The Last Five Years – Musical – Review – ACT Theatre and The 5th Avenue Theatre – Shows I've Seen

@showsiveseen @JRB's "The Last Five Years" #musical at @acttheatre w/ @The 5th Avenue Theatre. Starring @Cassi Q Kohl & @Jeff (or @Coleman Cummings & @lani tsunami). Novel immersive orchestra placement allowed the audience to soak up the artistic/technical nuances of the score. Review: showsiveseen.com/11791 Production Videos: Allison Borgida (ThirdReel) Director: Shermona Mitchell Conductor: RJ Tancioco or Michael Nutting Stage Manager: Jeffrey K Hanson #showsiveseen #theatre #love #relationships ♬ Moving Too Fast – Jeremy Jordan

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): The Last Five Years musical at ACT Theatre w/ The 5th Avenue Theatre. Starring Cassie Q Kohl and Jeffery Wallace (or Coleman Cummings and Keola Kapulani Holt). Novel immersive orchestra placement allowed the audience to soak up the artistic/technical nuances of the score.

Recommendation:
See it if you’re okay with watching shows lacking a traditional chronological plot.

Was This the First Time I Attended a Production of this Show? No, I originally saw this at Taproot Theatre by AK-L5 Productions years ago.

Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now? No, twice is enough for me.

Mainstream Appeal: Medium

If A Random Stranger Asked What Show They Should See This Weekend, Would I Mention This Production? Probably

My Synopsis (No Spoilers): This musical explores the lifespan of a long-term straight romantic relationship, unfolding from two opposite perspectives. In a “Benjamin Button”-style narrative, the man experiences their love story chronologically from beginning to end, while the woman relives it in reverse starting from the breakup and moving back to the first spark.

Synopsis from the Licensor or Theatre Company: The winner of two Drama Desk Awards, this modern musical takes a devastatingly honest look at Cathy and Jamie and their journey of falling in and out of love over five years. Through clever storytelling and sharp lyrics – Cathy’s songs start at the end of the relationship, while Jamie begins at the start of their love affair – Jason Robert Brown’s cult favorite is a raw and intimate window into two perspectives of one relationship. This acclaimed musical is an unforgettable chronicle through the joy and ache of love.

Type: Musical

World Premiere: No

Several or Few Scenes: Several

Several or Few Settings/Locations: Several

Static (Stationary) or Dynamic Set: Sparse and stationary

Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: No

Defined Plot/Storyline: Not quite. It was two perspectives of the same story moving in opposite directions. Each scene/song was a milestone in their romantic relationship with month/year gaps in between scenes.

Live Band/Orchestra: Yes

Union Actors: 2

Total Actors: 2

Perceived Pace of the Show: Medium speed

Was there an intermission? No

Length (Including Any Intermission): 80 minutes

Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned Above

Orchestra: The musical was staged at the theatre-in-the-round, creating an immersive experience unlike a traditional front-facing setup. For this production, they cleverly carved three shallow orchestra pits (one each for the string section, piano, and guitar ensemble) into the stage so the musicians were fully integrated into the action. This truly unique arrangement soaked the audience with music, making every technical and artistic nuance more palpable. The delicate string ornamentations and the subtle intricacies of the guitar plucking would have been lost in a conventional front-facing setup. The immersive orchestra design risked overpowering the singers or farther instruments, but I never found this to be an issue. Perhaps this was because of my seat’s equidistance from all three orchestra pits. Sound designer Haley Parcher adequately ensured that the sound balancing felt controlled and not overwhelming.
Song Highlights: PNW theatre veteran Cassie Q. Kohl (as Cathy Hiatt) delivered standout performances in “I Can Do Better Than That,” “Goodbye Until Tomorrow,” and “A Summer in Ohio.” Opposite her, Jeffery Wallace (as Jamie Wellerstein) shined in “Moving Too Fast” and brought great energy in the playful “na nana na” sections of “The Schmuel Song.” However, the lyrics of the latter song felt more like lighthearted comic relief filler rather than a meaningful contribution to the narrative.
Bookends: The bookend elements of the hanging letter and the furniture covering/uncovering were excellent artistic choices in this austerely staged production. They appropriately signaled to the audience that we’ve reached the end of the show.

Rant(s)

Temperature: The Allen Theatre often feels too cold in the winter months. It’s always a bad sign when I need to wear my coat in the theatre. It reminded me of what I experienced in ACT Theatre’s A Christmas Carol years ago.

Other Musing(s) and Observation(s)

Story Structure: I can’t say that I’m a fan of the Benjamin Button-style storytelling in opposite directions. While it’s a novel concept, it can also be confusing and difficult to pinpoint where the characters are in their relationship. This is just an inherent quality of the script since I remember feeling the same way the original time I saw this.
A/B Casting: This production used A/B casting, with some performances starring Cassie Q Kohl and Jeffery Wallace, while others featured Coleman Cummings and Keola Kapulani Holt. This approach likely helps avoid concerns about understudies forgetting their lines, but I couldn’t help but feel a bit of FOMO since there was an actor in each cast group that I would have preferred to see more.
Cassie Q Kohl : It so different seeing Cassie without her signature hair and glasses! I thought the same thing when she starred in Taproot Theatre’s The Hello Girls.

Theatre Company: ACT Theatre and The 5th Avenue Theatre

Venue: Allen Theatre at ACT Theatre

Venue Physical Address: 700 Union St, Seattle, WA 98101

Price Range: $73-104

Ticket Affordability Options: Check out the theatre’s official discounts page. Just a word of warning, I notice that joint productions between theatre companies tend to offer less discount options.

Dates: 2/8/25 to 3/16/25

Seating: Assigned Seating

Parking: Paid lot or paid street parking. If I don’t walk to this theatre, I park in the old convention center garage with the entrance between Seneca and Pike. There is indoor access from the garage to the theatre if you walk through the old convention center.

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Pictures: See production pictures below by Rosemary Dai Ross.

Cast and Production Team: See after pictures below.