Brittany Darst and Edward Charles Kluttz III star in “The Last Five Years.” (Submitted photo)
YADKINVILLE — The Willingham Theater and Yadkin Arts Council will present the Drama Desk Award-Winning Musical, “The Last Five Years,” with three performances slated for Sept. 9-11.
Starring Edward Charles Kluttz III and Brittany Darst, this emotionally powerful and intimate musical deconstruction of a love affair and marriage involving two New Yorkers in their twenties takes place over a five-year period while they fall in and out of love.
Jamie, an up-and-coming Jewish novelist, falls in love with Cathy, a Shiksa Goddess and struggling actress. Jamie struggles to balance his sudden success with his increasingly tumultuous love life, while Cathy deals with the frustrations of her own stalled career while watching her husband from the sidelines. The show’s unconventional structure consists of Cathy telling her story backwards while Jamie tells his story chronologically; the two characters only meet once, at their wedding in the middle of the show.
The “Last Five Years” speaks to audiences about relationships, with a brutally honest depiction of career, self-image, and identity; and the challenges those can have on a relationship. It is funny, moving, heartfelt, honest, and thought-provoking. At the helm for this production is Artistic Director Jessie Grant and Music Director Charlie Kluttz.
The “Last Five Years” is written and composed by Tony Award-winner Jason Robert Brown. His scores include “The Bridges of Madison County” (Tony and Drama Desk Awards for Best Original Score and Best Orchestrations), “Parade” (Tony and Drama Desk Awards), “13” and “Songs for a New World.”
The production will be on stage Sept. 9 and Sept. 10 at 7:30 p.m. each day, and on Sept. 11 at 3 p.m. in the Willingham Theater at the Yadkin Cultural Arts Center, 226 E. Main St., in Yadkinville. Tickets are $22 and can be purchased at www.yadkinarts.org or at the Box Office from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Monday-Friday.