The Last Five Years

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The Last Five Years
The Last Five Years Playbill.jpeg
Original Off-Broadway playbill
Music Jason Robert Brown
LyricsJason Robert Brown
Book Jason Robert Brown
PremiereMay 23, 2001: Northlight Theatre
Productions2001 Chicago
2002 Off-Broadway
2013 Off-Broadway revival
2015 Ireland
2016 Off-West End
2021 West End
Awards Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music

The Last Five Years is a musical written by Jason Robert Brown. It premiered at Chicago's Northlight Theatre in 2001 and was then produced Off-Broadway in March 2002. Since then it has had numerous productions both in the United States and internationally.

Contents

The story explores a five-year relationship between Jamie Wellerstein, a rising novelist, and Cathy Hiatt, [1] a struggling actress. The show uses a form of storytelling in which Jamie's story is told in chronological order (starting just after the couple have first met) and Cathy's story is told in reverse chronological order (beginning the show at the end of the marriage). The characters do not directly interact except for a wedding song in the middle as their timelines intersect.

In 2014, a film adaptation directed by Richard LaGravenese starring Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan was released.

Background

The Last Five Years was inspired by Brown's failed marriage to Theresa O'Neill. O'Neill sued Brown on the grounds that the story of the musical violated non-disparagement and non-disclosure agreements within their divorce decree by representing her relationship with Brown too closely. Brown, in turn, sued O'Neill for interfering with his creative work and his creative process. As part of the legal settlement for both suits, Brown removed all references to the character being Irish Catholic, and changed the song "I Could Be in Love With Someone Like You" to "Shiksa Goddess" in order to reduce the similarity between the character, Cathy, and O'Neill. [2] [3]

Synopsis

Cathy is sitting alone lamenting the end of her marriage ("Still Hurting"). We shift to meet Jamie. It is five years earlier and he has just met Cathy. Jamie is overjoyed to be dating outside his Jewish heritage ("Shiksa Goddess").

Cathy and Jamie are in Ohio but not together. It is her birthday and he has come to visit her as she works in a show there ("See I'm Smiling"). She is anxious to fix any problems in their marriage but she becomes angry when Jamie tells her he has to go back early to New York. During breaks in the music, we see a younger Jamie, talking to a literary agent about his book.

Jamie is moving in with Cathy. He comments on how lucky he is that everything is going right for him; his book is being published and his life with Cathy seems too good to be true ("Moving Too Fast"). Elsewhere an older Cathy is making a call to her agent: it seems her career isn't going the way she planned it.

Cathy is attending Jamie's book party. She sings about how he ignores her for his writing but she will always be in love with him ("I'm a Part of That").

Jamie and Cathy celebrate their second Christmas. He tells her a new story he has written about an old tailor named Schmuel and he gives her a Christmas present: a watch, promising to support her as she follows her dreams of acting. ("The Schmuel Song").

Cathy is in Ohio and writing to Jamie. She describes to Jamie her disappointing life in Ohio among her eccentric colleagues ("A Summer in Ohio").

Jamie is sitting with Cathy in Central Park. Jamie proposes to her and, for the first time in the musical, they sing together ("The Next Ten Minutes"). They get married, exchanging vows to stay together forever.

Jamie is facing temptation from other women, especially now his career as a writer has escalated ("A Miracle Would Happen"). Cathy, meanwhile, is auditioning for a role ("When You Come Home to Me"). She is getting down about the rejection she faces as an actress and complains to Jamie ("Climbing Uphill").

Jamie speaks to Cathy on the phone, trying to convince her that there is nothing going on with him and his editor, Elise. He wants to celebrate a book review but Cathy refuses to go out.

Jamie is fighting with Cathy, trying to get her to listen to him. He accuses her of being unsupportive of his career just because hers is failing. Though his words are harsh, he promises her that he believes in her ("If I Didn't Believe in You").

A younger Cathy is in the car with Jamie, who is going to meet her parents. She tells him about her past relationships and hopes not to end up in a small town life like her friend from high school ("I Can Do Better Than That"). She asks Jamie to move in with her.

Near the end of the relationship Jamie wakes up beside another woman ("Nobody Needs to Know"). He tries to defend his actions and blames Cathy for destroying his privacy and their relationship. Jamie promises not to lie to this woman and tells her that "I could be in love with someone like you," just as he does to Cathy in "Shiksa Goddess".

Cathy is ecstatic after her first date with Jamie. She sings goodbye ("Goodbye Until Tomorrow"). She proclaims that she has been waiting for Jamie her whole life. Simultaneously but five years forward, Jamie sits in their shared apartment writing laments over the relationship ("I Could Never Rescue You"). As Cathy waves Jamie "goodbye until tomorrow", Jamie wishes Cathy simply "goodbye".

Music

Gnome-mime-sound-openclipart.svg
"The Next Ten Minutes"
The duet between Jamie and Cathy in "The Next Ten Minutes", as performed by Sherie Rene Scott and Norbert Leo Butz on the 2002 Off-Broadway cast recording.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

The musical style draws on a number of musical genres, including pop, jazz, classical, Klezmer, Latin, Blues, Rock, and Folk. The orchestration consists of piano, acoustic guitar, fretless bass, two cellos, one doubling on celesta and tubular bell, and violin, doubling cymbal. [4]

Cast album

The Last Five Years cast album was released by Sh-K-Boom Records in April 2002. [5]

Original casts

CharacterChicago [6] Off-Broadway [3] Off-Broadway Revival [7] Town Hall NYC ConcertOff-West End [8] West End
20012002201320162021
Jamie Wellerstein Norbert Leo Butz Adam Kantor Joshua Henry Jonathan Bailey Oli Higginson
Cathy Hiatt Lauren Kennedy Sherie Rene Scott Betsy Wolfe Cynthia Erivo Samantha Barks Molly Lynch

Production history

Chicago (2001)

The show debuted at Northlight Theatre in Skokie, Illinois, in 2001, running from May 23 – July 1. The production starred Lauren Kennedy as Cathy and Norbert Leo Butz as Jamie. [6]

Off-Broadway (2002)

The show opened Off-Broadway at the Minetta Theatre on March 2, 2002, and closed May 5, 2002, directed by Harold Prince's daughter, Daisy Prince, with Butz again starring alongside Sherie Rene Scott. [9] (Kennedy was unable to reprise her role due to taking a role in South Pacific in London. [10] ) The production won the 2002 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music and Lyrics, as well as receiving Drama Desk nominations for Outstanding Musical, Outstanding Actor, Outstanding Actress, Outstanding Orchestrations, and Outstanding Set Design. [11] It also received the Lucille Lortel Award nomination for Outstanding Musical and Outstanding Actor, and the Outer Critics Circle Award nomination for Outstanding Off-Broadway Musical.

Off-Broadway revival (2013)

The show was revived in 2013 Off-Broadway at the Second Stage Theater for a limited engagement with Adam Kantor and Betsy Wolfe in the roles of Jamie and Cathy, respectively. Brown himself directed. [12] In March 2015, Kantor and Wolfe reprised their roles in a two-night-only concert production of the show at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco. [13]

Off-West End (2016)

Jonathan Bailey at Testament of Youth Premiere in October 2014 2.png
Samantha Barks.png
Jonathan Bailey and Samantha Barks headlined the acclaimed Off-West End revival of the musical directed by Jason Robert Brown in 2016.

The 2016 production was headlined by Jonathan Bailey as Jamie and Samantha Barks as Cathy at St. James Theatre, with direction by Brown himself. [8] [14] The Stage 's Mark Shenton called the production "poignant" turning "each song into a masterclass of storytelling" with Bailey "a real vocal surprise with his haunting renditions of 'If I Didn't Believe in You' and 'Nobody Needs to Know'." [15] Edward Seckerson of The Arts Desk called the production a "knockout" and a "two-handed tour-de-force" in his five-star review. [16]

It won the WhatsOnStage Award for Best Off-West End Production in 2017. [17] A video of Bailey's audition singing "If I Didn't Believe In You" was uploaded on YouTube in 2017, and has since gone viral. [18]

Broadway (2025)

A new production is scheduled to open on Broadway in the spring of 2025, starring Nick Jonas as Jamie and Adrienne Warren as Cathy, and with Whitney White attached to direct. [19] [20] The production is slated to run a 14 week limited run at the Hudson Theatre, with previews beginning March 18, 2025, before opening on April 6. [21]

Other productions

Film adaptation

An adaptation starring Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan was directed by P.S. I Love You director Richard LaGravenese. [45] The film premiered at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival and had a limited release in theatres in 2015. It received mixed to positive reviews; the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 60% approval rating.

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References

  1. ↑ Brown, Jason Robert (May 22, 2012). "The Schmuel Song". Jason Robert Brown. Retrieved July 4, 2014.
  2. ↑ Vogel, Scott (June 17, 2005). "Young Composer's Wonder "Years"". Washington Post. Retrieved May 4, 2019.
  3. 1 2 Riedel, Michael (March 6, 2002). "'Last Five Years' a Musical Marriage-Go-Round". New York Post.
  4. ↑ MTI Shows song list MTI shows
  5. ↑ "The Last Five Years Original Off-Broadway Cast". Cast Albums. Retrieved October 16, 2007.
  6. 1 2 Jones, Kenneth (May 23, 2001). "Marriage Dissected: Brown's Musical, Last Five Years, Opening May 23 in IL". Playbill. Retrieved November 26, 2021.
  7. 1 2 Gans, Andrew (June 7, 2013). "Jason Robert Brown's The Last Five Years and Benj Pasek and Justin Paul's Edges Will Make Paris Debuts for Limited Engagement". Playbill.
  8. 1 2 "First Look at Samantha Barks and Jonathan Bailey in The Last Five Years". Playbill. November 1, 2016.
  9. ↑ Brantley, Ben (March 4, 2002). "THEATER REVIEW; Novelist and an Actress Sharing a Leaky Boat". The New York Times. Retrieved November 26, 2021.
  10. ↑ Frank, Jonathan. "Talkin' Broadway - Sound Advice: 4/16/03". Talkinbroadway.com. Retrieved April 5, 2015.
  11. ↑ Jones, Kenneth; Simonson, Robert (May 20, 2002). "Drama Desk Awards Announced; Goat, Metamorphoses Tie for Best Play, Millie Scores". Playbill. Retrieved November 26, 2021.
  12. ↑ Hetrick, Adam (May 30, 2012). "Jason Robert Brown's The Last Five Years Will Get Off-Broadway Revival at Second Stage". Playbill. Retrieved November 26, 2021.
  13. ↑ "Betsy Wolfe and Adam Kantor Reprise Roles in THE LAST FIVE YEARS, Beginning Tonight at A.C.T". BroadwayWorld. March 27, 2014. Retrieved April 5, 2015.
  14. ↑ "Theatre flashbacks: Jonathan Bailey and Samantha Barks in The Last Five Years | WhatsOnStage". www.whatsonstage.com. January 29, 2021. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
  15. ↑ Shenton, Mark (November 2, 2016). "The Last Five Years review, St James Theatre, London, 2016". The Stage. Archived from the original on May 10, 2022. Retrieved May 4, 2022.
  16. ↑ "The Last Five Years, St James Theatre". theartsdesk.com. November 4, 2016. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
  17. ↑ "The WhatsOnStage Award for Best Off-West End Production goes to The Last Five Years". Twitter. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
  18. ↑ Levine, Nick (March 11, 2022). "10 Things You Never Knew About Bridgerton Actor Jonathan Bailey | Anglophenia | BBC America". BBC America. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
  19. ↑ "Nick Jonas and Adrienne Warren to Headline Broadway Production of The Last Five Years - TheaterMania.com". June 16, 2024. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
  20. ↑ Paulson, Michael (June 16, 2024). "Nick Jonas and Adrienne Warren to Star in 'Last Five Years' on Broadway". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved June 16, 2024.
  21. ↑ https://playbill.com/article/adrienne-warren-nick-jonas-led-last-five-years-finds-a-broadway-home [ bare URL ]
  22. ↑ Juul, Thomas (March 9, 2012). "Når musical kan mærkes | frdb.dk". frdb.dk (in Danish). Retrieved April 3, 2024.
  23. ↑ Pirolli, Bryan (July 22, 2015). "The Last 5 Years". TimeOut Paris.
  24. ↑ "The Last 5 Years". Det Ny Teater (in Danish). Retrieved April 3, 2024.
  25. ↑ "The Last Five Years – Lyric Theatre, Belfast". Musical Theatre Review. July 1, 2015.
  26. ↑ Stolt, Annette (April 13, 2018). "BWW Review: THE LAST 5 YEARS at TeaterStudio Lederman". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
  27. ↑ ""The Last Five Years" ganha versão brasileira com Beto Sargentelli e Eline Porto". CenaMusical (in Portuguese). April 13, 2018. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
  28. ↑ ""OS ÚLTIMOS 5 ANOS" RETORNA AOS PALCOS DE SÃO PAULO EM CURTÍSSIMA TEMPORADA". MundoDosMusicais (in Portuguese). July 16, 2019. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
  29. 1 2 ""Os Últimos 5 Anos" retorna a São Paulo após duas temporadas de sucesso". AbroadwayEAqui (in Portuguese). July 23, 2023. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
  30. ↑ Meyer, Dan (September 14, 2020). "The Last Five Years Announces Additional Dates at Southwark Playhouse in London". Playbill.
  31. ↑ Fierberg, Ruthie (September 13, 2016). "What Happened at Last Night's Last Five Years Concert?". Playbill.
  32. ↑ Lowen, Linda (June 2, 2019). "'Last Five Years' at Syracuse Stage a unique, gorgeous and innovative production (Review)". Syracuse Post-Standard.
  33. ↑ Clarendon, Emma (October 8, 2020). "Review Round Up: The Last Five Years, Southwark Playhouse". Love London Love Culture. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
  34. ↑ "THE LAST FIVE YEARS – An extended run at The Garrick Theatre". LondonBoxOffice.co.uk. Retrieved June 25, 2021.
  35. ↑ "The Last Five Years". LondonBoxOffice.co.uk. June 25, 2021. Retrieved June 25, 2021.
  36. ↑ "The Last 5 Years". Out of The Box Theatrics. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  37. ↑ Moynihan, Caitlin (May 24, 2021). "Watch Original The Last Five Years Stars Norbert Leo Butz & Lauren Kennedy Reunite (and Sing!) for the Musical's 20th Anniversary". Broadway.com. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
  38. ↑ "Opera Factory Freiburg | The Last Five Years | E-WERK" (in German). Retrieved October 8, 2022.
  39. ↑ u.a, Michael Rieper, Claudia Leonhardt (February 22, 2022). "musicalzentrale - The Last Five Years - E-Werk Freiburg im Breisgau". musicalzentrale.de. Retrieved October 11, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  40. ↑ "'The Last Five Years' to be Staged this September". theaterfansmanila.com. June 30, 2023. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
  41. ↑ "The Last 5 Years (2018) | Invercargill Repertory Society Inc".
  42. ↑ "The Last Five Years".
  43. ↑ "The Last Five Years".
  44. ↑ "The Last Five Years".
  45. ↑ Gioia, Michael. "Jeremy Jordan and Anna Kendrick Will Explore The Last Five Years On Screen in Richard LaGravenese Adaptation" . Retrieved November 26, 2021.
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