(A movie adaptation with Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan would expand the fan base in 2014.)
Never mind that critics had never gone mad for the show.
They just cannot connect.)
HIS AND HER STORYAdrienne Warren (in a Polo Ralph Lauren dress) and Nick Jonas (in an Hermès polo) are the stars ofThe Last Five Years,which opens on Broadway in April. (Previews start March 18.)Sittings Editor: Edward Bowleg III.
Whitney White (Jajas African Hair Braiding) directs.
I deliberately wrote a piece that was going to be very small and very intimate, he says.
IVE GOT YOU, BABEWarren wears a Diotima dress.
I’VE GOT YOU, BABEWarren wears a Diotima dress. Jonas in a Brioni suit.
Jonas in a Brioni suit.
Whitney was prepared to just bring herself to the work and bring her particular perspective, he says.
After 24 years worth of productions, he thought, the show needs some challenging.
LOVE AND RISK“I always want to put myself in the deep water,” says Jonas. Officine Générale sweater.
A Chicago native, White was there whenThe Last Five Yearsfirst ran in Skokie.
These characters are embarking on an unforgettable part of their lives in New York, White says.
It felt important to her to draw the shows churning backdrop forward.
RANGE LIFEWarren was last seen on Broadway as Tina Turner. Proenza Schouler dress
New York is the third character in this story, she goes on.
Not all past productions have truly, fully embraced that.
And I wanted to cast actors who could bring power to the music.
Like, I am exhausted, she says.
It took me a while to figure out what would be the thing that would bring me back.
But Cathy was never given to me to sing, Warren says.
I just dont think that that made sense to a lot of my teachers.
(Though Cathys race is not explicitly identified, Jamies opening numberdoesrefer to her as a shiksa goddess.)
LOVE AND RISKI always want to put myself in the deep water, says Jonas.
As big a star as she was, Warrenwhose girlish mien conceals a strikingly versatile voicestill had that quality.
For her part, White had wanted Warren from the start.
His voice makes you feelso muchin this material, she says.
What hehasntdone until now, however, is originate a Broadway role.
How is that feeling to him, in the weeks before rehearsals begin?
So Im trying to be balanced and enjoy the ride as much as possible without stressing.
RANGE LIFEWarren was last seen on Broadway as Tina Turner.
I feel like Im at the right place to be able to really tap into that.
Is he also mildly terrified?
Ive felt waves of anxiety throughout this whole process, Jonas readily admits.
But he knows better than to be cowed by self-doubt.
I have to keep reminding myself that I always want to put myself in the deep water.
I dont want to be complacent.
Its a help that he has, in Warren, such an eminently capable partner.
Im very blessednot just because I get to do a show withNick Jonas, Warren says.
But Brown is champing at the bit for whats to come.
Those people are both strong enough to be combustible together, he says.
Thats when things get really exciting.
Produced by Kitten Production.
