The two characters that make up the whole of the story of “The Last Five Years,” Jason Robert Brown’s popular contemporary musical, interconnect like the intricate gears in a pocket watch. As budding writer Jamie finds himself rising up, rejoicing over new love, struggling actress Cathy plunges down into despair. And in the middle, they meet, before reversing their roles.
That’s the joy — and the challenge — of realizing the complicated, beautiful love story at the center of “The Last Five Years,” which Penobscot Theatre Company will stage March 10 through March 27 at the Bangor Opera House.
Jamie and Cathy, played by PTC standbys Dominick Varney and Brianne Beck, have appeared in many shows together, from “The Rocky Horror Show” to “Boeing Boeing.” They also happen to be close friends in real life, so the trust and comfort they have with each other onstage is easily had.
“It’s fun to feel something as Jamie, and then see Brianne having the same feelings later on the show with the same intensity and excitement,” said Varney. “The moment where these two characters see each other in the show for the first time, there’s just such a sense of safety for the two of us. We feel so comfortable with each other.”
Director Michele Colvin, who has directed splashier, more upbeat shows with PTC including “The Wizard of Oz” and “Ring of Fire,” has trained her focus on the two moving particles at the center of the show. She puts Jamie and Cathy on a set, designed by Tricia Hobbs, that references the divergent timelines of the two characters with looming, ghostly watch gears and spare, hanging Edison lamps, lit by Scout Hough.
“As a choreographer, it’s movement that I’m really drawn to,” said Colvin. “And there’s so much movement in this show. Jamie and Cathy are constantly moving, each in a different direction. I think movement is inherent in every part of this show.”
The show is almost entirely music, with very little dialogue in between songs. It’s a major workout for both performers, who carry the whole show on their backs, and for music director Ben McNaboe, who is making his PTC main stage debut. It’s also a workout for the audience, who live through every twist and turn Jamie and Cathy’s relationship takes. A film version, starring fellow Maine actress Anna Kendrick as Cathy, was released in 2015, boosting the little musical’s profile and garnering it a new legion of young fans.
“The beautiful thing about this show, however, is that I think anyone that’s ever been in love and anyone that’s ever had their heart broken can empathize with it,” said Varney. “You’ll know what it feels like to really fly high, and also to be crushed. It’s really powerful.”
“The Last Five Years” is set for March 10-13, March 16-20 and March 23-27 at the Bangor Opera House. For tickets, visit penobscotheatre.org, call 942-3333 or visit the Bangor Opera House box office.
