The Last Five Years at Sierra Madre Playhouse

Sierra Madre Playhouse presents Jason Robert Brown's acclaimed musical The Last Five Years, a captivating and emotionally charged musical journey that explores the complex dynamics of a relationship through the lens of time, with 20 performances running from Friday, May 17 through Sunday, June 16, 2024. The play is a two-character tour-de-force about twenty-something New Yorkers Cathy and Jamie, who fall in and out of love over the course of five years. It unfolds in an enthralling way with Cathy telling her story backwards while Jamie tells his chronologically; the two characters only meet once, at their wedding in the middle of the show. Set against a backdrop of soaring melodies and heartfelt lyrics, The Last Five Years delves into the highs and lows of love, dreams, and the passage of time.

The book, lyrics and music for The Last Five Years are by Brown, hailed as “one of Broadway’s smartest and most sophisticated songwriters since Stephen Sondheim” (Philadelphia Inquirer) and a triple Tony Award-winner for his work on Parade and The Bridges of Madison County.

Sierra Madre Playhouse’s production of The Last Five Years, a two-person play, is double cast due to the length of the run with Margaret Berkowitz and Jackie Bonsignore as Cathy, and Bryan Mittelstadt and Jayde Mitchell as Jamie. It is directed by Josh Shaw, the Founding Artistic Director of Pacific Opera Project who was named one of Musical America's Top 30 Innovators in Classical Music for his impressive track record of delivering groundbreaking and entertaining performances. Joshua Foy is the Music Director. Six of the performances include orchestra and the other fourteen feature live piano (schedule below).

Named one of TIME Magazine's ten best shows of 2001, The Last Five Years received a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music and Lyrics. A testament to the show's longevity, and spurred by its regional popularity, The Last Five Years enjoyed an Off-Broadway revival at Second Stage in 2013. A film adaptation was released in 2015, starring Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan.

Tickets to Jason Robert Brown's The Last Five Years ($12 - $45) are on sale now. For tickets and information, please call 626.355.4318 or visit www.sierramadreplayhouse.org

Authors

• Jason Robert Brown