Jasper in Deadland

I searched and haven't found any post about this yet. Has anyone heard anything? I'm tempted to buy tickets but I have nothing to go off of other than rehearsal photos.





Jasper in Deadland - Prospect Theater Company

Updated On: 3/17/14 at 10:50 AM

^For whatever my word means, I was there last night and really enjoyed it.

Best way to describe is is a fantasy/myth tale for a teen/ young adult audience. There's a lot going for it: Ryan Scott Oliver is one of the best musical theatre composers without a Broadway credit today; Hunter Foster's book (though at times seeming to pander and at others be a little too vague) shows a lot of promise, and the cast is absolutely phenomenal.

What really surprised me was the conviction of the whole cast: usually when something like this comes along, there's a lot of winking to the audience and going over the top. The amount of grounded, realistic performances I saw last night, given the show is supposed to take place in a fantasy-Heaven/Hell/Underworld space, was really quite astounding.

The set and overall design (though simple) works for the production, and the number of effects/ staging tricks proves the director (Brandon Ivie) as a talent to watch for.

There's videos on You Tube from various concerts where the songs have been performed, but as someone who'd followed the show for years, there's a lot that's changed, and this is very well the tightest iteration of the material. "Hello, Jasper", "Stroke by Stroke", "Living Dead", and the finale are all standout songs.

I really loved it, and by the end of previews, this could be a really special show. It has a lot of what the other majors shows this season seem to be lacking: a true beating heart.

I attended the fist preview yesterday as well and was very impressed.
Had some problems picking up all of the words in the beginning, but that improved quickly. Found myself drawn into the story right away, and never drifted off. The humor was funny without exaggerating. The performances were all brilliant, and everyone brought something special to the show. The theatre is so intimate you really get to connect with the characters (and actors) throughout the show. I absolutely loved the music, unsurprising being a Ryan Scott Oliver fan, and I really liked the story as well.
Got to chat with the actors after the show and they are all very nice and were so excited about the show, and the audience. My ticket to return after it opens is already booked!

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I hope they record this. I'm a huge fan of Allison Scagliotti, who plays Gretchen.

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I hope this gets recorded. I love Matt Doyle and I'm gonna miss it.

The view from the balcony is really good. You do have to lean forward a LITTLE. But when i sat up there I had a great view....I think they added two matinees....just haven't put them onsale?

Anyone know if there are rush tickets?

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On his show people interview on Broadway.com Matt Doyle says there will be a cast recording. He then backpedals and says he hopes there will be one, but I'm hoping his initial enthusiastic yes was based on the fact that he's signed a contract or it's being negotiated or something. It would be really great to have this score preserved.

Saw this last night. I mostly did enjoy it- it's a beautiful space, and it's great to see an original musical attracting an audience of people almost exclusively comprised of young people. The cast is uniformly excellent and Oliver's score is fantastic.

I do think it's let down by Hunter Foster's book- structurally, it's good, but he relies way too heavily on cheap pop cultural humor that don't come organically from character, but rather from a need to have a joke. The second act is stronger because it mostly ditches that sort of humor in favor of more character-building scenes.

It's also a bit too long- there's no need for this show to be over 2 hours. The first act, in particular, can benefit from tightening a great deal.

That being said, I had a good time. There are some truly great things in the score, and Matt Doyle and the rest of the company really deliver.

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