February/March 2011
Performances:
February 25, 26, March 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19
Book, Music and Lyrics by Jason Robert Brown
Directed by Craig Pettinati
Music Direction by David Rohde
Produced by Craig Pettinati
Synopsis
A contemporary song-cycle musical that ingeniously chronicles the five year life of a marriage, from meeting to break-up… or from break-up to meeting, depending on how you look at it. Written by Jason Robert Brown (PARADE, SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD), THE LAST 5 YEARS is an intensely personal look at the relationship between a writer and an actress told from both points of view.
The show is presented in “forward time” as we follow the story of their relationship from Jamie’s perspective, starting with their first meeting and following through with their wedding and ultimate breakup. At the same time, Cathy relates the story in “reverse” – starting with their breakup and moving backwards in time until their first meeting at the end of the show. Made up mostly of solo turns, with beautiful music and alternately humorous and heartfelt lyrics, it is only in the middle of the show that Jamie and Cathy come together as Jamie proposes and the two are wed.
Musicals about relationships are nothing new, but THE LAST 5 YEARS manages to reinvent the familiar formula and offers up one of the brightest, freshest scores of the new century.
Cast
 | Ryan Burke (Jamie Wellerstein) is a sophomore at Montgomery College (MC). He has been in many shows including Bye Bye Birdie as Albert Peterson, Beauty and the Beast as Gaston, and was most recently seen in MC's production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee as William Barfee. Also, this December, he will be featured on DC Theatre Scene as a "Musical Scene Stealer" for his performance in Bee. He would like to give a solid thank you to his friends and family for their support and the L5Y crew for this amazing opportunity. |
 | Michelle Simon (Cathy Hyatt) hails from Shaker Heights, OH, but has been a Washingtonian since 2002. She holds a B.F.A. in Musical Theater from Syracuse University, and made her Washington, DC area debut at KAT in Songs For a New World in 2003. She's back for more Jason Robert Brown and couldn't be more thrilled to have the opportunity to play Cathy. It's a dream come true. Other credits include the Witch in Into the Woods, Anne in A Little Night Music, and Lily in The Secret Garden. I want to thank my family and friends for their undying support over the years. They have been my biggest cheerleaders. I'd especially like to thank my parents, my sister, and my unbelievably supportive husband, Nick. You inspire me to follow my passion, and give me the courage to do so. "Have I mentioned today, how lucky I am, to be in love with you?" |
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