THE LAST FIVE YEARS Previews — Page 3

dshnookie said: "MemorableUserName said: "It's not exactly surprising that there aren't many first preview reactions here, given the lackluster (to put it mildly) response to Jonas's casting, even before the late night appearance. I wouldn't have expected many here to rush out to see it. Even Reddit (where the anticipation wasn't much greater)has far fewer reviews than most recent first previews (Boop, Smash, Mincemeat...) have gotten.

Thank you, heathkliff, for your report."

Is there a specific Reddit I should be perusing? Or are they all separate, show-specific ones?

If the former, could you please link me? Please and thank you!"

https://www.reddit.com/r/Broadway/

Things tend to be more pleasant over there, because the downvote function takes care of the jerks really fast and gets their posts hidden. One of our meaner regulars here stopped posting here for a while last year and was over there more, where their general snideness was not well received, so they came back here.

Is a cast album a forgone conclusion with Jonas and the new orchestrations? Maybe they can do something to fix his high notes in post?

I'm getting home and I'm just...I mean I just...wanna know why. To paraphrase M'Lynn - I wanna know why that show was directed that way. Will the people who don't know this show ever know how great it could be? Oh God, I wanna know whyyyyyy whyyyyyyy - Lord I wish I could understand.

But anyways. First thoughts - Warren is wonderful. I think she's miscast maybe only because she comes off so much stronger than he does and it messes up the balance but I'm going to have to think on that one. Jonas is...fine. I guess. This is not the role for him, though. The show's fatal flaw though is Whitney White's direction which seemingly pretty much abandons the shows framing device of alternative timelines. Or if it doesn't abandon it, it blurs it to the point that even someone like me who knows this show VERY WELL is confused as to what is happening. This is what we heard from almost everyone leaving - "What was that about?" I don't think you can have these two in so many scenes together and interacting with each other, even singing with each other a couple lines a few times, while keeping the basic plot of the show clear. And it also robs the audience of the amazing "The Next Ten Minutes" when for the first time, their timelines intersect and we see them at their happiest - together. When Cathy says "I want to be your wife, I want to bear your child..." you need to see these two as in love as two people could ever be and this just doesn't happen here.

And speaking of that, setting "Next Ten Minutes" in a hotel room and having the song run the course of their engagement, wedding and wedding night does seem like a good idea and in parts that scene is actually really beautiful. But when they're standing by the bed asking "Is that one John Lennon?" and "Can we see the dinosaurs" you can hear the audience pull back and totally disengaging because they don't know what the hell is happening.

I will sleep on this and most definitely have more thoughts, hopefully some more positive ones when they come to me, but this was a very frustrating evening for me.

Updated On: 3/19/25 at 10:43 PM

Wow I don’t think I’ve ever seen Whitney White miss. Her direction was the last thing I thought I’d hear criticism of in this production.

Yes, they're together quite a bit and then "Schmuel" is full on them interacting and playing around with each other for those 7 minutes.

BroadwayGirl107 said: "Wow I don’t think I’ve ever seen Whitney White miss. Her direction was the last thing I thought I’d hear criticism of in this production."

Haven't caught Liberation yet, but here I thought Walden was a real misfire

After sleeping on it so I wouldn’t have too visceral of a response to a second preview, here goes…

Oof.

In a two-hander musical, to have such an imbalance is absolutely lethal. Jonas is out of his depth here by a country mile and the soft-boy band riffing only enhances the point that there are musical moments that merely float when they should soar. I do put some points on the board for “Schmuel Song” and a surprisingly haunting “Nobody Needs To Know”. But by the time the latter rolls around, it’s too little too late. For a show where most of the acting is through song, Jonas doesn’t have much of an emotional range and there is a LOT of “glasses off, glasses on” acting as if he’s trying to figure out what to do with his hands during his songs.

(Side Note: I’m not sure how I would stage “Schmuel” without Cathy being physically present in the scene, but my familiarity lies mainly with the moment and some boots).

I half-agree that Warren might almost be too powerful, but I don’t think it’s fair to make that assessment in this case when she’s not evenly matched and almost seems like she’s directed to bring herself down to Jonas’ subpar level. Her solo moments are where she REALLY gets to cook, especially “A Summer In Ohio”, and ESPECIALLY “I Can Do Better Than That” which got the loudest applause of the night. (Nick’s songs got a lot of polite applause, but Adrienne was the audience favorite). She does also land the quiet and nuanced moments very well and understands that half of the assignment

Additionally, the sound mixing was TERRIBLE. I was rear left orchestra and it was hard to make out what was being sung even in quieter moments. They have previews to hash it out, but they need to lower the orchestra and up the mics since they don’t have the luxury of playing the show intimately in a Broadway sized house.

I’m not mad I saw it but, considering how off-Broadway transfers are having a big moment right now, the fact that one of the best contemporary off-Broadway shows of all time finally making the jump, only to land flat on its face, is disappointing.

Updated On: 3/20/25 at 10:06 AM

Jordan Catalano said: "Yes, they're together quite a bit and then"Schmuel" is full on them interacting and playing around with each other for those 7 minutes."

Is it to hide the fact he can't really act?

getatme said: "There is like literally ONE rule about doing The Last 5 Years. They aren't onstage together until the middle. Any decision otherwise shows a level of insane ineptitude."

I completely agree. The reason why the Second Stage run in 2013 with Adam Kantor and Betsy Wolfe was so successful and popular was because everything was done flawlessly. The direction, the brilliant acting, and when they meet in the middle, the audience was always holding their breath. They built up that moment perfectly. It was incredibly special and they had great chemistry. A person asked me a few pages ago if chemistry is needed between the two actors since they are rarely on stage together? The answer is obviously yes generally, but because they are apparently constantly together in this new version yet lack any chemistry and one steam rolls the other with talent? It sounds like this doesn't work for any real fan of this show. But, if you're very young and seeing it for the first time and don't actually know how it's supposed to go? It may work for you. Boats not hotel rooms, just remember that.

I know, it's pretty wild. Did you enjoy it at Second Stage?

I liked it a lot but it's extremely hard for me to shake the memory of Sherie and Norbert. I usually welcome revivals with open arms but for me, Sherie in particular is definitive. Maybe I took the 2012 production for granted, I'll report back after seeing this revival in a few weeks...

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