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Written and Composed by Jason Robert Brown Directed by Tom Smith To see a video montage of the play, click here No
Strings Theatre Company presents "The Last Five Years" opening
Friday, May 16 and running through Sunday, May 25, with 10 performances at
the Black Box Theatre, 430 No Downtown Mall in Las Cruces. "The Last
Five Years" is directed by Tom Smith and stars Carrie Oliver and Cade
Surface. Trae Blanco is the Musical Director. Tony-winner Jason Robert Brown
took home Drama Desk Awards for both Best Music and Best Lyrics for this
piece. His musical revue, "Songs For a New World," was
presented by No Strings Theatre Company in 2006, which also starred Carrie
Oliver. The
musical chronicles a young couple's romance in a unique way: her story starts
at the end of their relationship; his begins on the day they met. Cathy Hiatt
is a struggling actress and the highs and lows of her relationship with Jamie
Wellerstein, an up-and-coming novelist, is the core of the story. It is
an intensely personal look at a relationship from both people's perspective. Carrie
Oliver received her Masters of Music in Musical Theatre Performance from
Cade
Surface is a Visiting Artist from The University of Michigan. While at UM,
Cade has been a member of the
Director
Tom Smith has recently directed or performed in The Complete History of Las
Cruces (Abridged), Glamtastic, The Complete History of America (Abridged),
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged), Ballerina, A Child's
Christmas in Wales, Psycho Beach Party and Vampire Lesbians of Sodom
(original and revival). He is a member of the Dramatists Guild. Music
Director Trae Blanco is a graduate of NMSU with a Bachelors of Music in
Instrumental Education. Prior shows include "Into The Woods,"
"Seussical the Musical," "Hansel and Gretel," and Jason
Robert Brown's "Songs for a Performances of "The Last Five Years" are Fridays, May 16 and 23 at 8 p.m., Saturdays, May 17 and 24 at 2:30 and 8:00 p.m., Sunday, May 18 at 2:30 p.m., Thursday, May 21 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, May 25 at 2:30 and 6:00 p.m. Ticket prices are $10.00 regular, $9.00 students and seniors over 65 and all seats on Thursday are $7.00. High School student rush tickets are $7.00 on a seat available basis, 10 minutes before performances start. Reservations: (575) 523-1223 on online at http://www.no-strings.org.
‘The Last Five Years’ features a variety of
Although the two
may seem irreconcilable, the twist from writer/composer Jason Robert Brown
shows the journey of Cathy (Carrie Oliver) and Jamie (Cade Surface) from two
perspectives. Jamie tells the story from the couple’s first date, while Cathy
begins from the point where Jamie walks out of the marriage. More akin to
one-man shows, cast members of “The Last Five Years” act out their
perspectives alone. The only point the two cross paths is on the day of their
wedding before heading along through the tale. Within the first
scene, or if you’re reading this review, you know how their entire five years
together ends, but the musical keeps you into the story through terrific
lyrics and the universal quality of the characters. Both Cathy and Jamie have
aspects of themselves anyone could relate to, allowing the audience to meet
them on a very real level. Jamie is an
aspiring novelist, just making his debut in the publishing world with his new
hit book. Cathy is encouraged to follow her dreams of acting, but is not the
sensation her husband is, while the two careers begin to pull the lovers
apart. Brown’s music
covers a wide variety of genres, and the dichotomy of the stories provides a
good balance in mood, keeping you from getting to contented by the blossoming
love or too jaded by the painful fading of it. Oliver, who is
no stranger to the stage in Surface, is only
a visiting artist, but has a long musical and theatrical résumé from his
home state of
Surface has
great fun with his role, and had I not been told by NSTC producer Ceil Herman
that he only took up the project two weeks prior to the opening, there is no
way I would have believed it. Perhaps he just
melded into the role of up-and-comer Jamie, or maybe he feeds off Oliver’s
love and dedication to the show, but the two make a perfect match on stage
for this piece. Although “The
Last Five Years” could surely have been performed to a recording, what makes
the NTSC production so much more enjoyable is the live orchestra accompanying
the actors’ voices. Composed of
Aaron Barbara on cello, Trae Blanco on guitar, Jared Colins on bass, Eric
Maese on Violin, Robert Randall on piano and Maya Weisinger on violin, this
performance isn’t just a night at the theater, it’s an intimate musical
experience composed solely from local talent. So, for those
who want a taste of good acting or good music, the limited showing of “The
Last Five Years” is a great deal with both. Performances of
“The Last Five Years” are at 8 p.m. Friday, May 23;
at 2:30 and 8 p.m. Saturday, May 24; and at 2:30 and 6 p.m. Sunday, May 25. Ticket prices
are $10 for regular admission, $9 for students and seniors over 65 and $7 for
all seats on Thursday. High school student rush tickets are $7, on a seat
available basis, 10 minutes before performances start. For reservations, call
523-1223 or visit www.nostrings.org.
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