My All Time Favorite Show

Norbert Leo Butz and Sherie Rene
Scott starred as the original Jamie
and Cathy.
Photo Credit: TheaterMania

When I was a sophomore in high school, I began a romance with a show that I discovered online by accident. This show was called The Last Five Years and it instantly stole and broke my heart.

 L5Y was written by Tony-winning composer, Jason Robert Brown and first premiered Off-Broadway in 2000 and was revived in 2013.  I was lucky enough to have gotten the chance to see Adam Kantor and Betsy Wolfe in the second Off-Broadway revival. Then, it was made into a movie starring Jeremy Jordan and Anna Kendrick, and was released Valentines Day in 2015.

The Last Five Years tells the story of Jamie and Cathy, two New Yorkers who fell madly in love with each other in their early twenties. But, their relationship is doomed and only lasts five years.  Now, Jason Robert Brown did something to make this musical exceed all expectations. He wrote the story so that Cathy begins at the end of their relationship, as she is moving out of their shared house after their divorce and works backward to tell the story, while Jamie starts the show after the two's first date and goes forward to tell the rise and demise of the relationship.  The two only perform and interact with each other once, when they reach the middle of their stories at their wedding.

I could probably write a book about why I love this show so much, so I'll try to keep it short.

1) I found this show at a time when I was experiencing heartbreak. The first song I listed to was "Still Hurting," and I felt I could relate to everything Cathy was singing about.

2) This show made me feel something I never had before.  I felt like I knew Jamie and Cathy and felt their joy and sorrow throughout the entire show.

3) The music contains some of the best lyrics I have ever heard. The way Jason Robert Brown wrote the songs gives them such character and meaning. This could also be because the musical is loosely based on his own divorce.

4) It's real. This show does not have any impossible situations or magic thrown in. It's raw and gritty and romantic all at the same time. Any situation in the show, from falling in love, getting married, getting cheat on, and ending a relationship, can happen to any of us.

When I saw this show live, I cried from beginning to end because of how beautiful the piece was.  This show will forever remain my favorite and nothing can replace it.

Break Legs,
Sydney