Princeton Summer Theater's Season Hums Along With a Musical, The Last Five Years

Princeton, NJ – Some may already be familiar with The Last Five Years from the 2014 movie of that name starring Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan as the married – and soon to be unmarried – couple, Cathy Hiatt and Jamie Wellerstein.

As a critic for the British publication, the Observer, wrote of the film, it is "an enjoyable anomaly . . . not just a romcom for people who hate romcom,” . . . but also a musical with “literate wit and knowing, more-bitter-than-sweet poignancy." In the end, the Observer wrote, "It's a film to bring tears to the eyes of a cynic – in fact, a cynic might relish it more than anyone, since it's the counterpointing of exuberance with unashamed bleakness that makes The Last Five Years so rich. You may even, just possibly, come out humming the tunes."

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE FREE TAPINTO.NET NEWSLETTER

We shall see who is humming what tunes beginning Thursday, July 4, when Princeton Summer Theater opens its second show of the season, Jason Robert Brown’s iconic musical, The Last Five Years . The theater’s press release describes the stage production as “a captivating musical that tells the story of a five-year relationship between Jamie, a rising novelist, and Cathy, a struggling actress. With a unique storytelling twist — his tale moves forward, hers backward — this poignant, deeply personal show offers a heart-wrenching and innovative exploration of love and ambition.”

The Last Five Years continues through Sunday, July 21, at the Hamilton Murray Theater on the Princeton University campus. Performances are Thursday through Saturday at 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at princetonsummertheater.org/tickets.

The Princeton Summer Theater production showcases the acting and musical prowess of two actors who are both alumni of Princeton University from the Class of 2023.

Playing the role of Jamie Wellerstein is Julien Alam, a New York-based actor who has worked on both stage and screen, including everything from Shakespeare to sitcoms. He earned a B.A. at Princeton, where he studied English, Theater, Classics, and Humanistic Studies. He is currently pursuing an MFA at NYU. He recently appeared at the Brooklyn Comedy Collective, Under St. Marks, and will be performing at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival later this summer.

DOWNLOAD THE FREE TAPINTO APP FOR MORE LOCAL NEWS. AVAILABLE IN THE APPLE STORE AND THE GOOGLE PLAY STORE .

Opposite him, playing the role of Cathy Hyatt, is Kate Short, an actor-musician based in New York City. She has played her original music on tour across the UK and recently at Heaven Can Wait and Rockwood Music Hall in New York (you can find her indie music under her name on streaming platforms). Recent credits include the Soprano in Ghost Quartet, Jane in Pride and Prejudice, and Pat Nixon/Robin Bush in First Daughter Suite. She received her bachelors in Comparative Literature from Princeton.

The duo are led by fellow members of Princeton’s Class of 2023: Director Eliyana Abraham and Music Director Asher Muldoon.

Princeton Summer Theater’s first show of the season, Dracula, earned positive reviews in Town Topics and U.S 1 newspaper. Neal Zoren in U.S. 1 noted that “Princeton Summer Theater features some of the best and most assured acting I’ve seen there.” In Town Topics Don Sanborn wrote that “as an actor Kate Hamill knows how to offer fertile creative ground to theater makers, and Princeton Summer Theater makes the most of this, resulting in a strong start to its season.”

To receive once-a-day updates on stories of community interest, click here to subscribe to TAPinto Princeton’s free e-mail newsletter.

For more local news, visit TAPinto.net