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The Last Five Years Opens with Modern Updates on Broadway

The Last Five Years made its highly anticipated Broadway debut earlier this week, marking a significant milestone 24 years after its initial premiere. The musical, created by composer and lyricist Jason Robert Brown, has seen a few notable adjustments to both its orchestrations and lyrics for this latest production. In a recent blog post, Brown shared insights into these changes and their relevance to contemporary audiences.

Brown explained that one of the primary modifications he made involved updating certain lyrics to align with a modern setting, specifically moving the narrative to 2025 rather than keeping it in the late 1990s, as it was originally written. He noted, “Many fans have suggested this over the years, and while I initially hesitated, I wanted to explore how Whitney’s vision for the show could adapt.” Brown emphasized the importance of context within Jamie and Cathy’s relationship, suggesting that their choices would indeed differ in the present-day landscape filled with technology and social media.

Among the significant updates is a lyric alteration in “Moving to Fast.” The phrase “The Atlantic Monthly’s printing my first chapter” was changed to “The New Yorker’s printing my first chapter,” providing a more current cultural reference. Similarly, another lyric transformation saw “I wrote a book and Sonny Mehta read it!” switch to “I wrote a book and Salman Rushdie read it!” highlighting shifts not only in names but also in the publishing landscape.

Another prominent change that fans will recognize is the modification of a character reference in “A Summer in Ohio.” The line originally featuring a “gay midget named Karl” has been revised to “A gay dentist named Karl.” Brown noted that while the initial intention was not to use the term “midget” literally, it was an outdated and insensitive word, warranting its replacement. This adjustment was inspired during the film adaptation in 2013, though the original lyric was ultimately retained in that version.

In “Climbing Uphill,” another lyric alteration occurs where the original mention of “the people who cast Linda Blair in a musical” has been updated to “the people who cast NeNe Leakes in a musical,” showcasing the evolution in pop culture references over the years.

Fans eager for a complete breakdown of all the lyrical updates can check out Brown’s detailed analysis on his blog.

The reimagined The Last Five Years, featuring Grammy and Golden Globe nominee Nick Jonas alongside Tony Award winner Adrienne Warren, is directed by Tony Award nominee Whitney White. The production officially opened on April 6, 2025, at Broadway’s Hudson Theatre for a limited engagement.

Source
www.broadwayworld.com