The latest production from Urban Aphrodite International at Jiadu Theater charts the rise and fall of a relationship in Jason Robert Brown’s award-winning musical, The Last Five Years. Starring Julia Carey as Cathy and the man better known as a Kung Fu Komedy headliner, Paul Johnson, plays Jamie. The show marks a special occasion for UA as Brandi Dowd, who normally assumes the role of producer for the theater group, takes on the daunting task of directing the musical which also takes on an unusual chronology.
The show starts at opposite ends of the couple's relationship with Cathy singing a very sad scene about their break up, directly followed by Jamie singing a much more upbeat number preparing for their fist date. The contrast between the two scenes is huge and creates an immediate impression of their characters, his being in control of the relationship and her desperately hanging on. This is definitely a creative way to tell a story, but perhaps confusing if you are not familiar with how the play works before you see it.
Both characters are vocally talented and are complemented by an outstanding string quartet who really bring the production to a new level. The acoustics at the Jiadu Theater (where the production is taking place until April 18) are challenging though and during some of the higher pitched songs, the auditorium is very loud indeed. As always with Urban Aphrodite productions, the show runs perfectly with smooth scene changes and no impression they the actors or musicians are under prepared. They work with some fun backdrops with projections of lakes, greenery and New York City and we liked the creative video montage of the couple that played before the show started.
The ups and downs of the couple's relationship go forward and back during the show with apathy and sincerity displayed by both actors. Although not necessarily funny, the show certainly provides food for thought and undoubtedly displays elements that most audience members will relate to through relationships of their own. It's also not an easy task to create a rapport with your co-star when you are very seldom on stage together. Most scenes involve the actors taking the stage separately, but you still get the sense of the angst and frustration going on between the couple.
Although essentially a sombre tale of the demise of a loving union, The Last Five Years also charts the two actors' individual struggles with growing their careers and personalities. Developing a character within the short space of time the theater company works to deserves true praise. We recommend you hot-foot it to the production before it closes later this week.
// Thursday Apr 16- Saturday April 18, 7.30-10pm, RMB200-220. Jiadu Theatre, 187 2152 8625, tickets@urbanaphrodite.nl.
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