The Last Five Years @ Dobama Theatre 4/23 Dobama Theatre was near capacity for the Ohio premiere of Tony Award winner Jason Robert Brown’s musical of a relationship told from two perspectives and from opposite starting points. Cathy (Sandy Simon) sings her version from the end of their five-year relationship toward its blissful beginning. Jamie (Scott Plate) sings his version from their first giddy date to its painful end. Her opening number is delivered with haunting and heartfelt vocals and warns us she is “Still Hurting”. Jamie immediately follows in his over-sized cowboy hat and Fozzy bear stuffed animal singing his amorous feelings to his fresh, new “Shiksa Goddess”. So begins this smart, funny and touching portrayal of a young relationship.

He is a Columbia student who makes it big with his debut novel; she is a small town Ohio girl who follows the well-traveled path to New York City hoping to make it in musical theater. For all her pure intentions and desires, her career just doesn’t seem to be getting on track. As their careers go in different directions the strain begins to weaken their relationship. It provides the platform for the only hint of who the author may want us to root for when Jamie, refusing to feel guilty for his success, tells Cathy, “I will not fail so you can be comfortable; I will not lose because you can’t win”.

In any musical, if the music can’t help carry the story then of course the story doesn’t go very far. This production, directed by Victoria Bussert, has an exceptional repertoire of tunes that cover a full range of emotions and styles. The music is at times rock and at times soulful and sweet. As the two stories intersect, passing at a single moment in time when the couple marries, the music is perfectly highlighted by the violin with notes that sing of hope and joy while setting the landscape for the emotional pain and sorrow that follows. Sharing the stage with the actors is musical director Nancy Maier on piano, Morgan Scagliotti on violin and Saeunn Thorsteinsdottir on cello. It is as much this trio’s accompaniment as the actor’s delivery of vocals that push this production into a unique place in musical theater. The play is fun, honest and painful and touches several common themes. The unique development of the play, the telling of the tale from two opposite starting points, resembles any modern relationship. Rarely do two people travel the same course along the way although they may be sharing a life together. People grow, people change and in the moment when their time together is in harmony, they seal the commitment with their own special vows. But nothing stays static and they are off in different directions once again. As Cathy and Jamie connect for the first time during the play, sharing the stage as a duo for the only time in the 90-minute performance, we know the couple will soon be moving away from each other. It is a high point but also a sad one for we know where we are heading with Jamie and Cathy even before they realize the eventual outcome. from Cool Cleveland contributor Lee Perrino (:divend:)