MAG crew shows emotional range in “The Last Five Years”
Last Friday, February 3rd, the Marymount Actors Guild premiered their production of off-Broadway musical hit, “The Last Five Years.”
By: Nick Cabrejos
Last Friday, February 3rd, the Marymount Actors Guild premiered their production of off-Broadway musical hit, “The Last Five Years.” The play explores the relationship between a couple over the course of, you guessed it, five years.
Micaela Healy played lead female role as Cathy, a struggling actress and and Matthew Belmonte in the lead male role as Jamie, a novelist.
Healy showed an amazing range to her acting as well as singing. The scenes required her to transition from filling the room with the loving energy of the moment, to allowing the audience to see the wrath of an angry wife. I was shocked by how well she owned the stage and transmitted the words of Cathy with such lovely melodies.
Healy said her trick to a successful vocal performance is based in her pre-show diet.
“No consumption of dairy products,” she said. By breaking this rule, a performer will risk poor vocal quality during the acts.
Belmonte showed a strong presence on the stage and a perfect projection of the voice so as to leave no word unheard. His role as Jaime allowed him to show us the stages of a relationship, the good times and the bad. His character touched on mistakes made in relationships. For example, canceling plans with your girlfriend at the last minute. Jaime breaks the news and Cathy gets understandably upset, a scene vibrant with emotion.
From our seats we could see that the music was being played by a live band, and they added the perfect tunes playing melodies of uncertainty when Jaime and Cathy had their fights. The soothing sounds of the piano, the bass holding the music together, and the interesting violin harmonies with the plucking of strings made our experience all the more enjoyable.
During our interview, it was apparent that director Kolyo Kolev is passionate about his art, and the quality of “The Last Five Years” is proof of that. The crew had to improvise solutions to some technical difficulties the day of the show as some sound equipment had malfunctioned. Fortunately, the crew was able to find alternate equipment and have it all hooked up in time for the show.
The finale was met with an enthusiastic applause from show-goers. Student Mac Callahan commented that Micaela’s singing had been his favorite part of the show, and student Matt Mitchell enjoyed the scenes of a loving couple making up.
“I felt blessed that all of the struggles paid off,” said Belmonte. “The Last Five Years,” as far as this reviewer is concerned, was a success!
Photos by Nick Cabrejos