Past Concerts
Hitchin Thespians
Present:
The Last Five Years
Jason Robert Brown
Woodside Hall, Walsworth Road, Hitchin
7.30pm on 20 & 21 November 2009
The Last Five Years
is a one act musical exploring the five-year
relationship between Jamie Wellerstein, a rising
novelist, and Cathy Hiatt, a struggling actress. The
show uses a form of storytelling in which Cathy
travels backwards in time (beginning the show at the
end of the marriage), and Jamie travels forwards
(starting just after the couple have first met). The
characters do not directly interact except for an
exquisite wedding song in the middle as their
time-lines intersect. With its’ fourteen songs,
simple staging and very little dialogue it has been
described by some as more of a song cycle than a
musical.
The Last Five Years
was inspired by Brown's failed marriage to Theresa
O'Neill. O'Neill threatened legal action on the
grounds that the story of the musical represented
her relationship with Brown too closely. The legal
action was only dropped when Brown changed some of
the lyrics to make the connections less obvious.
Written for two voices and a band of just six, the
music is wonderfully varied, ranging from the witty
and satirical to intensely passionate and moving
ballads.
Tracey Gwynne
and Tom Evans are performing The Last Five
Years as a fund-raiser for Hitchin Thespians on
20th and 21st November, with Mike Paine
heading up the six piece band that accompanies the
show. This is a rare opportunity to see this little
gem of modern musical theatre by one of Broadway’s
best new composers Jason Robert Brown, so book early
to make sure you get your ticket.
Tickets, costing £10,
are available from Viv Tadman 01763 242158
Click to
see programme
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