Dramarama Presents

THE LAST FIVE YEARS
 a contemporary musical by Jason Robert Brown

After swooping the Qualicum Beach Echo Player’s One Act Festival, award winning Nanaimo theatre company, Dramarama, presents THE LAST FIVE YEARS in Nanaimo, Monday May 7 & Tuesday May 6 before competing in Theatre B.C.’s provincial Mainstage competition’s North Island Zone festival, in Courtney, Thursday May 17.

THE LAST FIVE YEARS is a contemporary musical by Jason Robert Brown that ingeniously chronicles the five year relationship of actress Cathy (Lauren Bush) & writer Jamie (Jesse Cooper), with Cathy’s perspective happening in reverse-chronological order (starting at the end of the marriage), while Jamie’s happens in traditional chronological order (starting just after they meet) with their stories intersecting in the middle, at their wedding.

Starring in the role of Cathy is Nanaimo local Lauren Bush. A graduate from Abilene Christian University with a B.Sci in Music and Design, Lauren has performed internationally in Memphis, Barcelona, Toronto, at the Victoria Jazz Fest, the Corpus Christi Jazz Festival, at the Lionel Hampton Festival in Idaho, where she sang a duet with the great Bobby McFerrin. Locally, she performs with her own group, the Lauren Bush Trio. She has been selected three times for the PNE Red Robinson Talent Showcase, the very same competition that launched the career of Michael Buble. She currently teaches music and band at Cilaire Elementary.

Directing & starring as Jamie is Vancouver Island based Jesse Cooper. Jesse since graduating from the University of Victoria, he has played Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar at Vancouver's Centennial Theatre, Cable in South Pacific with Bard to Broadway, and Lockstock in Urinetown at VIU. Most recently He played the role of Tom in the Western Edge’s production of Glass Menagerie & directed Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along-Blog as part of Fringetastic!’s Fundraiser, Geek Week at V.I.U. He is a prize winning playwright and poet and the brains behind Dramarama Theatre Company.

Jason Robert Brown won Drama Desk Awards for the music and the lyrics after the Off-Broadway premiere in 2002. Since then, this show has since been produced at almost every major regional theater in the US, and has been seen in Korea, Japan, the Philippines, Germany, Italy, Canada, and Spain.

Musical Direction by Patrick Courtin
Stage Management by Samantha Pawliuk
Lighting by Erik Tully
Set and Artistic Direction by Jesse Cooper

Performances of THE LAST FIVE YEARS will run: 

May 7/8 at Nanaimo's VIU Theatre (Malaspina), (by Donation, recommended $20)
co-presented by Pacific Coast Stage and the Performing Arts Club of VIU
May 17 in competition at Courtenay's Sid Williams theatre (North Island Zone Festival)

For more information, please contact Jeremy Banks @ 250 667 2933 or by email, jer.banks@gmail.com