THE LAST FIVE YEARS

NEW MADLENIANUM HIT MUSICAL

Written and Composed by JASON ROBERT BROWN

Originally produced for the New York stage by Arielle Tepper and Marty Bell
Originally Produced by Northlight Theatre Chicago, IL

As soon as the epidemiological measures allowed it, the Opera & Theatre Madlenianum started working on a new musical, the contemporary love story The Last Five Years by the New York writer and composer Jason Robert Brown. The musical about a love affair and marriage that lasted for five years, directed by Robert Boskovic, under the conducting baton of Vesna Souc and choreographed by Milica Cerovic, is being daily diligently prepared by Branislava Podrumac, Zarko Stepanov, Mina Gligoric and Dimitrije Cincar Kostic. The part of the Team of Authors are also Vesna Rezic, a set designer, Snezana Pesic, a costume designer, Srdjan Jovanovic, a lighting designer and Dusan Arsikin, a sound designer, while 3D mapping, holograms and projections are done by Matej Bodrusic and Aleksandar Rapajic. The story follows Jamie, a young, talented, Jewish writer who falls in love with Cathy, an actress, struggling to build her career. Their love story, from dating, marriage, rows and splitting up, over a five-year period, is made as music "deconstruction" of a love relationship. All Cathy’s songs begin with the end of their marriage and go back to the period of love, while Jamie's songs begin when they start a relationship and go towards the end of the marriage, and they "meet" at the moment of the proposal. The musical is presented in arrangement with the Music Theatre International (Europe) Limited: www.mtishows.eu. It will be premiered on the Large Stage of Madlenianum on May 15, with the first revival on May 16.

The composer Jason Robert Brown had been working as a pianist in nightclubs and cabarets for years until he met Daisy Prince, the daughter of the famous Broadway producer and director, Harold Prince. They have created numerous musicals together, and their third musical, The Last Five Years, premiered in Chicago in 2001, moves to Off Broadway. Brown's musical Parade has achieved the greatest success, winning Tony Award for the best score.

Working simultaneously on musical, directing and choreographic rehearsals, our talented artists are completely dedicated to preparation of this piece. Branislava Podrumac, the soprano of magical voice with great transforming power, who has been equally easy reigning the stage in the operas The Magic Flute, The Dusk and Pagliacci, operettas The Merry Widow and Vienna Blood, and above all the musicals Rebecca, Les Miserables, but also in dramatic roles (Little Secrets), singing leading and notable roles for many years on the stage of Madlenianum. An excellent concert performer in various genres showed her superiority in our latest production, The Lights of the Stage, premiered on January 30, 2021.

Zarko Stepanov, an actor and a double bassist as well, was born in Novi Sad. Therefrom might come his calmness and refrain in working with colleagues. He is a permanent member of the Terazije Theatre, where he has played the main roles in leading musicals, and he has been at the Opera & Theatre Madlenianum since 2007 with the role in the musical Les Miserables, and afterwards the very impressive role of Ben in the musical Rebecca, to the latest operetta premiere of The Merry Widow, magnificently playing the role of Baron Zeta, the main events initiator. The role of Jamie is his first leading role at the Madlenianum.

Mina Gligoric, a soprano, is a new hope of our stage, having made her way swiftly as a soloist that we can absolutely count on. With her recognizable voice, Mina has debuted as Pamina in the opera The Magic Flute, she is splendid as Valencienne in The Merry Widow, Cosette and Fantina in Les Miserables, but also as Hanna Glawari in The Merry Widow, which she sang at the beginning of this season, rescuing thus already sold-out play. Our audience can see her in the musical performance The Lights of the Stage.

The young tenor Dimitrije Cincar Kostic is yet to be heard of. After finishing solo singing in the class of Professor Nenad Nenic at the Music School "Kosta Manojlovic", this well-mannered and multi-talented fellow (plays the violin, holder of black belt in karate, a lawyer by profession) has been improving his skills with Katarina Jovanovic at the Faculty of Music and hopefully he will continue schooling at this faculty this year, as an extraordinary talent. During his singing schooling, he competed and won numerous awards, of which the most important are the first prize and the title of laureate at the Republic competition in 2017 and the first prize at the Republic competition in 2019. Since 2017, he has been a member of the musical Les Miserables ensemble at the Opera & Theatre Madlenianum and since 2018 he has been a member of the choir ensemble of the Terazije Theatre. He is still remembered for his debut as Count Danilo in The Merry Widow operetta. is still remembered today. The Opera & Theatre Madlenianum is proud of this young, talented man to be a part of the ensemble of The Lights of the Stage performance.