The Encore's 'Last Five Years' Outstanding

 current production of Jason Robert Brown's The Last Five Years has a few bumps but is definitely a show to be proud of. The show is the second in the theater's "Encore on the Edge" series and the more adult-themed (some language and adult scenes) contempory show worked very well following the wrap-up of Forever Plaid earlier this month.

The musical tells a story about two New Yorkers in their 20s who fall in and out of love over the course of five years. In an unconventional structure, the story consists of just two characters - Cathy, who tells her story backward, and Jamie, who tells his version of the story chronologically. The two characters only meet on stage once at their wedding, which occurs in the middle of the show.

The split seating area, with audiences seated both in front of and behind the stage, worked for and against the show.  Having the acting area in the middle of the theater made for a pleasing visual experience, but it required the use of personal headset microphones on the actors rather than the area microphones on the stage.  During Friday's opening night, there were a few spots where the microphones cut out briefly, and a faint hum that you had to tune out.

With such a short turnaround from the closing of Forever Plaid on May 15 to the opening of The Last Five Years, some of the technical aspects suffered a bit, especially the lighting.  There were many spots where the actors were either not lit at all, or the light cues didn't keep up with the actors as they moved around the stage.  The set was simple black platforms that let the performance speak for itself, but was amazingly well built, without so much as a wobble in sight.

It was almost as if Jason Robert Brown wrote the score to The Last Five Years with Thalia Schramm's voice in mind, as it was a perfect fit.  Schramm's performance as Cathy was breathtaking, heartbreaking and just absolute perfection.  Her opening song "Still Hurting" had me holding back tears. Schramm really took me on an emotional journey.  She did such a great job at making her character relatable and believable.

Steve DeBruyne's character, Jamie, could almost be unlikeble.  But DeBruyne puts such heart and sole into every character he plays that he makes you see the good in Jamie.  From a script standpoint, I didn't find Jamie's songs as enjoyable as Cathy's, but DeBruyne really shone on "A Miracle Would Happen"  and I really loved the way the ending songs meshed together.

Kudos to director Dan Cooney for bringing this production together, especially in such an eight-day time frame.  The end result was fantastic.

There is only one more weekend to see this show.  Performances are June 2 through June 4 at 8 p.m., and June 5 at 3 p.m.  To purchase tickets, or for more information call The Encore at 734-268-6200 or visit www.theencoretheatre.org. Tickets are $22.