The actors in THE LAST FIVE YEARS have to be believable as having lived major, life-altering events over the course of the story. They're young when they first meet, but they've navigated huge emotional events that age them significantly by the time their relationship ends.
Christy Altomare is a really interesting performer, but wide eyed ingenues like her don't read nearly "knowing" enough for a show as emotionally complex as this one. Altomare also still looks 16, and I'd go as far as to argue that she's exactly the type of "younger and thinner" girls Cathy sings about having to compete against in "Climbing Uphill." The same goes for someone like Laura Osnes. This role is far from that of your typical leading lady. The most appropriate choices are character actresses with a darker edge, which is why Sherie Rene Scott was so perfect in the original.
The true merits of her voice are still somewhat a mystery, but in terms of type, Lauren Ambrose is exactly what I think is required. I'd be fascinated to see her take on a character as complex and multifaceted as Cathy.
I like Noah Weisberg a lot, but I almost think he reads too "nice" for Jamie? As someone said earlier, Norbert Leo Butz was so utterly charming that he made the character read as significantly more sympathetic than he is on the page, but at heart, Jamie's very much a pompous jerk, and his selfishness and personal ambition are critical aspects of his personal identity. I don't know if I get all that from Weisberg, but he sure is talented. Christian Borle (who Weisberg has understudied) would have been the ideal choice years ago.
Tonya Pinkins: Then we had a "Lot's Wife" last June that was my personal favorite. I'm still trying to get them to let me sing it at some performance where we get to sing an excerpt that's gone.
Tony Kushner: You can sing it at my funeral.
Updated On: 8/14/12 at 02:28 AM
