[NEohioPAL]Dobama's THE LAST FIVE YEARS - an alternate review

Mon Apr 26 14:22:00 PDT 2004

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Like Tony Brown, I was in the Dobama audience on April 23 for the opening 
night of THE LAST FIVE YEARS. But I don't think we saw the same show. 

First off, Mr. Brown's appraisal of Sandy Simon's talent is stunningly 
misrepresentative, in my opinion. Out of her range? Vocal shortcomings?  Come on! 
This is a lady who can go from Baroque to Broadway in 60 seconds, and anyone who 
has heard her fortunately knows it! She sang this amazingly difficult score 
with style, wit, and amazing effortlessness--even the   hilarious mile-a-minute 
audition number so painfully familiar to anyone who has ever been a young and 
insecure acting hopeful.

While I concur with Tony Brown's evaluation of Jason Robert Brown's brilliant 
talent, I do not agree that the piece was "cold." Or that that we cared 
little about the two characters because they were onstage so little together. That 
the two characters mainly appeared solo, as they reviewed their five years, 
worked great, for me: much constructive soul-searching in a relationship is done 
solo. And each character's impassioned monologues to an absent other 
underscore not only that this is his or her version of their shared history, but that 
they care enough about their relationship to to agonize over it.   And, 
poignantly, the one intersection--their rapturous marriage--was remembered by both, 
even though coming from different places, with identical euphoria.

Equally poignant to me, as a woman whose marriage is almost 27 years old, was 
seeing so many mirrors of my own experience -- earlier times when I believed 
in myself and my talents far less than did my husband, like Jamie   (luckily, 
he hung in there, and I ended up espousing his version :).   I cared 
passionately about what happened to Cathy and Jamie, precisely because each cared 
enough about the other to take on the challenge of eachother-- and to feel it 
keenly when the challenge became too great. 

Mine were two of the many "wet eyes in the house" which Mr. Brown claimed did 
not exist, crying tears of recognition, remembered pain-- and present, 
fortunate joy. I urge every NEOHIOPAL -ite to beat a path to Dobama and see this 
show. My husband and I are going to see it again!

Sincerely, Lissy
http://www.geocities.com/lissygulick/index.html

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<HTML><FONT FACE=3Darial,helvetica><HTML><FONT COLOR=3D"#000000" FACE=3D"Gen=
eva" FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" SIZE=3D"2">Like Tony Brown, I was in the Dobama au=
dience on April 23 for the opening night of THE LAST FIVE YEARS. But I don't=
 think we saw the same show. <BR>
<BR>
First off, Mr. Brown's appraisal of Sandy Simon's talent is stunningly misre=
presentative, in my opinion. </FONT><FONT COLOR=3D"#000000" FACE=3D"Geneva"=20=
FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" SIZE=3D"2"><I>Out of her range? Vocal shortcomings?&nbs=
p; </I></FONT><FONT COLOR=3D"#000000" FACE=3D"Geneva" FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" S=
IZE=3D"2">Come on!</FONT><FONT COLOR=3D"#000000" FACE=3D"Geneva" FAMILY=3D"S=
ANSSERIF" SIZE=3D"2"><I> </I></FONT><FONT COLOR=3D"#000000" FACE=3D"Geneva"=20=
FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" SIZE=3D"2">This is a lady who can go from Baroque to Br=
oadway in 60 seconds, and anyone who has heard her fortunately knows it! She=
 sang this amazingly difficult score with style, wit, and amazing effortless=
ness--even the   hilarious mile-a-minute audition number so painfully f=
amiliar to anyone who has ever been a young and insecure acting hopeful.<BR>
<BR>
While I concur with Tony Brown's evaluation of Jason Robert Brown's brillian=
t talent, I do not agree that the piece was "cold." Or that that we cared li=
ttle about the two characters because they were onstage so little together.=20=
That the two characters mainly appeared solo, as they reviewed their five ye=
ars, worked great, for me: much constructive soul-searching in a relationshi=
p is done solo. And each character's impassioned monologues to an absent oth=
er underscore not only that this is </FONT><FONT COLOR=3D"#000000" FACE=3D"G=
eneva" FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" SIZE=3D"2"><I>his or her </I></FONT><FONT COLOR=
=3D"#000000" FACE=3D"Geneva" FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" SIZE=3D"2">version of thei=
r shared history, but that they care enough about their relationship to to a=
gonize over it.   And, poignantly, the one intersection--their rapturou=
s marriage--was remembered by both, even though coming from different places=
, with identical euphoria.<BR>
<BR>
Equally poignant to me, as a woman whose marriage is almost 27 years old, wa=
s seeing so many mirrors of my own experience -- earlier times when I believ=
ed in myself and my talents far less than did my husband, like Jamie  =20=
(luckily, he hung in there, and I ended up espousing his version :).  =20=
I cared passionately about what happened to Cathy and Jamie, precisely becau=
se each cared enough about the other to take on the challenge of eachother--=
 and to feel it keenly when the challenge became too great. <BR>
 <BR>
Mine were two of the </FONT><FONT COLOR=3D"#000000" FACE=3D"Geneva" FAMILY=
=3D"SANSSERIF" SIZE=3D"2"><I>many</I></FONT><FONT COLOR=3D"#000000" FACE=3D"=
Geneva" FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" SIZE=3D"2"> "wet eyes in the house" which Mr. B=
rown claimed did not exist, crying tears of recognition, remembered pain-- a=
nd present, fortunate joy. I urge every NEOHIOPAL -ite to beat a path to Dob=
ama and see this show. My husband and I are going to see it again!<BR>
<BR>
Sincerely</FONT><FONT COLOR=3D"#000000" FACE=3D"Zapfino" LANG=3D"0" SIZE=3D"=
2">,</FONT><FONT COLOR=3D"#0000FF" FACE=3D"Zapfino" LANG=3D"0" SIZE=3D"2"><A=
 HREF=3D"http://www.geocities.com/lissygulick/index.html"> Lissy</A></FONT><=
FONT COLOR=3D"#000000" FACE=3D"Zapfino" LANG=3D"0" SIZE=3D"2"><BR>
</FONT><FONT COLOR=3D"#0000FF" FACE=3D"Verdana" LANG=3D"0" SIZE=3D"2">http:/=
/www.geocities.com/lissygulick/index.html</FONT><FONT COLOR=3D"#000000" FACE=
=3D"Geneva" FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" SIZE=3D"2"><BR>
</FONT><FONT COLOR=3D"#000000" FACE=3D"Geneva" FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" SIZE=3D"=
2"></FONT></HTML>
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