“The Last Five Years” at Center Stage Theatre Offers an Intimate, Honest Take

The latest production of The Last Five Years from Center Stage Theatre is a intimate, bittersweet watch. In the lead roles are Alyx Levesque as Cathy and Dale Melancon as Jamie—interestingly, the two are married in real life, which undoubtedly makes parts of this show incredibly beautiful to play and others emotionally challenging.

The show runs about 90 minutes and walks the audience through the couple’s tumultuous relationship. Each character moves in opposite directions—Cathy begins at the marriage’s end, mourning the loss of love, while Jamie starts at the beginning, full of charisma and excitement. They only meet once in the middle with “The Next Ten Minutes” during which the screens seemingly display footage from the couples own wedding, showing their sweet chemistry.

Once again, The Last Five Years is guided by the talented Liz Muller. The minimal set is brought to life thanks to moving the musicians up on stage, giving the actors someone to interact with since their stories rarely intersect. The use of screens helps track the emotional heartbeat of the relationship—from joy and hope, and eventually, the flatline.

Alyx starts off quietly as Cathy, with an introspective “Still Hurting.” Meanwhile, Dale bounds on as Jamie with a charisma that calls to mind a mix of Derek Klena or Jonathan Groff. He does a great job capturing Jamie’s blind confidence. As the show goes on, Alyx keeps adding new layers to Cathy. Her lovely voice has stamina and can both float prettily or bring some grit, it remains clear and true throughout and the audience responded well to her comedic timing, in “A Summer in Ohio” and “When You Come Home to Me.”

 

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Alyx’s Cathy is easy to connect with—she’s the one fighting for the relationship, the one that has to fight for success and pay her dues. She’s the “everyman.” And while Jamie’s eventual infidelity is hard to excuse, Dale’s portrayal of Jamie slowly shutting down emotionally through the fighting, and Cathy’s insecurities, helps the audience find sympathy for him.

Dale Melancon captures Jamie’s charm and slow unravelingInterestingly, The Last Five Years is also running on Broadway right now starring Nick Jonas (a fact that’s even referenced in this production) and Adrienne Warren. To have a quality local version like this is a treat, and both Alyx and Dale make it well worth seeing. Just be sure to bring some tissues.

Final shows are this weekend. Get your tickets at centerstageshelton.org.

Natasha Barbieri, Editor

Editor

Creator of Classical Crossover Magazine. For Natasha music has always been closely tied to her faith. At age 18, Natasha made her opera debut playing the part of the mother in Menotti’s ‘Amahl and the Night Visitors’ with the Eastern Festival Opera. At 20, she was a winner of the 2011 Young Artist Competition at Andrews University. Natasha graduated in 2012 with a Bachelor’s of Music. Natasha has released a series of Holiday singles “A Place Called Home” (2020), “One Little Boy,” and “The Perfect Year” (2021). In 2021, she was nominated for the ‘Future Classic Women Awards’ show on Men’s & Women’s Radio Station. Natasha is the creator and editor of ‘Classical Crossover Magazine’ a venture that has allowed her to interview many of the top stars in the genre including Sarah Brightman, Celtic Woman, Mirusia, Paul Potts, and more. During the covid-19 pandemic, she created an online concert series for the magazine that has seen her perform in the same line-up as Alex Sharpe, Lucy Kay, Barbara Padilla, Classical Reflection, and more on the virtual stage. In 2022, Natasha was included on the charity album “Stars of Classical Crossover: Christmas” in benefit of the Wallace & Gromit Children’s Charity.