Love, Timing and Choices (Redline Performing Arts)
The Last Five Years
Book, Music and Lyrics by Jason Robert Brown Directed by Alonzo Ramont
Review by Regina Harris
Entire contents are copyright@2026 by Regina Harris. All rights reserved.
Redline Performing Arts’ latest offering, The Last Five Years is a story about love, timing, choices, and the sometimes-painful consequences of those choices. It examines a relationship through two very different perspectives – Cathy’s, which begins at the end of the five-year relationship and moves backward, while Jamie's begins with their first meeting and moves forward, their timelines crossing only once, at their wedding. An unusual structure to be sure, but one that works remarkably well. We are given snapshots of their life together rather than a traditional beginning, middle and end, while we, as the audience, find ourselves watching and thinking, “Please make a good choice here.” It's in those small moments that a relationship can fly or fail.
The vocal performances by Charlie Raymer as Cathy and Andrew Newton Schaftlein as Jamie are extraordinary. Their voices fill the historic theater space without overwhelming the intimacy of the venue. Cathy and Jamie are double cast with Maegen Richardson and Landon Sholar on select nights. They are beautifully supported by an ensemble conducted by Dr. David Borman. Cello performances by Gabriela Batista and Laurel Hambrick are especially touching. In a musical that depends so heavily on emotional honesty and connection between two performers, that balance here is exact.
The set was streamlined, but just the right size for two performers. Neither cramped, nor cavernous, there's enough space for the characters to move through their lives but not so much to create inordinate distance between them and the audience. And much like the story itself, the set gives the actors no place to hide. There are no elaborate sets or distractions to take the focus away from Cathy and Jamie, allowing the audience to feel like they're part of their story. An especially innovative touch is the use of technology throughout the production. Via video screens on either side of the stage we see Cathy and Jamie's shared text messages and watch their FaceTime conversations, while a calendar helps orient us to exactly where we are in their timeline, giving us small windows into the relationship and helping us connect the moments we're seeing on stage with their lives.
Redline Performing Arts deserves a special shout out for its emphasis on “hospitality and overall audience experience.” Linda Founder, Director of Hospitality and Ciera Richmond, Director of Experience and their teams have created an environment that genuinely feels like a community. Everyone is welcomed, encouraged to be present, and given the freedom to express themselves in whatever way feels right to them (short of being a distraction to others). That sense of inclusion is an important part of what makes local theater special. RPA isn't simply putting on a show on a stage - it's creating place where people come together, experience a story, and feel like they belong, which is what community theater is all about.
Overall, RPA’s The Last Five years only feels like 5 minutes - and you only have five more opportunities experience it, so there’s no time to waste. Snap up the tickets and bring the tissues. Step into love story that is a beautiful as it is heartbreaking.
The Last Five Years
September 24, 25, 28 @ 7:30 PM
September 26, 27 @ 2:00 PM
September 26 @ 6:00 PM
The Historic Broadway Theater and Event Venue
816 E. Broadway
Louisville, KY. 40204
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