Head Over Heels for The Last 5 Years

By MJ Harper, Director

I was first introduced to The Last 5 Years in college at PSU during a NATS competition. I immediately fell head over heels in love with Jason Robert Brown's raw, emotional writing.

As a vocalist, lyrics generally affect me first, but the orchestration of strings and piano struck a chord with me, too.  But one of my favorite things about this show isn't just the music — it's that the story is realistic. Neither Jamie nor Cathy are perfect people. Both of them contribute to the development as well as the destruction of their relationship.

Audiences will be able to buy in to this story because even if they've never been in a relationship, they've seen someone close to them go through these same or similar struggles. Mason (Jamie) and Kristina (Cathy) have such a natural chemistry on stage, and their voices fit like puzzle pieces. They're both full of charisma and charm separately, and once they finally get on stage at the same time in the same time, the real stage magic begins.

Additionally, we have an ensemble cast of nine that help to further the plot and scenes. They really add that extra level of spice and character to these scenes. Audiences should expect to have their heart strings plucked, torn, and sewn back together.

There will be no intermission, so be sure to grab yourself an extra drink at our bar in the lobby to get you through this emotional roller-coaster. As the introduction of the PCT "After Dark" series, be prepared for a mature show that deals with the mature events in a relationship set in the very real now. ​

​Tickets are on sale now at www.memorialauditorium.org. Please plan to join us for this show.