Cast: Jennifer Paz (Cathy) & Michael K. Lee (Jamie)
The Last Five Years is one of my favorite shows of all time and I think it always will be. This production was the 4th time I saw the show and I know I'll see it again.
The cast, sets, and props were very well done. The Last Five Years is a very interesting show where Cathy starts the story (about her relationship with Jamie) at the end and Jamie starts it when he's just met Cathy. They meet and actually interact with each other at the same time and space only for their wedding in the middle of the show. The idea is very unique for a musical and works amazingly well. This production did a very good job of being sure the gift Jamie gives Cathy is worn at the appropriate times and not worn before he gave it to her when she gets there moving backwards, etc. The costumes and sets are also very good. I was amazed at how much work they did on two completely different sets for these shows when they're showing at the same time.
I highly recommend seeing this production of The Last Five Years. The show by Jason Robert Brown is amazing and the David Henry Hwang Theatre did a great job with the production.
Grade: A
Labels: 2009, comedy, drama, Jason Robert Brown, musical
Reviewed by Kat at the 3:00 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Ricky Ashley (Evan), Sara Niemietz (Patrice), Emma Degerstedt (Kendra), Caitlin Baunoch (Lucy), Jenae Burrows (Charlotte), Tinashe Kachingwe (Cassie), Tyler Mann (Archie), Ryan Ogburn (Ritchie), J. D. Phillips (Brett), Ellington Ratliff (Simon), Chloe Smith (Molly), Christian Vandal (Eddie), & Seth Zibalese (Malcolm)
For more information, see the Mark Taper Forum 13 site.
Jason Robert Brown has created another wonderful one act musical. 13 is a very well done musical. The fact that it's done with all teenagers (most 15 & under) makes 13 pretty amazing. Even the band (with the exception of the conductor) is made up of talented teenagers. The cast is very good. In fact, some of the kids are totally amazing. The music is good and the whole idea comes right out of almost anyone's middle school days (with some changes for the modern world of cell phones and text messaging).
I highly recommend catching this world premiere musical before it leaves the Mark Taper Forum. I don't know what the plans are after it leaves here, though I'm guessing a Broadway or Off-Broadway run is in the works. 13 is great for the whole family. Everyone can enjoy this flash-back to their early teens or snap shots of what they're dealing with in their lives now.
Grade: A
Labels: 2007, comedy, dancing, drama, Jason Robert Brown, musical
Reviewed by Kat at the 2:30 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Jocelyn A. Brown (Cathy Hiatt) & Bob Simpson (Jamie Wellerstein)
We'd never been to The Chance Theater before and I always like to find new community theatres to support. I've found some great ones along the way (and some bad), so any time I find a show I love (or always wanted to see) at a local community theatre I try to get there.
The Chance Theater put together a very good production of The Last Five Years. I definitely recommend you check it out if you're in the Orange County area. Jocelyn & Bob are great. The lighting is wonderful. The musical, is (of course) still amazing.
The only real problem area of this production is the directing. I think a little more research (or thought) should have been done on the staging. In most productions of The Last Five Years, Jamie and Cathy only actually interact during their wedding, since it's where their stories meet. They're on stage at the same time a couple other times, but are clearly in a different time and place. In this production, Jamie (at 23) would be singing to Cathy (when Jamie is 28 in her time and place). This would possibly be confusing to someone who hadn't seen it before, since the other character would walk off randomly when it seemed like they had been interacting. The worst example of this was when Jamie gives Cathy a watch for Christmas... Since they didn't take Cathy off stage as most productions do, she was wearing the watch in the beginning of the scene (before he gave it to her). Yes, in her version she was going backwards and already had the watch, but in that scene (during his song), she didn't have it yet.
We'll definitely see other shows at the Chance Theater and I recommend The Last Five Years while it's there. The Chance Theater is a nice, very little theater. It's only got 5 rows, so there's not a bad seat in the house. From what I've heard from those I know who have seen a show there, they typically do a really good job. From what I've seen personally in this show, that's true. I definitely recommend checking out the Chance Theater if you're in the Orange County area. If you go there soon, you might be able to get tickets to The Last Five Years before they sell out!
Grade: B+
Labels: 2006, drama, Jason Robert Brown, musical, romance
Reviewed by Kat at the 8:00 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Kim Huber (Catherine Hiatt) & Rick Cornette (Jamie Wellerstein)
I wish this show wasn't closing now! I would tell everyone I know to go see it right away. I hadn't seen any of Jason Robert Brown's shows, but I bought the CD for The Last Five Years today and will be listening to it for a long time. Jason Robert Brown has just become one of my favorite composers! I can't believe that this show (originally starring Sherie Rene Scott & Norbert Leo Butz) never made it to Broadway.
Kim Huber and Rick Cornette were wonderful and I wish them the best for their future in theatre.
I hope to see The Last Five Years many more times in the years to come. I also hope that I'll be able to get my friends who like musicals to go see it. This is one of the most unique musicals I've ever seen.
Before today, I had never seen a musical with just two cast members or a musical that so uniquely told two points of view. The Last Five Years is a he said/she said musical with a twist. Cathy tells her story starting at the end of their relationship and Jamie tells his story starting at the beginning. It was so neat to see this unfold. As usual, I read a bit about this show when I decided to buy the tickets, then forgot exactly what it was about (just remembering that it looked good) and didn't read the synopsis in the program before the show started. Seeing the same story from different views is always interesting, but when one goes forward and the other goes backward, it is even more captivating.
Jamie and Cathy only appear on stage at the same time once - for their wedding. Other than that, they may appear to be singing to each other, but they are in a different time and space. Very cool concept!
I can't recommend The Last Five Years enough. Go see it if you can find a production!
Grade: A+
Labels: 2004, drama, Jason Robert Brown, musical, romance
Reviewed by Kat at the 2:00 PM show | 0 screams