The Last Five Years

Jason Robert Brown’s The Last Five Years is a series of alternating solo songs about the bittersweet five year relationship of Jamie Wellerstein, an ambitious Jewish writer, and Catherine Hiatt, a struggling WASP actress. Cathy sings from the end of the relationship to the beginning and Jamie from beginning to end. Their engagement and wedding occur at the center of the play and mark the show’s only duet. Drawing on a variety of musical genres, Brown integrates R&B, folk, bluegrass and pop with witty lyrics. The musical offers a unique perspective into the different stages of a relationship by having each character tell their own story in opposite order. It is a powerful look at the struggle of balancing professional and personal lives.