A powerhouse. Packs a punch. Profound. These are some of the words used to describe Jason Robert Brown's musical tour de force, The Last Five Years. Jamie and Cathy both sing the tale of their relationship - but there's a twist. Jamie tells it from beginning to end. Cathy tells it from the end to the beginning. But wait, there's another twist. While the two performers both grace the stage together, they are essentially alone -never looking at nor speaking to each other. Isolated. Lonely. In love. Out of Love.
It is only once at the confluence of their story in the exact middle of the story when they get married in Central Park, that they unite and proclaim their love to each other in song as they exchange vows. And as quickly as it happens, they continue on their journeys and the story proceeds (and/or regress as it were).
Adam Kantor (Jamie) is pure delight - boyishly handsome, devilishly talented. Betsy Wolfe (Cathy) blows the roof off the joint multiple times (and that's tough because this theater was formerly a bank!).
Two actors. One story. Plenty of potent song. A mere 90 minutes on-stage. A lifetime in your heart.