THE LAST FIVE YEARS Reviews- Page 5

[ijest22]

Posted: 6/20/25 at 10:46pm

After all the bad press, I totally expected to hate everything except Warren. I actually thought Jonas was great and really enjoyed the show. Saw it off Broadway and regionally before. One of my favorites of the season. Go figure. 

[Kad]

Posted: 6/21/25 at 11:42am

In hindsight, this is a production that made me re-evaluate what I thought about the show itself and makes me think quite a bit less of it as a whole.

Don't get me wrong, I think the score is wonderful. Every song is great as a standalone. But as a cohesive piece of drama? I'm not sure. I don't think either Cathy or Jamie are particularly well developed, nor is their romance, nor is their conflict. The show's structure requires each song to essentially stand on its own, but it also requires a lot of telling and not a lot of showing, but I'm not sure it all adds up. A show that is essentially nothing more than he said/she said is pretty difficult to make work, particularly when their conflicting perspectives don't really even add more understanding. 

Having incredibly well-matched and charismatic performers like Sherie and Norbert can paper over these things, especially since the show is best known as a cast album, but a weaker production with poorly matched and cast performers like this one reveals that underneath the wallpaper there are structural issues. 

Updated On: 6/21/25 at 11:42 AM

[PipingHotPiccolo]

Posted: 6/21/25 at 1:08pm

i had the same reaction--its a terrific score but requires real charm to overcome the thin plot and unlikeable characters. I actually think Jonas was better than he is given credit for, but he certainly does not make Jamie likeable, nor is it clear how or why his career is going so well since hes such a dud, nor is it clear what he likes about Cathy--because as great as Warren's voice is, her Cathy makes zero sense.

this was directed in just a bafflingly bad manner, but i do think with the right actors (and there are many I'd love to see try) this would have been salvageable 

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 6/21/25 at 4:20pm

I had not intended on seeing this, but I ended up having a free weekend and figured I’d catch this before it closes tomorrow.

This is probably one of the worst things I have seen on Broadway in quite some time. There are so many problems with every aspect of this production. The direction is borderline nonexistent and confusing.

Both Nick Jonas and Adrienne Warren seem lost at sea. There is absolutely no chemistry between the two them. While Jonas’s voice is small, strained, and nasally, Warren’s voice is too loud, powerful, and lacks control. It truly feels like they are in two completely different shows.

Not once did I care about either character or their relationship. I left the theatre frustrated and with a double earache. Just a damn shame.

Updated On: 6/21/25 at 04:20 PM