Before you reach deep into your pockets and shell out for a ticket to The Last Five Years you must look deep into your heart and ask yourself one very important question, “Do I really, truly, actually, like Musical Theatre?” And I’m not asking here if you like raindrops on roses, choric dance routines or razzamatazz; I’m asking if you like Musical Theatre, pure and simple, a story told through song.
Because that is what this is. No fancy sets, no amazing dance sequences, just one man and one woman (Nigel Edgecombe and Sarah Lineman), six white boxes and a six piece band. Together they tell the story of their relationship from humble beginning to horrible end. In a neat little twist on this familiar formula he starts his story at the beginning, she at the end. They then work their way from one side – of the relationship and the stage (an inspired bit of blocking there) – to the other. Now don’t get me wrong, they are good – both Edgecombe and Lineman sing beautifully, and they act their little hearts out – but the storyline seems dreadfully familiar and, due to its peculiar structure, it has had the climax surgically removed. When Edgecombe belts out his opening tune “Shiksa Goddess” (hilarious) in which he falls in love across cultural boundaries we already know it ain’t gonna end well. Cathy just told us in her opening lament ‘Still Hurting’. It was over before it even began.
So. I seem disenchanted, and frankly, I was – but not because this was a bad show. The performers sang beautifully, Lisa Maule contributed some very pretty lights, transforming the mood of the minimal set, particularly during the wedding scene. And the six piece band (under the musical direction of Tom McLeod) was fabulous, even if on occasion they did drown out the singing. It is just that when I hear ‘musical’ I am expecting more ‘spectacle’ and ‘theatrical’ than this production delivered.
On opening night, when I went, the performance drew hearty applause from the house of middle-aged plus bespectacled couples in the audience – but no one hung around for a drink afterward. And I think that says it all.
The Last Five Years
Written by Jason Robert Brown
Directed by Nigel Edgecombe
At Bats
May 15 – 24