Posted by 66
on 7/24/2009, 12:01 pm
The Hoogland Center for the Arts, in association with Gordon Productions, will present the musical THE LAST FIVE YEARS July 24-25 and July 31-Aug. 2.
Jason Robert Brown’s intense, intimate tale about love blissfully found and bitterly lost employs an unconventional narrative and a diverse musical score ranging from klezmer to rock.
Matthew Vala and Mary Kate (Gallina) Smith provide the local onstage talent for this production as Jamie and Catherine.
Jamie is a rising novelist, and Catherine is a struggling actress. The tale of their time together is told in contrasting timelines. Catherine opens the show after their contentious divorce and moves backward, while Jamie starts with their joyous meeting and moves forward. The duo directly interacts only in one song where the timelines intersect.
After winning a Tony in 1999 for his “Parade” score, Brown premiered THE LAST FIVE YEARS near Chicago in 2001 and took it Off-Broadway in 2002. The show went on to win the 2002 Drama Desk award for Outstanding Music and Lyrics.
Vala recently has starred in “Thoroughly Modern Millie” and “Gypsy,” served as musical director for “Nunsense,” “High School Musical,” “High School Musical 2” and will play Sky Masterson in “Guys and Dolls” at the 2009 Hoogland Center for the Arts Gala. He’s also starred in “Urinetown” and “Ragtime,” among other shows, in Dallas.
Smith has had featured local roles in “Aida,” “Miss Saigon,” “Children of Eden,” “Cats” and “Nunsense.” Smith also lived and worked professionally in Chicago – performing in the long-running hit “Tony and Tina’s Wedding” – and Los Angeles, where she was a featured vocalist on various recordings, including her own album, “10 Spot.”
THE LAST FIVE YEARS is part of the non-profit Hoogland Center for the Arts 2009 Performance Series. Ticket sale proceeds from this fundraising effort will help pay expenses for the 80,000 square foot community arts center, which is enjoyed by more than 10,000 people each month.
THE LAST FIVE YEARS will be presented at 8 p.m. July 24-25 and July 31-Aug. 1. Tickets are $16 for adults and $15 for students, and are available at the Hoogland Center for the Arts box office (420 S. Sixth St.), by phone (523-2787) and online at www.scfta.org.
Performances will be in Theater 3 at the Hoogland Center for the Arts, 420 S. Sixth Street, Springfield. Free parking is available in the adjacent ramp.
Parental discretion is advised for THE LAST FIVE YEARS, which contains strong language and adult content.
Responses: