Review: Omaha Community Playhouse's THE LAST FIVE YEARS

If you ask any big fan of musical theatre if they are familiar with Jason Robert Brown's music, almost every one of them will answer with a resounding yes, and they may even mention Brown's most popular piece to date; The Last Five Years. With at least 2 performance runs Off-Broadway, numerous regional and international productions, and even a big screen adaption starring Broadway star Jeremy Jordan and Hollywood darling Anna Kendrick, its popularity has only grown since it first premiered in Chicago in 2001. It boasts a score both loved and feared by vocalists and orchestra musicians alike, with minimal staging requirements and a cast of 2 challenged to tell the story of love and heartbreak. It's a marathon of melodies and emotion for the talented artists who bring the story to life. Luckily for Omaha, the Omaha Community Playhouse rounded up a brave and talented cast and crew who were willing to take that leap.

The story centers around two young lovers and the gradual decline in their relationship. But while other shows with similar characters follow a standard linear storyline path, The Last Five Years is written from opposite sides of the relationship timeline, with Jamie starting at the beginning of his relationship with Cathy, and Cathy starting at the final moments of her goodbye with Jamie. Throughout the show the audience is given glimpses into what their relationship looked like and of each characters faults and struggles, with each actor performing entire songs to showcase their characters thoughts and feelings at that moment in time in their love story. Interaction between the two characters is minimal to the point of being almost non-existent, both in song and in staging. Director Susie Baer Collins masterfully staged the opening and ending, as well as at least one other moment in the show, with the actors symbolically circling the stage together but never making contact, giving the audience an even deeper view into the lack of connection between these two characters. They were in the same space, but never really together. Michelle Garrity's light but effective choreography in The Next Ten Minutes took the lack of connection to another level, with the actors dancing together without ever really making contact. Whether that be to fit COVID guidelines or to provide another artistic take on the relationship, it was effective and appreciated.

Jim Othuse crafted a beautiful and understated stage design, with minimal furniture and decor, and much of the story involving specific lighting. He really is a master at his craft. And Lindsay Pape's costume designs were simple and real. Nothing felt like a character piece, but instead felt like things people could just find in their own closets, which helped to further create this world that, while centering on the story of Jamie and Cathy, could easily be the world we all live in day-to-day. The props curated by Darin Kuehler were simple and understated as well, which made them the perfect fit for this production. I only wish that the production could have been held in the Howard Drew Theatre, where it could have had a more intimate feel. Instead of feeling like the actors were in a snow globe of sorts where the audience was looking in on intimate moments they weren't supposed to see, producing The Last Five Years on the main stage made it feel more like a performance. Still beautifully designed and produced, but a little detached.

Thomas A.C. Gjere tackles the role of Jamie with both grace and a boyish charm that made him real and accessible to the audience. It's not hard to see why he is one of Omaha's leading men, with his approach to developing his characters to be as honest as possible, and with his acting chops in fine form. Fans of the recordings of The Last Five Years who are no stranger to the iconic notes and melodies made famous by Norbert Leo Butz will be happy to find that Gjere tackles his songs head on and doesn't shy away from the parts that most actors might dread. He is strong and confident in his delivery, but also beautifully presents a softer side of his voice in the more tender moments. Actors who can act through their singing and not just while they are singing are not as easy to find as one might think, and Omaha is lucky to have one who excels in that area on their stages with Gjere. A Miracle Would Happen is by far his masterpiece in this production, where he is given a chance to showcase the best of his acting chops and vocal abilities. Where other actors have tended to portray Jamie as focusing solely on his aspirations to be a writer, no matter the personal cost, Gjere showed a softer side to him and let the audience experience a man who, while having good intentions, just didn't always make the best choices.

Bailey Carlson's return to the Omaha Community Playhouse stage after years of traveling the world singing couldn't have come at a better time. Carlson's voice soars throughout the show, with her powerful belt filling the theatre, and her comedic chops garnering some loud chuckles from various audience members in attendance opening night. Her Cathy is stronger and more independent than other performances I have experienced, and it provided a different take on the relationship she shared with Jamie. She wasn't the girl next door who just wanted to be in love, but she was a woman with her own dreams and ambitions, and who wasn't really wanting to compromise either. Her standout performances are without a doubt the opening song, "Still Hurting," in which her voice sets the stage for the performance in a beautiful song of reflection, and "Climbing Uphill/Audition Sequence," where she effortlessly flips between audition room to audition room, showcasing the very real frustrations and fears of performers at almost every level.

The Omaha Community Production of The Last Five Years is one for the books. It's led by 2 strong local performers, a dream creative team, and an orchestra led by the beloved Omaha music director Jim Boggess that tackled the challenging score with beauty and grace. What I walked away with on opening night was not a story about right and wrong. It's not a production with a villain and a victim. It's a production centering on 2 very flawed and real characters who, perhaps, were never meant to be together forever in the first place. It's about their love. It's about their regret. It's about their dreams. It's about their failures. It's about their trust or distrust. It's about life.

Whatever your takeaway from the show, do yourself a favor and make The Last Five Years your return to support our local theatres. In-person performances are available with limited seating capacity and COVID guidelines that include 6-ft separation between seats and mask mandates, but if you aren't ready to venture out yet, Omaha Community Playhouse has streaming options available for you to watch from the comfort and safety of your own house. Whatever your choice, you won't be disappointed."

Photo Credit: Robertson Photography