Almost 25 years after its stage debut in Chicago, Jason Robert Brown’s musical will arrive on the Broadway stage in Spring of 2025. Starring Tony winner Adrienne Warren and Grammy Award nominee Nick Jonas, along with being directed by Tony nominee Whitney White, here is a brief history of the musical and everything we know about The Last Five Years broadway musical.
What Is The Last Five Years?
The Last Five Years is a musical written by Jason Robert Brown. Brown is a musical theater composer, lyricist, and playwright who fuses pop-rock styled music with theatrical performance. He is also the recipient of three Tony Awards for his work on Parade and The Bridges of Madison County.
The musical follows two New Yorkers in their twenties who fall in and out of love over the course of five years, hence the name. The show’s structure consists of Cathy, the female main character, telling the story of her love with Jamie backwards, while Jamie tells his story chronologically. Though the musical is about their relationship, Cathy and Jamie only meet once onstage, at their wedding in the middle of the show.
This powerful, emotionally intense, and intimate musical has been a fan favorite for years, with both stage and film adaptations, and is finally getting its spotlight on a Broadway stage.
The Last Five Years History
Jason Robert Brown premiered The Last Five Years in 2001 at Chicago’s Northlight theater and then produced Off-Broadway in 2002. Since then, the musical has continued to grow with many productions across not only the country but the world, including an Off-West End production, starring the beloved current star of the hit show Bridgerton, Jonathan Bailey.
The Last Five Years is supposedly inspired by Brown’s failed marriage with his ex-wife. She ended up suing Brown for violating a non-disparagement and non-disclosure agreements within their divorce. However, Brown sued her back for interfering with his creative process.
As a part of the legal settlement, Brown had to remove all references of Cathy being Irish Catholic, to make sure his ex-wife’s identity wasn’t directly involved. He also changed the song “I Could Be in Love With Someone Like You” to “Shiksa Goddess” to eliminate some of the similarities between his ex-wife and the character.
Needless to say, there has been some drama surrounding the musical. However, that drama has not necessarily affected the success of The Last Five Years. In fact, there is even a film adaptation of the musical.
The Last Five Years film is a 2014 film starring Jeremy Jordan and Anna Kendrick as Cathy and Jamie. The film received many positive reviews and continued the excitement surrounding the musical.
It is this continual support of the musical that is bringing the show to Broadway in the spring of 2025.
The Last Five Years Broadway Show
The prospect of The Last Five Years Broadway musical is exciting fans far and wide.
The Broadway staging will be produced by Seaview, ATG Productions and the Season, along with starring Tony winner, Adrienne Warren and Grammy Award nominee, Nick Jonas.
Adrienne Warren has been cast as Cathy and Broadway lovers could not be more excited. Warren won a Tony for her masterful performance in the role of Tina Turner in Tina: The Tina Turner Musical. She originated in this role in London’s West End, earning an Olivier Award nomination. She then continued on to the Broadway stage, earning a Tony award for Lead Actress in a Musical.
Her other Broadway credits include a Tony-nominated role as Florence Mills in Shuffle Along and a performance as Danielle in Bring It On. Needless to say, Adrienne Warren has found much Broadway success so far and fans are looking forward to what she brings to the role of Cathy.
Nick Jonas is most well known for his role in the band the Jonas Brothers, featuring himself and two of his other brothers, Joe and Kevin. The Jonas Brothers formed in 2005 and gained popularity from their appearances on the Disney Channel. On October 9th, 2013, the group canceled 23 tour dates between October and December due to creative differences between the brothers.
Fans were distraught by the end of their favorite band. After years of working on their own music, the brothers reunited in 2019 with their comeback single “Sucker” and an album called “Happiness Begins.”
However, Nick Jonas also has a past on the Broadway stage. His roles include Gavroche in Les Misérables, Little Jake in Annie Get Your Gun, and J. Pierrepont Finch in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.
So, the cast of The Last Five Years broadway musical is brimming with talent and experience. Along with this, the direction of the musical is in good hands as well. Whitney White is a 2024 Tony Award nominee for her direction of Jaja’s African Hair Braiding. Her other New York directing credits include an Obie Award win for Our Dear Dead Drug Lord and Lortel Award nominations for Soft and On Sugarland.
Read More: 20 Best Broadway Musicals of All Time
Final Words
The Last Five Years Broadway musical is set to open in April 2025 with previews beginning in March. The show is set to perform in the Hudson Theater in midtown Manhattan, where numerous other successful shows have performed, such as the current hit, Sonheim’s Merrily We Roll Along starring Daniel Radcliff, Jonathan Groff, and Lindsay Mendez.
Fans could not be more thrilled to see this beloved show come to the Broadway stage in the Spring of 2025, especially with the talents of Adrienne Warren and Nick Jonas forefronting the project. If you are interested in the production, presale tickets are out now.