The Last Five Years
There are always two sides to every story. The story depends on who is telling it.
“Marriage is hard no matter who you are or what generation you're from. Love isn’t enough. It requires work, patience, communication, compromise etc., and no one is there to teach you how to do these things. I think every audience member will be able to see themselves in ‘Jamie’ and ‘Cathy’ at various points throughout the story, whether they like it or not.”
Playwright
Director
Summary
During the run of The Last Five Years, the Lyric Stage will be collecting canned goods, non-perishable items, and personal care items for the Mashpee Wampanoag Food Pantry. Boxes will be located in the lobby for your generous donations.
Press & Reviews
“Marriage is hard no matter who you are or what generation you’re from. Love isn’t enough. It requires work, patience, communication, compromise etc., and no one is there to teach you how to do these things. I think every audience member will be able to see themselves in ‘Jamie’ and ‘Cathy’ at various points throughout the story, whether they like it or not.”
“In other words, “The Last Five Years” is a thing of intricacy and delicacy, and much depends on the execution — a challenge director Leigh Barrett more than meets at Lyric Stage Company of Boston, with an invaluable contribution from set designer Jenna McFarland Lord.”
“If you have a penchant for musicals and are also a romantic, or paradoxically if you’re a skeptic of both, then this terrific little slice of life just might sing its way into your heart and change your mind.”
Patch | “The Last Five Years” Proffers A Meditation on Romantic Love | Jacques Fleury
“As a musical theater performer,” [Jared Troilo] maintains, “there’s really nothing better than getting to sing this role. Jason Robert Brown’s score is so beautiful and complex and Jamie’s music ranges stylistically from 80s Billy Joel to Eastern European Jewish folk music. As an actor and a singer, I’m in heaven!”
Jewish Journal | Reality meets theater in Lyric Stage’s ‘The Last Five Years’ | Matt Robinson
“A crucial element to the success of The Last Five Years is the band, a six-person ensemble led with gusto by musical director Dan Rodriguez. The show is almost completely sung through, so Rodriguez and company have to keep the music going smoothly for the entire 90-minute runtime — they don’t miss a beat.”
“The comprehensive music supervision by Dan Rodriguez is flawlessly executed and the music provided by the show’s unseen musicians (Gregory Holt on Bass, Emily Dahl-Irons on Violin, Tom Young on Guitar, Rodriguez on Piano, Kevin Crudder and Javier Caballero on Violoncello) is also exemplary.”
“In her director’s notes, gifted veteran actress Leigh Barrett describes “The Last Five Years” as “a beautiful complicated mess.” With the magical pairing of Jared and Kira Troilo, Barrett has beautifully captured the complications of this very tuneful ‘mess.’”
Boston Theatre Wings | Tuneful, Complicated and Inventive Last Five Years | Jules Becker
“Jenna McFarland-Lord’s enthralling set design and Karen Perlow’s mood-induced lighting reflects two sides of love through its multi-color backdrops such as violet, teal, and purple as well as floating gold rings that shine alone and in pairs.”
“This is love for better and for worse, with two skilled actors, really charting a steep narrative arc in a most visceral way.”
GBH News | Arts This Week: Portraits of the changing face of love | Jared Bowen
Production Cast
Production Photos
Production Crew
Music Director
Scenic Design
Costume Design
Lighting Design**
Sound Design
Production Stage Manager*
Assistant Stage Manager/COVID Safely Manager
Props Artisan
Assistant Director
Assistant Lighting Designer
Wardrobe Supervisor
Production Aponsor
Nina and Don BerkDirector Leigh Barrett, sponsor
Paul KastnerMusic Director Dan Rodriguez, sponsor
Physician Management Resources* Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States
** Represented by United Scenic Artists, Local USA 829 of the IATSE
°Stage Directors and Choreographers Society