"The Last Five Years"
Chattanooga Theatre Centre 400 River Street, City of Chattanooga, Tennessee 37405
THE LAST FIVE YEARS deconstructs the life of a relationship while turning the conventional formula for a musical about love upside down. Told almost entirely in song and featuring tour-de-force performances, this intimate two-person show is like nothing you've seen before.
Written by Tony Award-winning lyricist Jason Robert Brown, the show follows two 20-something New Yorkers who meet, fall in love, marry and divorce over the span of five years. Reinventing the familiar formula of the musical love story, “The Last Five Years” has an unconventional structure, with the story told from both perspectives but moving gracefully in opposite directions.
The man, Jamie, an up-and-coming novelist, tells their story chronologically, starting with their first infatuation and following through to their ultimate breakup. The woman, struggling actress Cathy, relates their story in reverse, starting with the end of the marriage and moving backwards until their first meeting. It is only in the middle of the show that Jamie and Cathy come together, at their wedding.
With the story told almost entirely through song, the music – mostly solos – is alternately humorous and heartfelt.
Friday and Saturday performances begin at 8 p.m. The Thursday performance begins at 7 p.m. The Sunday matinees begin at 2:30 p.m.
Rated R for adult situations.