I had no idea they were making a musical version of one of my top five favorite musicals, The Last Five Years, starring Anna Kendrick (I guess she’s the Jennifer Lawrence of musicals now) and Jeremy Jordan. I LOVE The Last Five Years. Written by Jason Robert Brown, it’s the story of a couple’s relationship arc, from when they meet, date, marry, fight, and divorce. What makes this show so great is the way the story is told: There are only two characters in the entire stage musical, Cathy and Jamie. Jamie tells the story chronologically while Cathy relives their relationship in reverse. So, it opens with Jamie gushing about having just met Cathy and Cathy mourning the demise of their relationship and it ends with Jamie lamenting the five years they spent together while Cathy relives the joy of their first date. What’s even more compelling is that characters only directly interact one time, right at the middle of the show during their wedding scene. It’s the only time they’re on the same page. Fun fact: The Last Five Years was inspired by Brown’s relationship and failed marriage to his first wife and after previews, he had to change some details to avoid legal consequences from how similar Cathy was to his ex-wife. It’s a GREAT musical and if you’ve never heard of it, you should go listen to the soundtrack right now.
Here’s the trailer:
I’m a little worried that they won’t be able to hold a candle to the original actors, Norbert Leo Butz (original Fiyero in Wicked) and Sherie Renee Scott (original Amneris in Aida). The vocals are demanding and the actors don’t get much of a break. I can already hear the difference in the vocals that Kendrick is singing, so I hope that isn’t too distracting for me. Anyway, go check out The Last Five Years. You won’t regret it.
