David Armstrong News

High school students from across Washington State packedThe 5th Avenue Theatre tonight for The 13th Annual 5th Avenue Awards Honoring High School Musical Theater, a high school version of the Tony Awards, proudly sponsored by Wells Fargo with additional support from Alaska Airlines. The house was packed with over 2,000 teenagers, many in costumes representing their schools' musical theater productions, who cheered for their peers as they performed musical excerpts and accepted awards honoring top student achievements in musical theater. The acclaimed event, directed this year by Kat Ramsburg, handed out awards in 21 categories ranging from Outstanding Overall Musical Production to Outstanding Lobby Display.

Tim Minchin, the internationally celebrated composer and comedian behind the music and lyrics of the sensational Broadway hit Matilda The Musical, will join 5th Avenue audiences for the next Spotlight Night, The 5th Avenue's behind-the-curtains look at upcoming productions. Hosted by Executive Producer and Artistic Director David Armstrong, this Spotlight Night will preview the theater's upcoming summer shows: the ever popular Grease, the final show of the 2014/15, season and Matilda The Musical, the smash hit that opens the 2015/16 season.

The 5th Avenue Theatre joins with producing partner Pasadena Playhouse in welcoming Emily Padgett (Broadway: Side Show, Rock of Ages), Thom Sesma (Broadway: The Times They are A-Changin', Man of La Mancha), J. Elaine Marcos (Broadway: Annie, Priscilla Queen of the Desert), and Thai superstar Bie Sukrit to lead the cast of the world premiere of WATERFALL, an epic new Broadway bound musical love story, featuring a distinguished international creative team and a cast of 20. Performances at Pasadena Playhouse take place tonight, May 29, through June 28, 2015, followed by a Seattle run October 1-25, 2015.

Multi-talented actress and singer Jenifer Lewis returns to The 5th Avenue Theatre to headline the festivities at Cirque du 5th, the company's 12th Annual A Night at the 5th Gala, set for tonight, May 29th. Ms. Lewis was last seen at The 5th in 2009 in the starring role of Dolly Levi in the popular production of Hello, Dolly!, directed and choreographed by 5th Avenue Executive Producer and Artistic Director, David Armstrong.

The American musical sensation, Grease, will send audiences cruisin' through the days of pajama parties, sock hops, and drive-ins with an exuberant cast of Seattle's freshest faces and favorite performers at The 5th Avenue Theatre this summer.

One of New York City's hottest young stars, Matt Doyle will make the journey from the Big Apple to the Emerald City to star in Jasper in Deadland, a role he originated Off-Off-Broadway in 2014.

The 5th Avenue Theatre New Works Program is seeking Seattle-based musical theater writers and composers for the 2015-2017 cycle of its Seattle Writers Group. The Seattle Writers Group is a selective experience for professional musical theatre writers looking to practice & deepen their craft with the guidance, support, and infrastructure that The 5th Avenue Theatre offers.

The 5th Avenue Theatre New Works Program will bring a new kind of festival to Seattle's vibrant arts community this summer with its inaugural NextFest: A Festival of New Musicals. Taking place in the historic theater's rehearsal halls and studios July 20-August 15, 2015, NextFest is a celebration of new musicals at various stages of development ranging from a first read-through of new text and music all the way to a fully staged studio presentation of a work.

Multi-talented actress and singer Jenifer Lewis returns to The 5th Avenue Theatre to headline the festivities at Cirque du 5th, the company's 12th Annual A Night at the 5th Gala, set for Friday, May 29th. Ms. Lewis was last seen at The 5th in 2009 in the starring role of Dolly Levi in the popular production of Hello, Dolly!, directed and choreographed by 5th Avenue Executive Producer and Artistic Director, David Armstrong.

One of New York City's hottest young stars, Matt Doyle will make the journey from the Big Apple to the Emerald City to star in Jasper in Deadland, a role he originated Off-Off-Broadway in 2014.

The 5th Avenue Theatre joins with producing partner Pasadena Playhouse in announcing that Emily Padgett (Broadway: Side Show, Rock of Ages), Thom Sesma (Broadway: The Times They are A-Changin', Man of La Mancha), J. Elaine Marcos (Broadway: Annie, Priscilla Queen of the Desert), and Thai superstar Bie Sukrit will lead the cast of the world premiere of Waterfall, an epic new Broadway bound musical love story, featuring a distinguished international creative team and a cast of 20.

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.

A fiercely talented cast of Broadway and Seattle stars start rehearsal this week for The 5th Avenue Theatre's sensational new musical Jasper in Deadland under the direction of the gifted Brandon Ivie. Starring as Jasper and his guide to the Underworld, Gretchen are The Book of Mormon's Matt Doyle and New York-based actress and musician Sydney Shepherd. Joining them on this mystical journey are Andi Alhadeff, Kyle Bernbach, Jared Michael Brown, Kyle Robert Carter, Taryn Darr, Sarah Rose Davis, Frederick Hagreen, Louis Hobson, Diana Huey, Brandi Chavonne Massey, Caety Sagoian and Evan Woltz.

The 5th Avenue Theatre has announced a major new musical commission. Based on the spell-binding novel by Anne Rice, Cry to Heaven is a dramatic new musical with music and lyrics by three-time Grammy, Oscar and Golden Globe nominee Matthew Wilder and a book by Roy Freirich and Debrah Neal. The show will be developed through The 5th Avenue's New Works Program focusing on early stage cultivation of new musicals, one of seven musicals in various stages of development.

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.

Even Musical Theater nerds such as myself might not be familiar with “Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well & Living in Paris”, currently performing at ACT in a joint production with ACT and the 5th Avenue Theatre. I, myself, admit only a passing familiarity with the work and mostly from the covers that others have done of some of his songs. But now that I've seen it done I can understand the cultish following the show engenders and thankfully it was this production that filled the gap in my Musical Theater knowledge as this incredible ensemble took every angst ridden note and made them soar.

Beginning this month, A Contemporary Theatre (ACT) continues to partner with the 5th Avenue Theatre, co-producing a musical that appears on each organization's season and performed at ACT. Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris opens tonight, March 12, and runs for 10 weeks in the Falls Theatre, directed by David Armstrong.

One of New York City's hottest young stars, Matt Doyle will make the journey from the Big Apple to the Emerald City to star in Jasper in Deadland, a role he originated Off-Off-Broadway in 2014.

ACT - A Contemporary Theatre is pleased to announce that single tickets for the 2015 season have now officially gone on sale.

Under the direction of Producing Artistic Director Bill Berry, The 5th Avenue Theatre presents a fresh and exciting new take on the tempestuous romance, Rodgers & Hammerstein's Carousel. In its fourth major collaboration with Spectrum Dance Theater, The 5th is thrilled to welcome Tony Award-nominated choreographer Donald Byrd to the creative table, and a host of Seattle's theatrical royalty to its stage.