All you need to know about The Last Five Years, starring Nick Jonas and Adrienne Warren, among others! (Photo Credit – Instagram)
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Here’s good news for Jonas Brothers fans: Nick Jonas and Adrienne Warren are returning next spring to Broadway in a new production of Jason Robert Brown’s acclaimed two-handler musical, The Last Five Years.
After over two decades, the show, which premiered in New York City in 2002, is coming to the boards for the first time, starring the iconic two singers. Directed by 2024 Tony nominee Whitney White, the revival will premiere in spring 2025 at a yet-to-be-named theatre, with tickets available starting Monday, July 22.
The announcement of this revival coincides with the 25th anniversary of Brown, a three-time Tony Award winner, composing the first song for The Last Five Years on June 15, 1999. The Last Five Years features a book, music, and lyrics by Brown and chronicles the demise of a relationship between Jamie, a rising novelist (Nick Jonas), and Cathy, a struggling actress (Adrienne Warren). The story unfolds across two different timelines; Jamie’s perspective is presented chronologically from when the couple first got together, while Cathy’s perspective is told in reverse, starting from the end of their marriage.
Reflecting on the musical, Brown said, “I have always believed that when the time was right, The Last Five Years would make its way to Broadway. To have Nick and Adrienne take on these roles is a composer’s dream come true, and to have Whitney’s extraordinary guidance and vision is the hope of every playwright. It has taken twenty-five years, but the time is right.”
Furthermore, the musical first premiered at Chicago’s Northlight Theatre in 2001, and a year later, it was premiered off-Broadway at the Minetta Lane Theatre by a New York City production starring Norbert Leo Butz and Sherie Rene Scott. The Last Five Years became a favourite, with cast recordings and songs from the show like I Can Do Better Than That, Nobody Needs to Know, Still Hurting, The Next Ten Minutes, and If I Didn’t Believe In You becoming musical theatre staples over the years.
2013, an off-Broadway revival came through with Adam Kantor and Betsy Wolfe starring as Jamie and Cathy. After two years, a movie adaptation was released starring Jeremy Jordan and Anna Kendrick. Again, in 2016, a one-night-only concert of musicals was staged by Joshua Henry and Cynthia Erivo. The Last Five Years production opened in London the same year with Jonathan Bailey and Samantha Barks.
