SAN DIEGO — When most people think of musical theatre, they think of large casts with full orchestras, glitzy dance numbers and a love story with a happy ending. That is not this story. Jason Robert Brown’s The Last Five Years gives us just two actors, a sextet of strings and a piano for a much more intimate theatrical experience.
“Have I mentioned today how lucky I am to be in love with you?”
We all need to hear these sentiments from time to time. Finding one’s bashert is not easy. Not only do you have to be compatible, you have to both be available at the same time. And all too often, you learn that the person you thought was “the one” is not quite who you thought they were.
Jamie Wellerstein and Cathy Hiatt are young, bright, talented and ambitious. Jamie is a writer sending out manuscripts to agents and publishers. Cathy is an actress going from audition to audition. Jamie’s success and Cathy’s lack of it complicate matters. Set Designer Justin Humphries has created a tornado of loose pages tearing through their home filled with packing boxes.
They tell their stories in opposite directions. Jamie is giddily falling in love -and breaking his mother’s heart- with his Shiksa Goddess. Cathy has fallen out of love and needs time to heal. It’s only when they meet in the middle that they look into each other’s eyes.
Racquel Williams is a beautiful woman with expressive eyes and a strong set of pipes. She sings with raw pathos in Still Hurting. And every actor can identify with her forced smile and frustration in Audition Sequence.
Michael Louis Cusimano is very relatable as Jamie. He initially charms us with his sweet, boyish smile. But he can also be rather selfish and immature, making some pretty poor choices. He doesn’t have a belter’s voice, but he holds his own.
The music is a blend of Chorus Line, old-fashioned rock-n-roll, the blues and country. There’s even a bissel klezmer. Jamie’s “Christmas story” is the Tale of Schmuel, a poor little Jewish tailor.
Like I said, The Last Five Years is not your typical musical. We know from the outset that this love story is filled with rose petals, tear stains and torn pages. They pull our heart strings as we go with them on their journey.
The Last Five Years is playing at the Cygnet Theatre in Old Town through Nov 17.
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Eric Tauber is a freelance writer specializing in coverage of the arts. He may be contacted via eric.tauber@sdjewishworld.com