Last Five Years: Whose Fault? — Page 2

I did this amazing, amazing, show last year and I think it really could be either's fault. The blame, if there is any, is entirely dependant upon how the parts are played. Cathy can be one crazy beatch the way it is written with Jamie being such a heart felt broken man towards the end. Then again Jamie can be a cocky, arrogant, cheater. I remember the first time listening to it years ago and hearing nobody need's to know. I came away, just aghast, here was a man who just cheated...and he made me believe it was okay... After doing the role, this is gonna sound so corny, but he really does feel justified in a sense. The whole part after miracle would happen(such a FUN song to sing) is just an emotional mess. The appeal in 'if i didn't believe in you,' It's simply heartbreaking. Followed by the quiet fragility of Nobody Need's to Know, oh what i would give to play this part again! I think the phone conversation that was previously mentioned about Jamie wanting Cathy to come celebrate says a lot and is missed from the recording. Then again, Jamie has the insensitivity to cheat on Cathy with HIS EDITOR!!! I mean come on... especially the night before he is suppose to go to Ohio to be with her... He has given up... and that is why the show is soo good...it's just breath taking. One of the few theater experiences i have been in where everyone in the audience came away affected.

It's interesting that it's assumed he cheated on Cathy with is editor. I actually don't fully get that. He says he asked her to help him pack, but maybe because she's a good friend and confidente. The way he talks to her in bed to me doesn't seem to be the way he'd talk to someone he's had a relationship with already.

Plus... it would be strange for him to bring his new girl friend to their apt.

---

Updated On: 10/4/05 at 02:09 AM

For those of you who side with one or the other, I've got to ask: have you seen the show? Just listening to the cast recording will not give you the full picture.

I saw the show in Chicago (before it went off-b'way) and although Jamie is an adulterous jerk (god love Norbert), Cathy is neurotic and clinging - and because of this you sympathize much more with Jamie than you think you would (who wants to admit that they sympathize with a cheater?). To get the full effect of these two characters, you've gotta see 'em performed live.

They both have their faults and the beauty of the show - and why it works so well - is thatJRB does not take a side. Which is commendable, as I believe he based the show on his own marriage.

Well, yeah--they're both at fault, I just think Jamie is more so.

---

If we're going to do grammatical corrections (which is lame), let's not forget that what comes after a : modifies and explains what is before it...So, saying "Last Five Years: Whose fault" is saying, "Whose fault is that nastiness that was The Last Five Years show"...the appropriate change should be "The breakup in the Last Five Years: Whose Fault". however, i don't think it should be changed because this is not an english paper, it is a web posting.

Why am i writing this post then? i have no idea.

---

Wow Master Recorder. You make so many points about The Schmuel Song that I never considered. Thanks for the insight! That song is indeed brilliant and gotta love the melody.

You really need to see the play live to really get the gist of it. Theres important dialogue you miss and depending on the 2 people cast in the title roles, you may see a different interpretation. If you want to see Norbert Leo Butz and Sherie Rene Scotts' brillant performances, there may be some videos floating around the net that have Norbert and Sherie in it so if you look hard enough, you may be able to find them. Most I know are not legal however even though the show closed 3 years ago.
Why cant they just make a movie? Its barely 2 hrs, has minimal sets and actors required, and would work VERY well in movie format.

Ok...birdwalk time...please forgive me! I have been listening to the OBC recording for months now-I'm comletely obsessed! I'm in California, but have flown to NY twice in the past year to see shows...DRS spiked my interest in Norbert and Sherie, and thus my addiction began! This show hasn't been touring anywhere near me, so I have a few questions. I now understand via this post that there is dialog in the show...do the characters interact with each other? I assumed they didn't interact until the Central park/proposal song. Forgive my ignorance...I've just had to make up my own vision for what the staging of this musical must be. (I must say that that I am constantly walking around the house singing "Summer in Ohio"...my husband and kids are no longer amused!) Ok...birdwalk over...

I think any spouse that sleeps with someone else holds a greater share of the blame..but again, this is coming from someone who doesn't know any of the dialog from the show.

I was listening to the CD again and once again found new things to ponder. If you look at how the story is organized, its is clear JRB wants the audience to sympathize with Cathy first. When we first meet her, shes sad, her heart has been broken, and she's all alone. We then meet Jamie and he's this carefree young guy who is smug and self absorbed. Even if you know the flow of the story and you know its him before their first date, he immediately gives off the impression of being a jerk to let this poor woman become so miserable. Only as the play goes forward do we see that Cathy isnt entirely innocent and Jamie hurts just as much at the end as Cathy does.
People always seem to think Jamie's committting adultery was the main reason the marrriage failed. Well, looking at "No One Needs to know", its not a song about his adultery. Instead, its a song to allow us to understand Jamie's motivation for his choice. He did not give into adultery because of the temptation he preached above in "a Miracle Could Happen". He gave up trying to appease Cathy and turned to find someone who could love him for who he was. Cathy would not allow him a private place in his own heart without her being there. Its basically a barrier the two began to form btwn each other. Being so far apart did not help. Of course, Jamie's actions were very morally wrong but I felt less critical of him after hearing his reasons explained quite well.
One very important flaw of Cathy seems to be overlooked. From Jamie, she was able to get what she desired. She wanted Jamie for the way he was. In "I could do better than that", she says all she wants is jamie, miles and piles of you etc etc. Yet at the end of the relationship, she reiterates that same line, only this time emphasizing that she could not stand Jamie because he was all about Jamie. She had gotten what she wanted and in the end it was not what she longed for. This was due in part to her development of jealousy of his success and her unwillingness to be his companion on the ride (Jamie has a great line :I will not fail so you can be comfortable...I will not lose because you can't win). In the end though, they were simply too flawed and unsure of what they truly wanted for their marriage to succeed. That makes the Next 10 Minutes and Goodbye till Tomorrrow two of the most emotionally charged songs I have ever heard. Its a testiment to the brillance of JRB that he created such beloved and widely discussed characters in modern theater and a phenemonal score to boot.

Updated On: 10/7/05 at 02:00 AM

"The Last Ten Minutes"

Isn't it called "The Next Ten Minutes"?

This topic always comes up once in awhile....After seeing the show one night (which was followed by a Q&A with Sherie, Norbert and JRB, my friend and I went to a resturant near the theater and it was almost empty except for another group of 4 people who had seen the show too. A half hour later, we were all sitting at the same table debating this very issue.

Personally, I think it was Jamie's fault. Maybe it's because I relate more to Cathy especially during "See I'm Smiling". It really did feel like she was trying to make things work, but it obviously can't work if it's all one-sided. It's an absolutely awful feeling, if any of you have been there, you probably know what I'm talking about.

---

Bronte, did you have a chance to ask Norbert, Sherie, and JRB any questions? That must have been a fun evening. The only chance I have had with Sherie to discuss TL5Y was at the flea market and only then could only have a quick discussion. Still trying to get Norbert's opinion but the guy is super busy and unless I have some good luck, it wont be for a bit.

I'm very happy that I'll be performing in a regional production of this show at the beginning of November. I just had a roundtable with our director and my Cathy and it's funny how we all three agreed with the following sentiment: the general thrust of the writing seems to suggest it's Cathy who's to blame, although we all agreed that Jamie shares the greater blame. After all, he is the one who cheats.
However, not much of Cathy's music sets up a good-natured, likeable person. She seems resentful from the very beginning and, given how she claims Jamie is selfish and it's all about him, you don't get the chance to see that until later and so she comes off as belligerent and spiteful.

I believe it's both of their faults. But it's for slightly different reasons. I've been in relationships where when you're both completely committed to each other, it's amazing, and you work beautifully together. But I’ve also been in relationships where one persons successes make the other question themselves, on both sides, and where it became obvious that

In Jamie's faults though... I don't know if his total reasoning for marrying Cathy was correct. Yes, she was a beautiful woman, and had a beautiful soul that meant well, but one of the main reasons was that she wasn't Jewish, and that he didn't want to marry a person like the women in his family, or the women that his parents pushed on him. I don't think he was truly settled in his own ...youth?... that he was old enough, or personally ready to marry. I think part of why he proposed was because he felt rushed by Cathy's personality, and that he was not sure if they were totally compatible, even if it was only a flickering though in the back of his mind, and that he thought that such finalization would at least resolve the question, make her happy, and put his mind at ease. However, the infidelity was either an unforgivable mistake brought on by drinking, and depression, or he was just sure that he and Cathy were over, and wanted to show the new woman that he loved that he did in fact love her. Not that I condone that kind of behavior of course. But also, shown by even his first few songs, juxtaposed against Cathy’s, her’s are all about him, and how he’s an amazing guy, and how she loves him… and his first ones are about his career, which may also bring in the time factor. Had he begun the releationship with Cathy a bit later… maybe 5 years later… he would be settled as an author, and she may have grown a bit as an actress, and they could have focused on themselves for a bit, grown as people, and maybe that would be the right time for them, but too bad they started too soon…

Cathy, however has a personality that could make you swoon, or puke. She can be a beautiful woman with a pretty voice with dreams for the future, and… I’m starting to sound like Jason Robert Brown lyrics… anyway… but when she’s not happy, or having an argument, she can be stubborn, and bitchy and say things she doesn’t mean… and then there’s the jealousy figure. Jamie is Jewish, which gives him by blood an incredible work effort which makes him succeed by way of just general hard work, and stick-to-it-ness. Cathy is not. So, she doesn’t have the natural born right to succeed, or probably the motivation of parents who succeeded like Jamie probably did. So she sees him succeeding, and her not, and she’s jealous, so either subliminally, or totally consciously she makes a decision not to support what he’s doing and be difficult. This can’t work in a relationship, but I think she’s too set in her ways to see that. And while Jamie still tried to get her to work harder, and believe in herself, she just stopped supporting him, which probably led to her being silent and resentful, causing him to give up, and make the decision to get divorced, and be unfaithful…

So it was both their faults.

But did JRB commit adultery? Or was that just Jamie?

---