The Last 5 Years

[mywonderwa11]

Posted: 10/12/04 at 12:00am

i just bought the cast recording to "The Last 5 Years" today and i've heard a few songs from this show before ("A Miracle Would Happen" and "A Part of That") but now i see that the entire score is amazing! can anyone give me a synopsis of the show? of course i've gathered that sherie and norbert's characters are or were once married, but i need someone to fill in the gaps for me. thanks!

[CJR]

Posted: 10/12/04 at 12:04am

I could try to explain it, or I could just tell you to get the cd......

Due to the fact that my brain is completely shot right now (I just got home from work and now I'm STILL working) I'm going to tell you to get the cd. It's well worth it anyway

[Jess1483]

Posted: 10/12/04 at 12:07am

I'm absolutely in love with the show.

Okay, I don't know what you want to know, but I can tell you that Sherie (Cathy) tells the story backwards and Norbert (Jamie) tells it forwards. They meet (in time) at track 8 (have you noticed how the number 8 is symmetrical, and that's the number where they switch songs? genius I tell you.) In the track listing in the CD cover, they write the numbers to Cathy's songs backwards and Jamie's forwards.

Anyway, enough raving. As soon as you figure that out, the story really tells itself. If you concentrate on song 8, the beginning is Jamie responding to questions, and at the end, Cathy asks them--pure genius.

Edit: He did buy the CD...

Updated On: 10/12/04 at 12:07 AM

[Blair]

Posted: 10/12/04 at 12:07am

All you really need to know is that Cathy tells her story backwards and Jamie's; from the beginning. There are only 2 or 3 short phone calls that are not on the cast recording. Basically the whole show is on the CD. The audience is supposed to put the story together, so there isn't really a plot synopsis. I think, you can interpret it a few different ways.

EDIT: Ahh, Jess got to it before me! Updated On: 10/12/04 at 12:07 AM

[Thoroughly Modern Cara]

Posted: 10/12/04 at 12:11am

http://theatre-musical.com/5years/synopsis.html

Here is a good synopsis of the show.

[musicalmjk]

Posted: 10/12/04 at 1:26am

i like how you refer to them by there real names and put their (character names)

[Jess1483]

Posted: 10/12/04 at 8:19am

Yeah, I know. I don't usually do that, but since the original post did their names that way, that's what I did. I was excited about sharing the show, so I got carried away. Don't judge:)

[JakeB]

Posted: 10/12/04 at 9:11am

I totally agree with Blair - the songs are the synopsis. You can say 'two people get married' and that's The Last Five Years, but it completely isn't. I'm surprised that if you listened to the CD you actually need a synopsis to tell you what happened..

[Pip]

Posted: 10/12/04 at 11:01am

I've had this cast recording only a month or so but I am totally hooked on it! It has hardly left my car CD player! It seems like a brilliant concept... How long did it run and why not longer??

[sycorax]

Posted: 10/12/04 at 11:12am

While we're answering L5Y questions... anyone happen to know how Jamie and Cathy met?? Does it say in the show? (I've never seen it, just have the CD and listen to it practically every day...) It's been driving me INSANE for a couple days now wondering how they met. Yeah, I'm surprised I have friends too.

[JakeB]

Posted: 10/12/04 at 11:21am

He takes her to dinner and walks her home. He doesn't kiss her on the first date.

[ShiksaGoddess2]

Posted: 10/12/04 at 12:51pm

I love this show. I just saw a local company do it this past sunday, it was my first time seeing it live. The girl who played Cathy did a very nice job, but the guy who played Jamie was horrible, he didn't give Jamie any heart at all. As soon as i got home i played the cast recording i needed to get that kid out of my head. Thank you Norbert for being so amazing :)

[sweeedboy]

Posted: 10/12/04 at 1:26pm

I'm actually in this show right now and I too find it absolute genius. The only part i have a problem with is the book reading during 'climbing uphill' (not on the cd). It totally stops the show and is completely boring. I don't think its explicitly said how they meet and he most definitely kisses her on the first date. "dont kiss me goodbye again. Leave this night clean and quiet." He is a playahhhhh

[thespian geek]

Posted: 10/13/04 at 12:19am

This show absolutely amazes me. A friend had me listen to a few of the songs from the show and I was hooked, so I bought the cast recording. Now I'd heard of Norbert before (Wicked), but I had NO IDEA the man had that much talent! I was completely blown away. And Sherie kicks ass. I can't wait to see them both in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.

Anyways, basic synopsis is boy and girl meet, boy and girl date and fall in love, they get married, their careers get in the way, they divorce. It's such a sad but slap-in-the-face realistic story about so many marriages these days. Actually, I've heard it said it's actually about Jason Robert Brown's own failed marriage..

[dramafreak13]

Posted: 10/13/04 at 8:07am

thespian-
you would be right on that. in fact his ex sued him because in their pre-nup it said he would never write something about her. he also will pretty much never attend a production of L5Y, its too painful for him

[Ditin725]

Posted: 10/13/04 at 9:12am

Jason Robert Brown played piano for the Off-Broadway production.