Award-winning composer Jason Robert Brown speaks exclusively to Jo Caruana ahead of the local premiere of his musical, The Last Five Years, on Friday.

Jason Robert Brown. Photo: Maia Rosenfeld

Musicals have become increasingly popular in recent years. Whether thanks to big-budget movie musicals, Glee-like TV shows, or simply the fact that the West End and Broadway feel more accessible than ever, sung storytelling is, once again, having its day.

This fact has given rise to a number of newer composers and, among them, is New Yorker James Robert Brown.

Brown has been hailed as one of Broadway’s smartest and most sophisticated songwriters since Stephen Sondheim – a true accolade if ever there was one. But it is extremely well deserved. He is, after all, an equally skilled composer, lyricist, conductor, arranger, orchestrator, director and performer.

Brown is best known for his dazzling scores to several of the most renowned musicals of his generation, including his debut song cycle Songs for a New World, and the seminal Parade, for which he won the 1999 Tony Award for Best Score.

Other highlights include his tween-oriented musical 13, which was produced locally by Masquerade Theatre Group several years ago, and the Bridges of Madison County, which won him two more Tony Awards, this time for Best Original Score and Best Orchestrations.

And then, of course, there was The Last Five Years – which was cited as one of Time Magazine’s 10 Best of 2001 and won Drama Desk Awards for Best Music and Best Lyrics. Brown actually went on to direct the show himself in its record-breaking Off-Broadway run at Second Stage Theatre in 2013.

It has since been revived all over the world. Beyond that, it has even been made into a film, starring Anna Kendrick (of Pitch Perfect fame) and Jeremy Jordan. It was released in 2015 to rave reviews.

Asked about how it feels for his show to have achieved all of this, Brown simply smiles and says “fantastic”.

The Last Five Years is considered to be one of the most heart-breaking and beautiful musicals of its era and it is now finally getting a local viewing thanks to Masquerade Theatre Company. It stars Rachel Fabri and Joseph Zammit. It will be staged at the Blue Box Theatre, Msida, opening on Friday.

I’ve always said that there is no villain in the piece; these are two people who love each other desperately but simply don’t belong together

Brown describes the play as a document of a certain time in young artists’ lives. “It’s that period in their 20s when they think they know what they want but have very little certainty about how they’re going to get it,” he says, talking through the story.

“It showcases the experiences of Jamie (Joseph Zammit) and Cathy (Rachel Fabri), who are both very smart and very ambitious, but they have little control over how the wheel turns. Their response to that lack of control is really what drives the show,” he says. “I’ve always said that there is no villain in the piece. These are two people who love each other desperately, but simply don’t belong together.”

The Last Five Years is particularly noteworthy for its storytelling style in which Cathy’s story is told in reverse chronological order (beginning the show at the end of the marriage), and Jamie’s is told in chronological order (starting just after the couple have first met). The characters do not directly interact except for a wedding song in the middle as their timelines intersect.

Brown explains that two things guided him towards the creation of this show. “Firstly, I wanted to create something very self-contained – with just two actors, six musicians, and one set. I wanted it to be easily produced – even in my living room, if that was the only place I could make it happen!

“Secondly, I needed to work through the enormous emotional weight of the end of my first marriage.”

Thus the show’s musical style draws on a number of musical genres to facilitate the range of emotions, including pop, jazz and classical, klezmer, Latin, rock and folk. The local production will feature a live band led by Jonathan Ellul.

Speaking about Malta’s upcoming rendition, the composer admits to knowing very little about the island (other than the falcon), but to being honoured – and somewhat amazed – that his musical is being performed here. “The Last Five Years has certainly made it into some very interesting places and been translated into a host of other languages (although this rendition will be performed in its original English). I am always impressed when it turns up some place new, and excited to hear about it – so thank you.”

Brown talks of his hope to visit Malta in the future. “I am actually really sorry that I can’t make it to this production, but I am very much rooting for a second run at another time so my wife and I can come over to watch it,” he says.

The Last Five Years runs at the Blue Box at M Space, Msida, on Saturday and next Sunday and on November 22, 27, 28 and 29 at 8pm.