Who is to blame for the break up in "The last Five Years?"

its all Jason Robert Brown's fault

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It's mostly Jamie's fault, IMO.

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I don't think there's just one answer. Every time I listen to the show, I try to look at it from a different perspective. Sometimes it's Jamie's fault, sometimes it's Cathy's, and others it's both. It also depends on how it's played out, or what the directors intention is. Also, if I see a performance where one actor is a thousand times stronger than the other, then I'm going to lean with their character.

I don't think Cathy cheated, well thats not the impression i get. It seems like Jamie leaves Cathy, in 'still hurting' shes looking for answers.

They're a frustating couple! If they sat down and talked it would all be okay!

"Cathy, stop moaning."
"Jamie- i'm jelous"
"don't be jelous, i'll be here more for you"
"Okay"

the end....

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Perhaps if there had been a few more duets they could have worked it out?

Jamie's incredibly selfish and self-centered. As someone else on this board once said, even his love songs are just about how good Cathy makes him feel.

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My theory is that Jamie got married before his success and was therefore not being able to enjoy all of the perks of fame, such as getting hot women. He may have rushed into it; he even admits that "things are moving too fast."

I'm just going off of the show, btw, not JRB's life because I know very little about the circumstances there.

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It is currently play here in Denver at the Galleria Theater and I am seeing it as a birthday gift to myself. Can't wait.

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Updated On: 5/18/08 at 03:22 AM

In fact, the original version of the show that premiered in Chicago (Skokie, actually) was TOO close to his actual marriage. His ex-wife sued him because there was a clause in their divorce agreement that said he would not use specific elements of their marriage in his writing. The only thing he really had to change was to turn the Irish Catholic "Kathleen" (the ex-wife was Irish Catholic)into the W.A.S.P. "Cathy". That way he could say, "See - it's not about you!"

The change meant dumping the original opening number, which was full of Irish references (Riverdance jokes, etc.). "Shiksa Goddess" was the replacement.

You can also still hear the Irish influence in the accompaniment of "Climbing Uphill". He also had to cut a very funy section of that number, in which Kathy sang:

I PRAY TO THE HOLY TRINITY OF IRISH-AMERICAN ACTRESSES
MAUREEN O'HARA, MAUREEN SULLIVAN...
...AND MAUREEN McCORMICK

agree with sondhead. the point of the show is that they're both terrible at relationships because they're both ridiculously selfish. and this is why the show rarely works, because there's never any hope for the relationship, and even if there was, they're both really unsympathetic in terms of the material. The two actors need to be unbelievably charming to make them likeable whatsoever.

Actually, the original lyric was "A gay midget named Carl playing Stanley Kowalski."

Yes, "Tevye and Porgy" is funnier.

I think the best answer is Sherie's. "Leave me alone, get off!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k29wSSs7Taw