New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/06/29/arts/29BROA.html
Twice-Told Tale
Jason Robert Brown, the young composer whose "Parade" won him a Tony
but
which struggled with the critics, has been causing a stir in Chicago
with
his newest piece, "The Last Five Years." The two-person musical opened
on
May 23 at the Northlight Theater and closes there on Sunday.
The story of a failed relationship, told from both sides and partly
in
reverse, has earned glowing reviews from both of Chicago's major papers,
with The Chicago Tribune calling it "a triumph," while The Chicago
Sun Times
said it was "a very special piece of work."
Those reviews have not escaped the attention of the leadership of Lincoln
Center Theater, which commissioned the piece. Yesterday, Bernard Gersten,
the executive producer of Lincoln Center Theater, said that the musical
would come to New York this winter for a run at the Mitzi E. Newhouse.
"We're doing that show," he said. André Bishop, artistic director
of Lincoln
Center Theater, was traveling to Chicago yesterday to finalize details.
While he's there, he might consider seeing the latest by one of Mr.
Brown's
peers, Michael John LaChiusa, whose new piece, "Lovers and Friends
(Chautauqua Variations)," will receive its world premiere tonight at
the
Lyric Opera.