On Tuesday night, I went to Vero Beach's Riverside Theatre to see Jason Robert Brown's The Last Five Years. A fairly recent show, it had its off-Broadway premiere in 2002, it is a unique musical in many ways. First, it defies the long-held stereotype of musical theatre being big and splashy. Instead, this show features very little dancing, and with a cast of only two can hardly be considered "big and splashy." The show is not the typical chronological plot, nor is it a series of flashbacks. Rather, the story covers a relationship across five years, with Jamie's songs progressing from the first date, while Cathy's work backward from their separation. Jamie, a Jewish novelist, and Cathy, a smalltown girl trying to make it as an actress, appear on-stage together throughout the show, but only recognize one another's presence during their engagement and wedding ("The Next Ten Minutes").
The music in the show is amazing, and both Jason Robert Brown (book, music, and lyrics) and Kim Douglas Steiner (musical director/pianist) are to credit. I am normally a big fan, and Steiner's talent just made the music all the more enjoyable. From the opening "Still Hurting"to Jamie's biographic "Moving too Fast" to Cathy's epiphanizing "I Can Do Better Than That," the piano part is never simple. And while the symphonic sound of the multi-instrument orchestra (the score can be done with two cellos, a violin, a guitar, a bass, and a piano) can never be topped, the performance on piano heard that night was elegantly beautiful.
Norbert Leo Butz (Roger from Rent) was the Off-Broadway Jamie, whose talent far surpassed that of Vero's actor, Kevin Reed. I tried hard to like Reed (as I love Jamie's character), but it just wasn't going to happen. First, it's clear in the musical that Jamie is in his twenties, but Reed looked to be approaching 40. When there's a minimal stage, and your eyes are kind of drawn to the only character on-stage, it helps when an audience member can look at the actor's face and not be creeped out. Reed not only has a vein that tends to bulge in his forehead, his irises are small for his eyes, leaving you staring at the whites... very unattractive. Now, the worst part was his lack of vocal range. He could not hit the high notes of Jamie's songs, so sometimes he was harmonic with the piano, and other times he was down an octave. Regardless, for those familiar with the soundtrack and/or score (which was few in Tuesday's audience), he was deplorable.
Julie Tolivar, who played Cathy in this production, was adorable. With her various costume changes throughout the show, she epitomized how I envision Cathy every time I play the soundtrack on my Zune. She had a lovely voice, but was over-amplified. There was no need for her to be miced in a auditorium that only had nine rows of seating.
But perhaps what was the most impressive aspect of the production was the lighting/scenery. I combine them in praise because of the inextricable way they are linked in this particular version. Using screens, each scene is set via projection. Various background are created upon both solid and pieced screens, allowing for disjointed environments when called for. The result, while very minimalist, gives the audience a complete feel of change, ambition, and hope. And that's what one needs to not only enjoy this production, but to enjoy life.
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