Show Synopsis:
Cathy, a struggling actress, and Jamie, an author, tell the story of their five-year relationship in this song cycle. Cathy's story goes in reverse while Jamie's goes in order, and they only meet in the middle at their wedding. After dating and marrying, Jamie finds that he can't keep himself from cheating on Cathy, and they divorce.
Character:
Jamie Wellerstein, an intelligent young Jewish man with a penchant for attractive women who boost his confidence; loves Cathy but does not quite know how to be in love with her.
Song Context:
Jamie has just woken up in the bed of another woman and does not want to lie to her like he has been lying to Cathy throughout their relationship. He blames her for their failed marriage and his dalliances with other women.
Fun Facts:
1. The role of Cathy is based on Jason Robert Brown's relationship and former marriage with Theresa O'Neill. O'Neill threatened to sue Brown if it was too biographical, so he rewrote a song into "Shiksa Goddess" to lessen the similarity. 2. The cost of making a cast recording was rising rapidly, so the original cast recording of The Last Five Years was made by the small record company Scott and her husband had founded, Sh-K-Boom Records.
3. Jason Robert Brown recently directed an Off-Broadway revival of the show, and in an interview with Playbill, he said that" I love that these characters have very full, honest emotional lives. A lot of musical theatre has to stint on those things, but I didn?t write this for anybody but me. I had something I needed to say, which gave me freedom to write these characters as deeply as I could, so they?re flawed but very recognizable. People see themselves very much in these characters."
"Hey, kid - good morning,
You look like an angel.
I don't remember when we fell asleep.
We should get up, kid
Cathy is waiting.
Look at us, lying here
Dreaming, pretending.
I made a promise and I took a vow.
I wrote a story
And we changed the ending.
Cathy, just look at me now!
Hold on, facts are facts -
Just relax, lay low.
All right, the panic recedes.
Nobody needs to know.
Put on my armor -
I'm off to Ohio,
Back into battle till
I don't know when.
Swearing to her that I never
Was with you
And praying I'll hold you again.
Hold on, clip these wings -
Things get out of hand.
All right, it's over, it's done.
No one will understand,
No one will understand.
We build a treehouse,
I keep it from shaking-
Little more glue every time that it breaks.
Perfectly balanced
And then I start making
Conscious, deliberate mistakes.
All that I ask for
Is one little corner,
One private room
At the back of my heart.
Tell her I found one-
She sends out battalions
To claim it and blow it apart
I grip and she grips
And faster we're sliding,
Sliding and spilling
And what can I do?
Come back to bed, kid,
Take me inside you.
I promise I won't lie to you
Hold on, don't cry yet,
I won't let you go.
All right - the panic recedes.
All right - everyone bleeds.
All right - I get what I need
And nobody needs to know,
Nobody needs to know.
And since I have to be in love with someone,
Since I need to be in love with someone,
Maybe I could be in love with someone
Like you."