Fringe, Reviewed: The Last Five Years
Please note: This article is published as an archive copy from Philadelphia City Paper. My City Paper is not affiliated with Philadelphia City Paper. Philadelphia City Paper was an alternative weekly newspaper in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The last edition was published on October 8, 2015.
"We're told right off the bat that the show is not a comedy and doesn't have a happy ending."
[ musical theater ]
The Last Five Years, by Blue Suede Productions
Attended: Sept. 15, closes Sept. 18
An emotionally charged musical about a couple, telling her story backwards and his forwards, only to meet on their wedding day, starring Chris McCollum as Jamie and Brittany Marie Arnao as Cathy.
The Last Five Years, originally an off-Broadway musical written by Jason Robert Brown — and now an upcoming film starring Anna Kendrick — has a unique structure. Both people in a relationship tell their story, but Cathy tells hers backwards, beginning with their breakup (not a spoiler, that’s the whole idea), and Jamie tells his forwards. In Fairmount’s London Grill, where this Fringe show takes place, we’re told right off the bat that the show is not a comedy and doesn’t have a happy ending.
It’s not dreary, though — Brittany Marie Arnao’s Cathy is a firecracker: she’s sassy, witty and takes no shit, and Arnao’s got the vocal chops to nearly overwhelm the upstairs bar where the play is performed. (An unfortunate note: The audience is on the same level as the performers, so we’re working with some line-of-sight challenges.)
Chris McCollum’s Jamie imbues some humor, too, but the performance most shines when we’re seeing the challenges of their relationship. There’s just something less “been there, done that” about seeing the tough stuff, not the rom-com, when it comes to musicals. Plus, this isn’t a glitter-and-floodlights blockbuster at the Walnut: We’re stripped down to the bare bones here, with minimal props and costume changes and not a whole lot of space.
The two performers only have the story, a piano accompanist and their skills to present. It’s not written into this particular show, but I would have liked a little more straight dialogue in between all the songs, but that’s just me — sometimes nothing but tuneage is tiresome. But what Arnao and McCollum do, they do well. If you can relate to the ups and downs of relationships and take pleasure in musical theater, it’s worth checking out.
