Limelight Theatre & 1st Stage Present Jason Robert Brown's THE LAST FIVE YEARS

Limelight Theatre and VA based theatre company 1st Stage both in their second seasons are co-producing Tony Award-winning composer (for Parade) Jason Robert Brown's THE LAST FIVE YEARS.

The Musical explores the five-year relationship between Jamie Wellerstein, a rising novelist, and Cathy Hiatt, a struggling actress. The show uses a form of storytelling in which Cathy travels backwards in time (beginning the show at the end of the marriage), and Jamie travels forward (starting just after the couple first met). The Last Five Years won the 2001 Drama Desk awards for Best Music and Best Lyrics.

The Last Five Years will have nine performances in the Kreeger Auditorium at the Jewish Community Center in Rockville located at 6125 Montrose Road in Rockville, MD. Performances are currently scheduled on Friday 4/09, Saturday 4/10, Thursday 4/15, Friday 4/16, Saturday 4/17, and Friday 4/23 at 8:00 pm; Sunday 4/18 and Wednesday 4/21 at 2:00 pm; and Saturday 4/24 at 6:30 pm. Press Night is Saturday 4/10 at 8:00 pm. THE LAST FIVE YEARS continues its run at 1st Stage at 1524 Spring Hill Road in McLean, VA.

Performances are currently scheduled on Friday 5/7, 5/14, and 5/21 at 8:00 pm; Saturday 5/8, 5/15, and 5/22 at 2:00 pm and 8:00 pm; and Sunday 5/9, 5/16, and 5/23 at 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm. 1st Stage, Tysons Corner's professional theatre, will be given the John Aniello Award for Outstanding Emerging Theatre Company, at the Helen Hayes Awards ceremony on April 5, 2010.

The production will be directed by Jay D. Brock who is the artistic director of Limelight theatre and has been working freelance in the DC area for the past four years. He is the founding artistic director of Opera Alterna for which he has recently directed Magnum Opus, Signor Deluso, The Women, and Dido & Aeneas. Other recent DC credits include Tango! Tango! with Opera Theatre of Northern Virginia, Ubu Roi at Journeymen Theatre, Life in Death at the Kennedy Center, and Limelight Theatre's inaugural production- Closer Than Ever. (www.jaydavidbrock.com for more info).

"It's unusual for a musical to capture the emotions of love and loss on such a realistic level," says
Jay, "Anybody who has been in a relationship will recognize a piece of themselves in these brilliantly written Musical Direction is by veteran conductor Jeffry Newberger who has been an Assistant Conductor for both the Catholic University of America (CUA) Symphony Orchestra and CUA Chamber Singers, and also conducted performances of Mozart's Cosi fan tutte, Puccini's Gianni Schicchi. Theatrical credits include KISS ME, KATE, IOLANTHE, THE PIRATW OF PENZANCE, THE MERRY WIDOW, THE MUSIC MAN, TREEMONISH, RAGTIME, INTO THE WOODS, EVITA, DAMES AT SEA, and was the violinist for THE LAST FIVE YEARS at Metrostage with Howard Breitbart.

THE LAST FIVE YEARS features local talent John Loughney as Jamie, who was most recently seen as Mark Cohen in RENT at Keegan Theater (Helen Hayes Nominated: Best Musical and Best Ensemble). He has appeared in multiple area productions such as Jon in TICK, TICK...BOOM! Wizzer in FALSETTOS, Bobby Strong in URINETOWN, Gordon Schwinn in A NEW BRAIN, Balladeer/Lee Harvey Oswald in ASSASSINS, and Duke in THE GREAT AMERICAN TRAILER PARK MUSICAL.
The musical also features Carolyn Myers as Cathy, who was recently seen in MAN OF LA MANCHA with the Keegan Theatre, THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER and EXILES FROM THE SUN with Exiled Productions at the New York Fringe Festival, and RENT with the Keegan Theatre (nominated for five Helen Hayes Awards).

Limelight Theatre was founded in 2008 by Jan Stewart, an attorney in Montgomery County and the son of famous opera singers, Thomas Stewart and Evelyn Lear. "I was raised around the professional theatre and have been involved for as long as I can remember." Mr. Stewart is also the Producing Director for Limelight Theatre and has stated, "Producing musical theatre has become the most exciting and rewarding Limelight Theatre pursues a vision to provide affordable access to professional theatre in the Suburban Maryland-D.C. region and create professional opportunities to local actors. Limelight Theatre has an aggressive plan to grow its production season and reach within the community. Although Limelight Theatre has priced its tickets to be affordable to theatre-goers of modest means, it will also set aside complimentary theatre tickets to those who would love to attend theatre but cannot afford to do so; among those many deserving groups, including seniors, veterans, students, and employees and clients of charitable organizations. "I wanted local residents to be able to experience professional theatre with high production values but without having to break the bank. Limelight gives us a vehicle to make this possible," says Jan.

Additional information and tickets can be found at www.mdlimelight.com or 800-838-3006.

Photo Credit: Peter James Zielinski

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