9 Works Theatrical's "The Last 5 Years" at RCBC Theater | August 9-31, 2014

9 Works Theatrical invites you to look back, and move forward, with one of the greatest and most poignant musicals of all time, Jason Robert Brown’s The Last Five Years happening on August 9-31, 2014 at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium (RCBC Theater) at RCBC Building in Makati City.

For the much-awaited return to the Philippine stage after more than a decade since it was last performed at the RCBC Theater, 9 Works Theatrical welcomes a new Jamie and Cathy in two of Philippine theater’s brightest young stars – Nikki Gil and Joaquin Valdes.

 BACKGROUND 

An intimate two-actor musical which won Jason Robert Brown Drama Desk awards and nominations for the show’s Off-Broadway premiere in 2002, The Last Five Years has been dubbed as one of the best shows of 2001 by Time Magazine, contrasting grim endings with promising new beginnings. 

Ben Brantley of The New York Times wrote, “Brown captures the delicious, embarrassing energy of being young, gifted and meteoric in New York City” – infusing musical styles that exact from a number of musical genres: pop, jazz, classical, folk, rock, Latin, and even klezmer. 

The show celebrates 9 Works Theatrical’s fifth year. The company that brought you RENT, Wedding Singer, Sweet Charity, You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, They’re Playing Our Song, and most recently, Grease (which bagged the 2013 Philstage Gawad Buhay award for Best Musicale of an Existing Material), returns to its theatrical roots. It launched in 2009 with the musical Songs For a New World, also by Jason Robert Brown.

“9 Works Theatrical began by showcasing the brilliance of Jason Robert Brown’s music in Songs For A New World. Our last 5 years have been remarkable and as we celebrate our anniversary, it’s but fitting to mark this milestone with the staging of arguably Jason Robert Brown’s most popular musical, The Last Five Years, an apt title to match our special occasion,” says executive producer Santi Santamaria.

"I Can Do Better Than That" by Nikki Gil (The Last Five Years) 

 SYNOPSIS 

In a heartbreaking and moving tale of “he says, she says” told forward and backward, we meet rising young, novelist Jamie Wellerstein and struggling young actress Cathy Hyatt. She begins at the rueful end of their marriage and moves towards a hopeful beginning. He begins as a giddy, young 20-something who has just met the girl of his dreams but winds up making unfavorable choices – a story all too familiar but structured in a way that is unique whilst set to Brown’s emotionally raw and honest music.

 THE CAST 

Returning to the stage after her PMPC Star Awards for TV win for Best Single Performance by an Actress and 2013 Philstage Gawad Buhay nomination for They’re Playing Our Song, singer-actress Nikki Gil will be playing the role of Cathy Hyatt, an ambitious, fresh-faced girl in a new relationship who is stunned by a betrayal that she is only beginning to understand. As with the deterioration of most relationships, there are two sides to every story.

Bagging the 2013 Philstage Gawad Buhay award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his work in Red, actor and commercial director Joaquin Valdes returns to his musical roots to play the role of novelist Jamie Wellerstein, an ambitious lad who is lovable yet makes unintentional choices that sabotage his own happiness.

"The Next 10 Minutes" by Joaquin Valdes & Nikki Gil (The Last Five Years) 

 ARTISTIC TEAM 

For the artistic team, director Robbie Guevara is joined by Joseph Tolentino as musical director for instrumentation, Lionel Guico as musical director for vocals, Mio Infante as scenographer, GA Fallarme as video & projection designer, Martin Esteva as lighting designer, Chuck Ledesma as sound designer, Gerhard Daco as technical director, Leo Castillo as photographer, Wobbletop Productions as video producer for marketing, Tin Samson as programme editor, and Larry Palma as graphic artist. 

 PRODUCTION TEAM 

Heading the production team is executive producer Santi Santamaria, with Anna Santamaria as company manager, Toff de Venecia as PR director, GM Hernandez as marketing manager, Jonjon Martin and Issa Tuason as PR manager, Sunshine Domine as production manager, and Aries Alcayaga as production stage manager.

 SHOW DATES 

The Last Five Years will melt your hearts at the CPR Auditorium, RCBC Plaza in Makati, all weekends from August 9 to 31, 2014, Friday and Saturday galas at 8pm, Saturday matinees at 3:30pm and Sunday matinees at 4pm.

A limited number of performances are available for fundraising and block-buying. For tickets and other inquiries, please call 586.7105 or 0917.554.5560 or email info@9workstheatrical.com. Hashtag: ‪#L5YManila‬‬

"Shiksa Goddess" by Joaquin Valdes (The Last Five Years) 

The Last Five Years is presented by 9 Works Theatrical in partnership with The Rockwell Club. Official photos by Photoworks Academy. It is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI, 421 West 54th Street, New York, New York 10019 USA.

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