Art can be a very therapeutic thing, most of all for the artist creating it. Sondheim struggles with his identity and artistry in “Merrily We Roll Along.” “Pippin” was a way for Stephen Schwartz to articulate the all-consuming nature of theatre. “A Chorus Line” similarly tackles the topic of the treatment of performers and the fickle nature of the industry. Making art can help a creative work through their own lives and find their path forward.
Sometimes, art can even make everyone think you’re a horrible husband and partner — enter stage right, “The Last Five Years.”
Originally produced in 2001, “The Last Five Years” was Jason Robert Brown’s follow-up to his critically-acclaimed musical “Parade,” and just as that piece dealt with issues he felt very invested in (the treatment of Jewish men during the early 20th century), “The Last Five Years” dealt with something even closer to the heart: his divorce. The rawness of these emotions come out in the writing, and the play features a fascinating premise reminiscent of the aforementioned “Merrily”: “The Last Five Years” is the story of a relationship told in two parallel timelines, with one going from the relationship’s start to its conclusion (told by the character Jamie) and the other being told in reverse by his wife, Cathy.
The halfway point of the show and the relationship is the only time these timelines intersect, and the focus is Jamie’s marriage proposal. Even this is done creatively — the song is bookended between Jamie responding to unasked statements before he asks Cathy to marry him and Cathy asking the questions Jamie was responding to at the song’s end. The play uses its premise for its most devastating effect at the show’s end, when Cathy sings about when she first fell for Jamie as Jamie delivers a soft song about how he failed not just her, but himself by being an absent partner.
This is a premise that works well on the stage, where experimental narratives can get the room they need to thrive. The show saw many off-Broadway and regional performances until it hit big in 2015 with a film adaptation, starring Broadway powerhouse Jeremy Jordan as Jamie and Anna Kendrick of “Pitch Perfect” fame as Cathy. It released just in time for Valentine’s Day, 2015 (I pity anyone who took their partner to see this as a date movie). The film’s popularity has been slowly building up to a payoff, with the songs finding popularity years after the film’s release.
Personally, I love the film and the original off-Broadway run, and when I heard it was going to be coming to Broadway this year, I thought, “Well, that’s perfect!” It’s been a decade since the film and nearly 25 since its debut on stage — it’s time this great piece of art got put on stage.
Then, they cast Nick Jonas as Jamie.
Now, this isn’t a piece that’s going to rail against celebrity casting, although I have my thoughts. It’s more a matter of representation. Jamie, like Jason Robert Brown, is a Jewish man. So was Jeremy Jordan, and the original stage Jamie (Norbert Leo Butz). His Jewish identity is central to the play and to the character. It is such a central part of the show that casting anyone but a Jewish performer feels wrong. While the musical itself is not about this struggle of identity, it plays into Jamie’s story-arc and offers insight into his early feelings towards Cathy. Jonas’s understudy is a Jewish performer, which is a step in the right direction. Nevertheless, I’m disappointed that such a major aspect of the show is being tossed aside.
That, and Jonas’s vocals (released early) don’t quite feel right. Maybe that’s just me being too attached to the performers I’ve known before. Perhaps this version and take on the show will grow on me if I give it time.
Ask me about it five years from now, and I’ll let you know how I feel.
