Nick Jonas and Adrienne Warren to star in THE LAST FIVE YEARS Broadway Revival- Page 6

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 1/17/25 at 8:57pm

I’ll be excited to hear the new orchestrations and Adrienne Warren on the likely cast album. I’m less sure about Nick Jonas but I’m curious.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 1/17/25 at 9:27pm

EDSOSLO858 said: "Looks like this production is one of those rare cases where the music director is not also the conductor."

It may simply be a title thing. Murray's role probably resembles that of a Music Supervisor, which often isn't the person conducting the show 8x a week.

Wonder if JRB will play/conduct the show from time to time?

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 1/17/25 at 9:30pm

Alex Kulak2 said: "The original arrangements feel as definitive as the score, but I liked the ways he expanded the sound for the film adaptation, so I'm not too skeptical."

Yeah, I'm not skeptical at all. This allows for more subtle variations of the same musical colors. It's not like he added a brass section and a theremin.

[Play Esq.]

Posted: 1/17/25 at 10:54pm

I can’t wait for this, regardless of how Joe is, I want to hear a black woman sink her teeth into this role. I was lucky enough to be at town hall for Cynthia. Yes, she needed more time for the lyrics (those prompters were massive and pretty distracting), but she simply killed it. A week of rehearsals and she would rival Sherri for the best Cathy ever. 

If anyone has access to a bootleg, please send 🙏 
 

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 1/17/25 at 11:02pm

But Lauren Kennedy is the best Cathy ever. Just sayin'... ;-p

[Alex Kulak2]

Posted: 1/18/25 at 11:15am

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "Alex Kulak2 said: "The original arrangements feel as definitive as the score, but I liked the ways he expanded the sound for the film adaptation, so I'm not too skeptical."

Yeah, I'm not skeptical at all. This allows for more subtle variations of the same musical colors. It's not like he added a brass section and a theremin."

True, but the percussion is where I'm most curious, as it played an important dramaturgical role in the original show:

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

In the original orchestration, there are only two moments of percussion in the entire show. A cymbal roll in "The Next Ten Minutes", when Jamie and Cathy say "I Do", and a tubular bell in "Nobody Needs To Know", after Jamie has an affair. The percussion symbolizes both the beginning and the end of their marriage.

 

[DramaTeach]

Posted: 1/18/25 at 11:36am

HenryTDobson said: "I still can't believe this is really happening, it feels so random."

Someone mentioned they’re trying to court random stars once these performers leave (like Little Shop), and the thing that makes this most like Little Shop for me is that both fit best off broadway. Not sure why this felt like it needed a Broadway theater. There’s not a whole lot of buzz around it from my theater people.

[Kad]

Posted: 1/18/25 at 11:39am

This strikes me as a much, much harder show to continually slot new people into than Little Shop. It's far more demanding and difficult to learn.

[Alex Kulak2]

Posted: 1/18/25 at 11:47am

Kad said: "This strikes me as a much, much harder show to continually slot new people into than Little Shop. It's far more demanding and difficult to learn."

We won't know until we see the physical demands of the staging and choreography (the same choreographers as The Outsiders has me fascinated), but considering virtually every musical theatre actor in New York under 40 has at least one song from this show in their repertoire, I think it'd be something where you could regularly slot in other talent. Names that people would pay to see, on the other hand, probably not.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 1/18/25 at 11:59am

DramaTeach said: "Not sure why this felt like it needed a Broadway theater."

Nick Jonas. That's the only reason.

It will also be a relatively economical production and I doubt the show will feel lost in the Hudson.

Updated On: 1/18/25 at 11:59 AM

[GottaGetAGimmick420]

Posted: 1/18/25 at 12:05pm

I'm interested to see how Whitney fares with this one. I've been watching her since before Jaja's and really disliked her direction with Walden at 2ST. So I'm definitely interested in her take on TL5Y. I liked her work a lot on Jaja's.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 1/18/25 at 12:14pm

GottaGetAGimmick420 said: "I'm interested to see how Whitney fares with this one. I've been watching her since before Jaja's and really disliked her direction with Walden at 2ST. So I'm definitely interested in her take on TL5Y. I liked her work a lot on Jaja's."

Her work on Jaja's was exceptional.

I didn't realize until recently that she has a background as an actor in both plays and musicals. Appeared in regional mountings of Spring Awakening, Oliver, Rent, Passing Strange, and other musicals. So while I haven't seen her direct a musical before (how was her work on Secret Life of Bees in London?), this seems very much in her wheelhouse.

[Kad]

Posted: 1/18/25 at 12:19pm

Alex Kulak2 said: "Kad said: "This strikes me as a much, much harder show to continually slot new people into than Little Shop. It's far more demanding and difficult to learn."

We won't know until we see the physical demands of the staging and choreography (the same choreographers as The Outsidershas me fascinated), but considering virtually every musical theatre actor in New York under 40 has at least one song from this show in their repertoire, I think it'd be something whereyou could regularly slot in other talent. Names that people would pay to see, on the other hand, probably not."

I meant demanding in the sense that it's two people carrying the entire show, singing pretty lengthy, vocally demanding songs the entire time. Performers may know one or two songs, but... there's a lot of music there for two people, all of the recordings clock in at around 75 minutes. Seymour and Audrey are substantially lighter lifts.

 

Updated On: 1/18/25 at 12:19 PM

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 1/18/25 at 12:51pm

Seymour & Audrey are not only lighter lifts, but they don't come with the pressure of selling 8,000 tickets a week and by now the roles have been given a variety of different interpretations (in this production alone) so there is not the worry of, like...having to step in to replace Bette Midler in Dolly or Radcliffe/Groff in Merrily or Scherzinger in Sunset.

[singer234]

Posted: 1/18/25 at 1:01pm

Updated On: 1/18/25 at 01:01 PM

[Dirty Rotten Scoundrel]

Posted: 1/22/25 at 9:44am

The Last 5 Years on X: Your first listen of “Moving Too Fast” and “I Can Do Better Than That” from The Last Five Years starring Nick Jonas and Adrienne Warren | Part 1

Can't say this has inspired any confidence or excitement in me for Nick Jonas' performance. He sounds about how I expected, except he seems to be putting on some sort of bizarre accent as well? Any word on his understudy..? Though to be honest, I'm not too impressed by Adrienne's singing in this either. 

Updated On: 1/22/25 at 09:44 AM

[Ensemble1698878795]

Posted: 1/22/25 at 9:56am

Dirty Rotten Scoundrel said: "The Last 5 Years on X: Your first listen of “Moving Too Fast” and “I Can Do Better Than That” from The Last Five Years starring Nick Jonas and Adrienne Warren | Part 1

Can't say this has inspired any confidence or excitement in me for Nick Jonas' performance. He sounds about how I expected, except he seems to be putting on some sort of bizarre accent as well? Any word on his understudy..? Though to be honest, I'm not too impressed by Adrienne's singing in this either."

Adrienne sounds incredible in this clip. Nick seems to be straining a little. This show is gonna do very well bc it’s nostalgic for so many MT girlies. 

[Dirty Rotten Scoundrel]

Posted: 1/22/25 at 9:59am

Ensemble1698878795 said: "Dirty Rotten Scoundrel said: "The Last 5 Years on X: Your first listen of “Moving Too Fast” and “I Can Do Better Than That” from The Last Five Years starring Nick Jonas and Adrienne Warren | Part 1

Can't say this has inspired any confidence or excitement in me for Nick Jonas' performance. He sounds about how I expected, except he seems to be putting on some sort of bizarre accent as well? Any word on his understudy..? Though to be honest, I'm not too impressed by Adrienne's singing in this either."

Adrienne sounds incredible in this clip. Nick seems to be straining a little. This show is gonna do very well bc it’s nostalgic for so many MT girlies."

I'm one of the "MT girlies" you're referring to. This has been one of my favorite shows for almost 20 years, and despite that, I have yet to buy a ticket. 

[ACL2006]

Posted: 1/22/25 at 10:06am

1. I'm in the boat that thinks Nick can not sing this score.

2. I also feel like Nick won't be able to do 8 shows/week once they open. 

3. Please announce their standbys already!

Updated On: 1/22/25 at 10:06 AM

[RippedMan]

Posted: 1/22/25 at 10:44am

Neither of their voices sound real to me. Like they both sound like they're putting on an affectation. 

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 1/22/25 at 11:04am

I can't wait to see Adrienne and the not-announced- yet understudy! 

[KitKatBoy24]

Posted: 1/22/25 at 11:06am

I was expecting to not like Nick’s vocals on this. I was not expecting to my reaction to Adrianne. I’ve loved her in everything I’ve seen her in, but there was something off in this clip. Almost like she was told to sing it more stylistically or something. It feels fake. But I trust her as an actress and trust that onstage she’ll come through. Can’t say the same for Nick, but would love to be surprised.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 1/22/25 at 11:10am

At least Nick isn’t doing a Norbert Leo Butz impression like Adam Kantor did.

[ChiDoc]

Posted: 1/22/25 at 11:47am

I don't know why I am so viscerally against a drum set in the orchestrations of this score, but I didn't like it in the movie and I still can't get behind it here.  Can't tell you why, but that's how I was raised and that's how I think it should be.

[steven22]

Posted: 1/22/25 at 1:54pm

Sutton Ross said: "I can't wait to see Adrienne and the not-announced- yet understudy!"

Who is the Jamie u/s?