The Last 5 Years – A Walk Down Memory Lane
After quite a long wait, The Last 5 Years is now being shown on-stage at the Carlos P. Romulo Theater at the RCBC, Makati this August.
A two-character off-Broadway musical with work and composition by Jason Robert Brown, The Last 5 Years is more than a spectacle. It gives a refreshing look back to a love with an anxiously exciting beginning and a hurtful end.
Produced by Santi Santamaria and directed by Robbie Guevarra, The Last 5 Years was a different performance all in all because it was thought out by a team that never settles for a blank canvas, but always pushes for the non-conventional and the creative instead.
The Production, Theater, and Story of The Last 5 Years
One special feature of the musical is the nostalgic projection of memories as the scenes go back and forth on stage. This is the first time a production of the same piece was done with such a feature, and it is very effective in scenes where emphasis is made on the feelings and the mood.
Interestingly, the piece is a convergence of looking back and moving forward. Jamie Wellerstein as played by Joaquin Valdes starts from the beginning of the story moving forward to the present. Cathy Hyatt played by Nikki Gil opens the show from the present going back to the very beginning of the story. This can probably be interpreted as men moving along and staring ahead; while women – though they may handle their emotions well – have the tendency to go back and remember the past even as they live in the present. There are merging points in the musical wherein the characters’ romantic scenes emerge – simply genius!
Nikki Gil as Cathy Hyatt, opening the show
The contemporary and upbeat music and the refined singing are consistent, clear and well-represented in the story, mood, and characters.
Joaquin Valdes has a smooth yet strong presence, as well as a prominent voice. He is indeed convincing as he keeps pushing the character. Jamie’s character is well dressed in Joaquin’s characterization and interpretation, too.
Joaquin Valdes as Jamie Wellerstein
In all honesty, Nikki Gil is a pleasant surprise in the musical arena. Though she may have done some singing stints in show business, the musical artistry is just not what the public typically sees her as. She has great clarity in her singing and her stage presence is all-natural. Her voice is beyond the variety show spectacle, as well.
The stage architecture has a postmodern feel. There is a vibe of abstraction verging into reality. The angular dimensions are set in design so as to give a sense that the real story has its different sides and views from different people.
The musical piece is hazy and seemingly unpredictable in the beginning. With the interplay of looking back and moving forward, it may be a little confusing to those in the audience who are anticipating the apparent and the typical. However, everything makes total sense because it is something dug from within. There is a sense of dimensionality in the scenes and every scene is bound to a particular emotion, which the audience can feel in the music, the singing, and movement of the actors. The crisscrossing of time, memories, pains, joys, and the merging points make the musical something beyond the ordinary. The piece got rid of the jazzed-up interpretation of reality because once and for all, this same reality should be presented in essence and in its truest value. The musical is a bridge to what is true, real, and internal.
Lessons on Love From The Last 5 Years
Both Joaquin and Nikki bring their own stories and experiences into the musical, making it easier for them to play the characters and show the characters’ realness. To Nikki, this experience is different from the usual plays and acting stints because a part of her is in it. Joaquin speaks of his own story. He allows himself not to act, but to become the actual character that is Jamie.
To both actors, there is always something good in things, no matter what. Some stories of love, of a seemingly forever-lasting love may end in shambles making it impossible to reach a particular end of moving on and getting back to one’s feet. But there will always be that “light at the end of the tunnel,” as Nikki put it. Joaquin resounds what a good guy would do: never replace a love that is true, worth fight for, and founded on more established lines of emotions.
Themes about love, be it in music, television, or even the theater, may be a cliché. It may be the same story of leaving, coming back, and leaving forever. But just by looking back, one can assess oneself so as to set foot on a better future with someone that is his or her “forever” or with just the single life that is worth every discovery and exploration of more uncharted life events. By going back, one can reaffirm that everything is going to be alright – way better even because one deserves a better morning to wake up to, a better day to live, to discover, and probably to love again.
A painful reality shows it that at some point: couples fall out of love. Time, commitment, the willingness to compromise, and the ecstasy to be with the other may just fade along the way. But, love is brought in life as a matter of choice, something that an individual can establish, work on when everything goes wrong, and rekindle if there is the desire to do so. But the sad part is that it’s also a choice to just let it go because it needs to be let go. It may be too painful to stay in the situation even if that love is just there. Here, love becomes the reason to move on, to live a better life, to find something better, and to realize.
Last Thoughts on the Last 5 Years
The audience may see this off-Broadway musical piece differently. Still, it speaks of the same theme, the same story, and the same characterization. Seeing these performances on stage is somehow new to the general audience, but the fine production, the music, the singing, and the exceptional story lines make not only a show, but a refined presentation of what is real and true.
Another interesting and outstanding piece to look forward in the musical theater this August! Hats-off to 9 Works Theatrical!!
The Last 5 Years
9 Works Theatrical
August 9 to 31, 2014
Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza, Ayala Avenue, Makati City
For Tickets:
Call – 586-7105/0917.554.5560
Ticket World – 891-9999
www.9workstheatrical.com
