‘Chaos! This is complete chaos!’ is what you would think if you walked in midway to a rehearsal for The Last 5 Years. Either the actors' eyes are filled with tears or we are laughing hysterically at something we couldn’t possibly explain without driving further into hysterical laughter. That kind of ‘bipolarness’ is simply what happens when you rehearse a show like this.

The Last 5 Years is arguably modern music theatre’s toughest sing. Jason Robert Brown or “JRB” in the biz, is a genius composer and lyricist. To get an idea of his style, imagine someone took Billy Joel and sprinkled in some Stephen Sondheim. The music transcends genre, plays on themes and speaks to different parts of you. The show is arranged for piano and strings. No drums, no horns, just two cellos, a violin, a grand piano and a guitar. The music is funny when you want to laugh and the strings weep when there is sadness. It is beautiful.

The lyrics - sharp, funny, poignant, and at times very heavy dealing with subjects of love and careers - are woven together to tell the story of a couple's five year relationship. Just to make it super duper hard, the characters start on opposite sides of the story: Cathy starts at the end and works her way back to the beginning and Jamie from beginning to end. They meet only briefly in the middle for a perfect moment. Sounds complicated? It isn’t. Once you know that's how it works, it all just washes over you. These characters are so incredibly real.

To tell this story, actors must dig into their histories to find similar experiences and own their characters. This sometimes causes rehearsal to sound like group therapy and me as the director to go home emotionally exhausted. That being said, this team works so well together as we mine each other’s lives for inspiration. I have directed around 25 or 30 shows and I have never laughed and cried so much. I am halfway through the process and I am so excited to get this show on the stage.

 

The Last 5 Years is on stage in Studio Two from July 6-28. Danny will also be directing Storm Warning in Studio Two from August 3-25. Visit www.rosetheatre.ca or call 905-874-2800 for tickets.