Tony Award-winning composer and lyricist Jason Robert Brown often finds himself with little time to write. With multiple projects in the air, his impressive body of work ensures endless revivals and adaptations, though he eagerly awaits downtime to pen something new. Leaping from stage to screen, “The Last Five Years,” starring Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan, marks a career milestone.
Conceived as a two-person musical with minimal set design, “The Last Five Years” examines an unraveling relationship between Cathy (Kendrick) and Jamie (Jordan). Shot on location throughout New York City, the film explores the couple’s tender moments and unnerving heartbreak with a series of breathtaking solos — hers tracing the romance in reverse chronology; his rocketing forward from the onset of the relationship. Unlikely to be a box-office smash, “The Last Five Years” will nonetheless resonate with fans of the short-lived though critically-acclaimed Off-Broadway musical.
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Anything running now in New York or Los Angeles that you’ve been recommending to friends?
See “Honeymoon in Vegas” as soon as possible, and bring your 40 closest friends.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
