; Fun! Fun! Vancouver!: The Last Five Years

Monday 9 February 2015

The Last Five Years

This past weekend I got to go see Lion Fish Entertainment's production of The Last Five Years, a heart wrenching off-Broadway musical soon to be released as a major motion picture next week!


Starring Danny Balkwill and Diana Kaarina as the two lead (and only) characters, the musical depicts the rise and fall of a relationship gone sour. It begins with a heartbroken Cathy, played by Kaarina whose voice simply soars throughout the space at the PAL Theatre, taking you on her journey of heartbreak. "Jamie is over, Jamie is gone..." she sings. Those first few notes and lyrics will continue to haunt you as you find yourself humming it the next day walking down a rainy Vancouver sidewalk.

We are then introduced to Balkwill's Jamie, who is on the other end of the timeline, going on his first date with Cathy. The show continues in this vein with Cathy starting at the end and going backwards, while Jamie follows a more linear start to finish storyline. The two finally meet in the middle Benjamin Buttons style when they both recount the day Jamie proposes to Cathy.

Why this show never made it to Broadway is beyond me as the music is gorgeous and rich and with a movie based on it now, it is likely to become a cult favourite. The PAL Theatre is a perfect location for it as well, giving you that off-Broadway intimate vibe that the piece so excels in.

Don't miss this timely chance to go see the live production of The Last Five Years! It runs until Valentine's Day at the PAL Theatre in Coal Harbour in downtown Vancouver. Tickets available online.


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