“The Last Five Years,” a musical initiated, directed and acted by two Northwestern students, will be the next production to hit the England Theatre stage. Written by Jason Robert Brown, the show will run at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 22 and 23.
The musical follows the five-year relationship of Jamie Wellerstein, an up-and-coming novelist, and Catherine Hiatt, a struggling actress. Their artistic temperaments both connect and separate them as the relationship progresses.
Each character sings throughout nearly the entire production. Among Jamie’s songs are “Shiksa Goddess,” about breaking his Jewish mother’s heart by falling in love with a Protestant girl, and “Moving Too Fast,” about the impressive success of his first novel.
Cathy sings “A Summer in Ohio,” a sarcastic ditty about her summer away from Jamie, and “Climbing Uphill,” about trudging from one unsuccessful audition to another.
Sarah Fisher, a senior music major, has the role of Cathy. Jamie is played by junior theatre major Andrew Stam. The duo proposed the production as a student-initiated project and are directing themselves; they are accompanied by junior Erica Graber on piano.
Tickets for “The Last Five Years” are free; reservations are not required. Doors open 30 minutes before show time, and seating is first-come, first-served.
Illustrator comes to campus:
From maps to caricatures of Sarah Jessica Parker, illustrator Barry Nichols knows how to use his artistic talent. Students will be able to view some of this talented work at Nichol’s art exhibit on display in the Te Paske Gallery Oct. 22 through Nov. 19. A public reception with the artist is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 22, at 7 p.m.
Now retired and living in Orange City, Nichols, a California State University alumnus, spent his career as a news artist for papers in Oregon, North Carolina, Kansas, Arizona and Washington.
Nichols’s work won several first-place awards for newspaper illustration in the Pacific Northwest Excellence in Journalism Competition of the Society of Professional Journalists.
