Photo Coverage: THE LAST 5 YEARS for BC/EFA

Tony Award-winning composer Jason Robert Brown (Parade, 13, Songs for a New World) joined 2009 Ovation Award nominees Michael K. Lee and Filipino actress Jennifer Paz in a one-night-only performance of 2009 Ovation Award Best Musical nominee and Off-Broadway gem THE LAST 5 YEARS last Saturday, January 9, 2010 at the David Henry Wang Theatre, the home of East West Players, in downtown Los Angeles, California. Proceeds from the event will benefit Broadway Cares (BC)/Equity Fights AIDS (EFA).

Brown composed the music and wrote the lyrics for this poignant and profound musical, which follows Jamie (Lee) and Cathy (Paz) through the last five years of their romantic relationship -- from beginning to end, and from end to beginning.  2009 Ovation Award nominee Jon Lawrence Rivera directed this non-linear telling of the boy meets girl story. 

"Earlier this year, in May (2009), East West Players presented a somewhat unconventional production of my musical, THE LAST 5 YEARS. I say 'unconventional' because East West Players is a Los Angeles-based company whose mission is to produce 'outstanding works and educational programs that give voice to the Asian Pacific American experience.'

THE LAST FIVE YEARS is a musical about a Jewish writer and an Irish-Catholic actress in New York City. Those are the only two characters. It's about as Asian as burritos. I figured East West was doing the show as some kind of gimmick.

It was no gimmick. What emerged was a heartfelt, powerful and honest production directed by Jon Lawrence Rivera, and performed beautifully by two sensational young performers, Michael K. Lee and Jennifer Paz," wrote Brown in his official web site.

"Last month, I got an email asking if I would give permission to do a one-night-only 'revival' of the production, as a benefit for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. I said that not only would I give permission, but that I'd be honored if they'd allow me to accompany the performance myself, both as a way to be part of this fantastic company and as a way to thank East West Players for believing in the universality of my work," he said.

Photos by Jay Koh

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