.png)
A young woman is alone and bereft in her New York apartment, packing her things as she sings of the sad and bewildering end of her marriage. Meanwhile a young man is effusively singing about this incredible “shiksa goddess” he’s just met. And so begins the exhilarating emotional rollercoaster of the Sierra Madre Playhouse production of “The Last Five Years”. While I have heard many of the iconic songs from Jason Robert Brown’s deeply personal musical based on the demise of his first marriage, I had never seen a full production until now and it was worth the wait.
The show is really a series of songs that tell the love story of young actress, Cathy, and aspiring writer/novelist, Jamie. We follow Cathy as she goes from a devastated about to be divorced wife to a newly flush with love young woman full of hopes and dreams, while we discover Jamie on the verge of success as he meets his dream girl and follow him from their intoxicating first meeting to their marriage and eventual demise. It’s a thrilling and gut-wrenching ride, spanning universal experiences that will resonate for anyone who has ever been in love.
The charming and thoroughly engaging cast is astutely directed by Josh Shaw with beautiful music direction by Joshua Foy. Shaw has done a fantastic job with the set design as well, which moves from Jamie’s bachelor pad, various restaurants, bars, and book launches, to poolside in Ohio, and their apartment together. As there is little to no dialogue, the set pieces and lighting design are integral to the storytelling and help the audience follow the inverse trajectories of the couple’s narratives. Having the orchestra on stage is a genius touch with Foy acting as pianist for Cathy’s audition scenes. The music is stunning with Alexander Elliott Miller on guitar, Jon Lee Keenan on bass, Jessica Chen on violin, Derek Stein and Betsy Rettig on cello, and Foy conducting from a grand piano.
The songs run the gamut from hilarious and exuberant to fiery intensity and are vocally demanding. Perhaps that is why Shaw has double cast the show. I saw the opening night cast of Jackie Bonsignore and Jayde Mitchell. Also playing Cathy is Margaret Berkowitz and Bryan Mittelstadt as Jamie. The full orchestra is a delight, however in a more intimate style, some nights will only feature the solo piano. You should check the website for specific cast and orchestra configurations.
Bonsignore as Cathy delivers a subtle and poignant transformation as we watch her go from disappointed and broken to a sparkling, bright-eyed, optimistic woman on the verge of a whole new life. She would have been helped with a body-mic or stage microphones to capture some of the intricate and compelling work she does in Cathy’s smaller, reflective moments. But when she releases her full voice, Bonsignore soars, taking the audience with her while bringing the house down with the hilarious “Summer in Ohio” and breaking your heart as she convinces herself that being “A Part of That” (Jamie’s success) is enough.
Jayde Mitchell is absolutely crackling with earnest energy as the young Jamie ready to conquer the world with the love of his life by his side. He is utterly charming and it’s easy to see how Cathy is swept away by his charisma and passion. The two actors only meet and sing together once, when their storylines intersect at the moment of their engagement and wedding. Singing “The Next Ten Minutes”, Mitchell and Bonsignore are so full of pure love and joy, it feels as though they may burst and when he gets to the powerful and painful “If I Didn’t Believe in You”, Mitchell is riveting.
Again, I can’t say enough about the orchestra – the combination of the lush music and mesmerizing voices is electrifying. I’m not sure which journey is more heartrending to watch but both actors give staggering performances that enthrall, giving us a relationship we feel invested in from beginning to end.
Tickets to Jason Robert Brown’s The Last Five Years ($12 – $45) are on sale now. For tickets and information, please call 626.355.4318 or visit www.sierramadreplayhouse.org. Sierra Madre Playhouse is located at 87 West Sierra Madre Boulevard, Sierra Madre, CA 91024.
