The Last Five Years at Teatro Vivaldi
Written and composed by Jason Robert Brown. Directed by Richard Block. Musical Direction Damien Slingsby. Choreography Hannah McFadden. Costume design/Props Fiona Leach and Suzan Cooper. Lighting and Sound Berin Denham. Set design and construction Thompson Quan Wing. Teatro Vivaldi. April 24 - May 2 2015
Reviewed by Peter Wilkins
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| Mathew Chardon O'Dea as Jamie Wellerstein. Josie Dunham as Cathy Hiatt in The Last Five Years Photo by Pete Stiles |
Producer/director Richard Block
has made a bold decision when double casting Jason Robert Brown’s The Last Five Years in his inaugural
show for his new company Dramatic Productions. I have already reviewed the opening night at Teatro Vivaldi with
Vanessa De Jager as Cathy Hiatt and Fraser Findlay as Jamie Wellerstein in
Brown’s story of the rollercoaster relationship of the up and coming writer and
the struggling, aspiring actress. However, I decided that it would be only fair
to revisit the production with Mathew Chardon O’Dea and Josie Dunham in the
roles. Block is seeking to establish his new company as a springboard for those
who would aspire to become professional. In creating a double cast, he has
offered the opportunity to four of Canberra’s finest music theatre performers.
And such an initiative warrants critical comment.
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| Josie Dunham as Cathy Photo by Pete Stiles |
This is not a comparative
analysis although subjective comparison is unavoidable. Long running
professional productions will offer audiences different casts, and different
casts will imbue a performance with new qualities and new perspectives. I was
interested to note that I was less concerned with the staging of the work on a
box set and with miked voices during this visit and more conscious of the
prominence of musical director Damien Slingsby’s heavier hand upon the piano.
Slingsby’s five piece ensemble with Dylan Slater on guitar, Jack Schwenke on
Bass, Llewellyn Osborne on violin, Amy Jarvol on Cello and Slingsby on piano
was as proficient as ever, but O’Dea and Dunham would have been vocally
struggling without mikes in the intimate surrounds of alluring Teatro Vivaldi.
As it was, both Dunham and O’Dea struggled initially with their breathing and
lower registers on their opening night.
I was also intrigued to observe
that I was more conscious of Rachel Thornton’s cameo appearance as the silent
mistress in the bed during Jamie’s guilt-ridden Nobody Needs To Know. I was more attuned to the rollercoaster
emotions of the couple’s precarious relationship. Brown’s clever device to
trace Cathy’s backward journey from the final break-up of the marriage (Still Hurting) while allowing an
audience to follow Jamie’s forward journey from the first meeting (Shiska Goddess) takes us on the fraught
trajectory of effusive passion, loving commitment, conflicting expectation and
eventual separation. In the duet at the close of the show this contrast is
strikingly apparent as Cathy’s voice sings the excited passion of new love
while Jamie leaves us with the lament of lost dreams. Pain and pleasure
co-exist in the tortured harmony of life’s experience. Brown avoids
over-sentimentalizing the situation, allowing his actors to discover truth in
character and performance. This is the musical’s Off Broadway appeal and its
instant ability to engage an audience, some of whom could well be a Cathy or a
Jamie upon the stage.
Dunham and O’Dea bring a natural
appeal to the roles. Dunham exudes vulnerability and insecurity. Her innocence
and endearing love for Jamie is evident when she rejoices in I’m a Part of That. The sheer agony of
exposing oneself during an audition is paramount in Climbing Uphill. O’Dea, on the other hand, captures perfectly the
self-centred attitude of the ambitious, confident writer in Moving Too Fast. Wellerstein is a young
man on the move, and O’Dea gives his character’s seductive charm full rein. His
acting talent shines as he plays the bespoke tailor in The Schmuel Song with its lacing of Jewish humour and wisdom.
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| Mathew Chardon O'Dea as Jamie Photo by Pete Stiles |
Dunham and O’Dea are natural cabaret
performers and I hope that they may one day in the future reveal their full
potential in a cabaret festival. Brown’s musical is a series of song
monologues, covering a range of styles and presenting the singer with
challenges. At their opening performance both O’Dea and Dunham tended towards
moments of forcefulness to hit the range as first night nerves and uneven
breathing gave rise to occasional difficulty in sustaining the lower register.
This did little to detract from the performances. Both Dunham and O’Dea bring a
sensitivity and intelligent maturity to the roles, and The Last Five Years proves a perfect vehicle for all four performers
of Block’s production. Hopefully Canberra audiences will see a lot more of De
Jager, Findlay, Dunham and O’Dea. Block has cast well for his inaugural
production and Dramatic Productions holds great promise for a fine future.
Don’t miss The Last Five Years. Sadly
it is only playing until May 2nd at Teatro Vivaldi’s. Hurry down for
fine food, good wine and first-rate entertainment.