The increasingly popular Jason Robert Brown masterpiece The Last 5 Years receives another production at Hollywood Fringe this year courtesy of The Smiley Face and The Frown Entertainment Group. In addition to the quality of the writing, the show has become attractive to produce because it requires minimal resources: a two-person cast, few props, small stage. The show is a series of songs capturing the moments and memories that make up the five-year relationship between struggling actor Cathy Hyatt and literary genius Jamie Wellerstein. Cathy sings her story in reverse, starting with their breakup and ending with their first date, while Jamie sings chronologically, from early infatuation to the final goodbye.
Ironically, the aspects of the show that make it so attractive to small theatre companies also make it a difficult work to do well…