A story told entirely by song, backed by an energetic rock band, Deep Love is a unique blend of theater production and rock concert. It is the tragic tale of a jealous lover’s reach from beyond the grave, a story of love, loss and indecision where sweethearts become adversaries in pursuit of what they cannot live without. Heartwarming and heartbreaking, it promises to delight all ages.
Roommates Ryan Hayes and Garrett Sherwood wrote Deep Love five years ago in the small town of Rexburg, Idaho as a way to stave off winter boredom. Originally performed, acoustic style, as a folk opera to a small group of friends, Deep Love grows each year, spreading from Idaho to Utah as the writers graduated and relocated to Salt Lake.
This haunting tale is showcased each fall across the Mountain West, but recently had the great honor of being selected from hundreds of candidates by a grand jury of tony award-winning directors and producers to be one of ten featured musicals produced for the 2015 Next Link Project of the New York Musical Theater Festival (NYMF).
The band, cast and crew took the whole production two New York for a few weeks in July. “It was a daunting task, but so easy because we had people that knew what they were doing,” says Ryan. Joined by true Broadway professionals, Deep Love was well received. Theater Scene wrote, “The music is a credible sounding rock amalgam of the likes of Queen, Led Zeppelin and Aerosmith, with Roxy Music flourishes. The lyrics are skillfully complementary.”
The small cast is power packed with Jon Peter Lewis (of American Idol and with Ryan Hayes as Midas Whale on The Voice), Amy Whitcomb (of The Sing-Off and The Voice), Melanie Stone (of Mythica) and writer Garrett Sherwood. They add not only talent, but life to the show and have been an integral part in the growth of Deep Love. Add to that a fantastic band that, according to Ryan, “Is the bunch of dudes that love the project so much that they don’t want to be separate from it. They plan their lives around it. We’re brothers. The passion is always alive. It’s really fun!
The combination of intriguing story, heartfelt music, stellar performance and energy bring back loyal audience members every year, while continually attracting new fans. Deep Love touches deep inside your soul, with an irresistible pull. Don your best funeral attire and come experience for yourself the “tale of lovers torn by grief, and in the end you’ll see why love is deep.”
Deep Love can be experienced Oct 5th & 6th at the Rose Wagner Theater
