Brilliant acting, singing enliven clever ‘The Last Five Years’
Jason Robert Brown’s award-winning “The Last Five Years” opened at Chicago’s Northlight Theatre in 2001 and quickly moved to New York, where it was a hit Off-Broadway and later made into a movie. This clever musical is currently playing at Aux Dog Theatre in a sensitive production directed with a sure hand by Victoria J. Liberatori.
The musical depicts the love affair of Jewish novelist Jamie Wellerstein and gentile actress Cathy Hiatt. But the story is told in two directions: Cathy’s songs start at the end of the relationship, and Jamie’s songs start at the beginning. Just before intermission, their timeline’s meet in a duet, “The Next Ten Minutes,” as Jamie proposes to Cathy in Central Park.
This is a fairly ingenious approach to the “boy finds girl, boy loses girl” scenario, but it also chronicles the destructive nature of fame and fortune. While Jamie’s first novel is a huge success, Cathy struggles as an unemployed actress in New York. Brown depicts this especially well in the “Audition Sequence.” In Jamie’s “A Miracle Would Happen,” we see him at a party where the beautiful women who before his success would not even look at him now want to sleep with him. Cathy’s part in the “Audition Sequence” shows her going to an audition and failing miserably.
There are several reasons to see this show, chief among them Kir Kipness’ marvelous performance as Cathy. This is an actress whose every thought and emotion is instantly registered on her expressive face. In “The Schmuel Song,” Jamie attempts to win back Cathie’s affection with his charm, humor and intelligence, and we slowly see the mute Cathy pulled in by his magnetism, but the pain is always present. Likewise in “Still Hurting” and “See, Still Smiling,” the pain and frustration that come from loving a man who is more in love with himself is poignant to witness.
Kipness’ vulnerability is a marvel, but she is equally expert at manifesting Cathy’s ebullient multifaceted personality, especially in such songs as “I Can Do Better Than That” and the very funny “A Summer in Ohio.” (Because Cathy can’t find acting work in New York she spends her summers doing summer stock in Ohio.) Kipness is also a firstrate vocalist.
She is well-matched by Adam James as Jamie. He does not have her vocal range, but he does possess the charm and charisma necessary to pull off the role. The young actors have chemistry and work very well together.
Nathaniel Flake and Mindy Pretzele Sampson share the role of musical director, but it is Sampson who shares the stage with the actors. Nestled at the rear of the stage behind set designer Liberatori’s hanging beads, the expressive pianist plays Brown’s music with great emotion and consummate skill. Those who know the soundtrack will not be disappointed at the paring down to piano and voice.
“The Last Five Years” is playing through June 11 at Aux Dog Theatre, 3011 Monte Vista NE, Albuquerque. Go to auxdog.com or call 254-7716 to make reservations.