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Musical impresses audience By Arielle Rosenfeld A sweet, music-box melody tinkers in the air, the lone notes on the piano setting the stage for the beginning and the end of The Last Five Years. The show is Jason Robert Brown’s semi-autobiographical tale of Jamie and Cathy, a young couple finding and experiencing love. Set in the intimate Blackbox Theatre, this emotion-driven operetta struck a chord with the audience, leaving many in search of tissues. But why give away the ending now? Because that’s exactly what the show does. It begins and ends at the same time, telling the story of the couple from two perspectives — one starting at the beginning, and one at the end. This can cause some confusion, but Michael Sheehan’s keen direction gave way to understanding. Pulling off a show that is told in opposite directions, entirely in song, is no easy feat, but Brockport senior Elizabeth Trupia and Matt Wegman, Nazareth College, were able to bring these two characters together and apart with carefully crafted sentiment. The show provides an intimate look at the lives of Jamie and Cathy, with emotions running high and every raw nerve exposed through Brown’s charged score. Wegman’s first song gave a humorous twist on a Jewish man’s new experience dating outside his religion, singing about his meeting a “Shiksa Goddess” with true youthful power. His excitement as the young Jamie was juxtaposed with Trupia’s portrayal of the jaded Cathy which further highlighted her supreme acting skills. One of the challenges faced by the actors is that many of the songs were sung to the other character, but given that each appeared on stage in a different point in time, the presence of the other was implied and had to be imagined. Here, there was no need to imagine. Trupia’s powerful emotional delivery of her songs made it seem as if Jamie were right there next to her, reacting to her every word. Both actors made their transitions through the years gracefully, moving from falling in love to moral conflict and disappointment with appropriate conviction (and vice-versa in Trupia’s case). It wasn’t until the middle of the show that the two characters actually came together for the first time. “The Next 10 Minutes” was a beautiful song of their love and commitment to each other. Of all the songs in the show, this was one of the most touching moments. Their tenderness together was beautiful yet bittersweet at the same time, as the audience knew what was to come of their marriage. Trupia was glowing in her wedding gown, and with the dashing Wegman in his tux, the two made a convincing pair. Beyond the honest acting and stellar singing was the obvious amount of work going on behind the scenes. Being that this show served as senior projects for both Trupia and Sheehan, everything having to do with the production was done by the students. The dramatic lighting, realistic props and simplistic sets can all be credited to the members of Harlequins, the student-run group of theater devotees. Among the technical aspects of the show, my favorite had to be the costumes, a crucial, yet often-overlooked part of a show’s design. The use of purple within the wardrobe resonated as a defining part of the characters’ development. When both Cathy and Jamie are at the beginning of their relationship, each is wearing lighter shades of violet and muted purple tones, only to deepen into wines and plum colors as their relationship evolves and dissolves. This is the sort of specificity and attention to detail that comes from a truly dedicated artist. Sheehan’s vision came alive through Trupia and Wegman’s heartfelt performances, giving way to one of the most captivating productions I have seen put on by students — musically, visually and emotionally. And while it may be their last year as college students, they, like the show itself, are just beginning as they are ending. |
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