jasper in Deadland” is more like a rock opera in which the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice meets Monty Python and Tim Burton. Throw in some Egyptian and Norse mythology, Greek and Roman theater, Dante’s story of Beatrix and a dark tale about a young man willing to visit the afterlife to find his girlfriend and you’ve got “Jasper.”
Orpheus, you ask?
One thing I like about the 5th Avenue are the programs. This month’s includes a mythology primer for those who, like me, can’t remember all that stuff. Don’t sweat it. There are serious themes in “Jasper,” but the show has lots of laugh lines. Sit back and enjoy.
The delightful cast is led by Broadway stars and 5th Avenue first-timers Matt Doyle as Jasper and Sydney Shepherd as Gretchen. Doyle reprises his take on Jasper after starring in the role in the off-off-Broadway production last year.
The rest of the cast includes regional favorites such as Sarah Rose Davis, Jared Michael Brown, Kyle Robert Carter, Taryn Darr, Frederick Hagreen, Kyle Bernbach, Diana Huey, Caety Sagoian and Evan Woltz.
The dynamite Louis Hobson as Mr. Lethe and Brandi Chavonne Massey as Ammut nearly steal the show.
As always at the 5th, the choreography, sets, costumes, lighting and orchestra are great. The three-headed dog puppet with glowing eyes was nice.
In the program, Ivie says, “… our goal was to create our own weird little world and invite the audience to visit.”
You don’t have much time. The show ends Sunday, but “Jasper in Deadland” is worth the trip to Seattle.
Gale Fiege: 425-339-3427; gfiege@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @galefiege.
If you go
For tickets to 5th Avenue Theatre’s production of “Jasper in Deadland” call 206-625-1900 or order online at www.5thavenue.org.
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