The unconventional structure of Jason Robert Brown's “The Last Five Years” is part of the appeal of the musical being presented by Split Stage Productions at the Theatre Factory in Trafford.
Tuesday, January 23, 2018
Love story told from the beginning and the end in 'The Last Five Years'
The unconventional structure of Jason Robert Brown's “The Last Five Years” is part of the appeal of the musical being presented by Split Stage Productions at the Theatre Factory in Trafford.
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From the summary of this show, it sounds like something I would enjoy watching. If the story took place in the round, it would be a very intimate look at the perspective of the ending of a relationship. I would love this play even more if the play was written by two people, in this case both male and female because it is portraying a heterosexual relationship. If the play was about a relationship between two people of the same gender, that would offer a more modern approach to this early 2000s play. The Dallas Theater Center put on this play Constellations a few years ago and it was set in the round in a really small theater that’s often used for classes and rehearsals, and they turned it into this beautiful story that sounds not unlike the one being told here. About two people, how they meet, from their first few interactions through the span of their relationship and, I won’t spoil it, but it was a really unique perspective of what they both felt about each other in the play, and how they grew together throughout it.
I watched the movie for this show when it first came out and I was simply in love with it. The intricacies of the love story create a truly beautiful and rich experience. I think that the most exciting part about this show is Jason Robert Brown's score. The way that he threads musical motifs in and out of each song is truly moving. There is one specific song that comes to life where the characters first sing together on stage and at the very end of the song the musical motif from the very first and most famous song, Still Hurting, starts to play. If the audience member doesn't immediately notice it, the motif evokes a solemn feeling because of the instrument choice and the note progression. If the audience member does recognize it, they know that it's foreshadowing for what will come next in Jamie's story.
I really hope I will have the opportunity to see this show on stage soon.
I love this musical, The Last Five Years. They have a movie version on Netflix with Jeremy Jordan and Anna Kendrick, and I have watched it so many times. What I love most about this show besides the music is the story and how jumbled their relationship timeline is. I remember when I was first into watching this show I would completely sympathize with Cathy. I felt for her and the pain and sadness she had to endure as her boyfriend/ husband, Jamie gained more fame and then eventually cheated on her. However; I watched it again recently and found myself sympathizing with Jamie. One thing about Jamie is that his love for Cathy was unconditional and long lasting up until he couldn’t take the stress Cathy had built up because her pain of being a failed actress clouded what was really important to her. Cathy is so insecure with her own talents that she attempts to tear down Jamie’s own success and happiness, further destroying their relationship. I love that this show pushes the audience to experience and be involved with both sides, creating a world where no one is the victim and everyone's a little at fault when things go downhill.
I have always loved character studies like these! Most of the time these characters crop up in books or films, I think this is the first character study I've seen in a play in awhile. The article describes "The Last Five Years"characters as: "Emily Hamilla of Uniontown and Josh List of Greensburg portray Cathy and Jamie, two New York 20-somethings who fall in and out of love over the course of five years. Cathy is an aspiring actress who hasn't had much luck finding work; Jamie is an up-and-coming author who gets his big break early in his career." The closest thing to this kind of relationship I've seen in media is the "Before" Trilogy, which details the love story of two characters over three expansive films that delve into each of their characters as well as their wants and romantic desires. I'm looking forward to following this play closely.
I worked on a musical revue of The Last 5 Years in high school and I absolutely love the music and story. I think the way the story is told is super innovative and does a good job of portraying the way that relationship evolves and changes. One of the reasons that the show works is due to the fact that the story is so universal, but the way that the story is told is incredibly unconventional. The music seems to perfectly capture the way a relationship evolves and all of the emotions that go with it. I also love the way that the music evolves from really funny and upbeat to heartbreaking and it works. The show as a whole manages to weave together many different tones in a single story. Overall, the show just works it’s such a small cast and such a simple concept, but it works really well.
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