Nick Jonas and Adrienne Warren Celebrate the Long-Awaited Broadway Opening of The Last Five Years
The Last Five Years has been performed countless times across stage and screen, but this Sunday at the Hudson Theatre, Nick Jonas and Adrienne Warren opened the show on Broadway for the first time. 44th Street was abuzz with theatergoers craning their necks to catch a glimpse of the two-person cast—who, between them, wield more than enough star power to carry an 85-minute show sans intermission for a crowd of 970.
The musical, written by Jason Robert Brown, debuted in Skokie, Illinois, in 2001. Since then, the story has been retold numerous times worldwide, including in a movie adaptation starring Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan. It unfolds through the dueling perspectives of Jamie Wellerstein (Jonas), an author, and Cathy Hiatt (Warren), a struggling actress. But here’s the hitch: While Jamie’s story is told in chronological order, from the couple’s first meeting to their split, Cathy’s moves backward. Happily, the strength and clarity of Warren and Jonas’s ambitious performances cut right through the chrono-chaotic storytelling. Backed by a minimal set and an elevated live orchestra, the pair commands the stage with energy while maintaining a divine intimacy with the audience.
A few years after bringing audiences to their feet in Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, Warren, a Tony winner, makes her highly anticipated return to Broadway with The Last Five Years, and her performance drew laughter and sighs on Sunday night. Her co-star Jonas is no stranger to the Broadway stage either, having performed in musicals from a young age. (Most recently, he gave his regards to Broadway alongside brothers Kevin and Joe for a Jonas Brothers residency at the Marquis Theatre.) He brought to the show the compelling combination of a concert-like stage presence, a tender falsetto, and no shortage of boyish charm.
As the curtain closed, Nick’s brothers Joe, Kevin, and Frankie were the first to their feet. Nick’s wife, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, was also in attendance, beaming with pride at her leading man.
The next stop was the Edison Ballroom, where guests were welcomed with a branded flower cart reminiscent of the bouquet Jamie gives to Cathy on their first date. On the rooftop level, guests enjoyed the signature drink, an Aperol spritz called “Summer in Ohio” (IYKYK). When Warren, arrived draped in a sumptuous orange Loewe gown and donning her megawatt smile, the party had officially begun. She basked in a full-circle moment, accepting congratulatory hugs from Lauren Kennedy, who originated the role of Cathy during The Last Five Years s Chicago premiere. “I knew it would feel like love, but I guess I’m surprised at how much fun I had up there with Nick tonight,” Warren reflected. Later, Jonas arrived, working the room hand-in-hand with his wife and snapping some pictures with Brown. Playbills in one hand and bouquets in the other, guests ended the night bidding each other goodbye…until tomorrow.
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Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Nick Jonas
- Photo: Getty Images2/12
Adrienne Warren
