Recently, I had the honor of attending a production of "The Last Five Years" at Penn State that completely reinvented the show for me. I've been a fan of "The Last Five Years" since the moment I heard the soundtrack. I'm embarrassed to admit this, but I only really came to know the show when I heard that my idol Jeremy Jordan was set to star in the film adaptation. As soon as I started listening to it, I knew that Jason Robert Brown had written something incredible.
The concept of "The Last Five Years" is so simple and yet so complex at the same time. For those of you not familiar with the show, the plot is about the relationship between Jamie and Cathy, two people that fall in and out of love with one another. Cathy's story begins at the end of their relationship and works herself backward while Jamie's starts at the beginning of their relationship and progresses forward. The two meet in the middle of the story at their wedding— they alternate songs every other one, telling the story of their growth and eventual destruction of their relationship.
The production of "The Last Five Years" that I saw was so simple in its staging that it truly allowed the emphasis to be put on the story. As I sat there watching and listening, my mind began to wonder to an argument that I thought had been settled long ago: at the end of the day, whose fault was it that Jamie and Cathy's relationship ended?
Was it Jamie, who cheated on Cathy and allowed himself to be consumed by his career to the point where he ended up leaving Cathy?
Or was it Cathy, whose unsuccessful career led her to be cold towards Jamie and ultimately push him away?
It can be pretty easy to suggest that Jamie is the one at fault. To be fair, he is the one that cheats on his wife and leaves her. So, technically, he ends the relationship.
The majority of people that I have spoken with immediately side with Cathy. And how could you not after witnessing the opening number?
Anna Kendrick - Still Hurting www.youtube.com
I mean, for crying out loud, if you start the musical with Cathy crying her face off about her husband leaving her, who do you think the audience is going to side with? You subconsciously side with Cathy from the very beginning. You're taught to hate the Jamie that she's singing about. The one who she's claiming broke her heart.
But I now pose this question: if the show started with Jamie's side of the story, would your perception be any different? Would you hate the Cathy that Jamie is claiming that he could "never rescue"?
Consider this: Jamie tries repeatedly during the musical to lift Cathy up out of her doom and gloom. I mean, for a solid 90% of the show, Cathy is either complaining about being in Jamie's shadow ("A Part of That") or about how her career is a complete failure ("Climbing Uphill," "See I'm Smiling," "A Summer in Ohio," etc.) Cathy, whether subconsciously or consciously, consistently makes Jamie feel guilty for his success. Despite all of this, he still believes in her and wants her to believe in herself as well.
The Last Five Years - If I Didn't Believe in You (Jeremy Jordan) www.youtube.com
There are ALWAYS two sides of the story. Depending on whose view of the story you're approaching it from, you're going to have a swayed viewpoint.
Personally, I think the cause for the straining of their relationship falls on Cathy. But I also cannot excuse what Jamie did by cheating. Therefore, I put the blame on both. Feel free to disagree with me. As I continue my studies in theatre criticism and theory, I've learned to accept that while there are many, many opinions, I still am entitled to my own.
I remember sophomore year in high school doing a presentation on "The Last Five Years" for my English class, choosing mainly to focus on the fact that the blame falls on both Jamie and Cathy. I hadn't thought about that presentation until recently with the viewing on this phenomenal production. No one understood what the heck I was talking about, mainly because I was talking to a bunch of non-theatre people who were only in the class because we had to take it.
Hopefully some theatre people read this article and understand what I'm talking about.
Who knows?
P.S. - I don't mean to show bias with only using clips from the movie adaptation of "The Last Five Years," but where Jeremy Jordan is involved, I just have to.
Sorry, not sorry.
