The Last Five Years features an absolutely lush score by Jason Robert Brown and a heartbreaking story of love gone sour after a sweet beginning. The latest local production is onstage now until October 6 at the Kenan Center’s intimate Taylor Theatre in Lockport.

This is the perfect setting  for this two-hander, featuring Cami Clune and Joshua Vacanti as Cathy and Jamie. By design, the bare stage and minimal props keep the focus on the music and story, and director Kevin Leary uses this small stage space wisely. Regrettably, the constant looped projection on the stage wall presented an inescapable distraction as the same images repeated during the pre-show and throughout the almost 90-minute production.  

This show is really an enhanced song cycle without any spoken dialogue. This is incredibly powerful for the audience and very demanding on the actors/singers. The story is also told from the characters’ unique perspectives: Cathy is telling her version from the end of their story moving back through time and Jamie is telling his version beginning with the day they meet. Their versions intersect at a midpoint; their wedding, which is the only time they actually sing together (“The Next 10 Minutes”) and to each other, which is lovely.

Clune is luminous as Cathy, the struggling actor waiting tables as she endeavors to build a stage career. She opens the show with her plaintive interpretation of “Still Hurting” where she simmers in anger and sadness. Then Vacanti bursts in a Jamie, excited to meet his “Shiksa Goddess,” a fast-paced exuberant piece. Vacanti had some struggles staying in the driving beat with the quickly moving lyrics. He rushed and lagged and tripped over some of the words, which are critical to staying with the story when there isn’t any dialogue. Jamie and Cathy trade songs as they continue their journey, often singing to unseen friends, family, and others. Highlights are Clune’s “I’m a Part of That” where she reacts to watching her novelist husband work and her joy and excitement in “Goodbye Until Tomorrow” after their first meeting. Vacanti plays better in the slower songs and his “If I Didn’t Believe in You” and “The Schmuel Song” were well done and sweet. The entire score is quite lovely and evocative.

While both Clune and Vacanti have spectacular voices, I didn’t feel a real chemistry between them in these roles. Clune is a strong actor; her stage movements were purposeful  to convey every essence of her character. Vacanti by contrast didn’t seem as comfortable as Jamie, the wunderkind novelist struggling with the perks and pitfalls of professional success.

What was consistently spectacular was the on-stage musicians led by Patrick Towey who managed Brown’s intricate piano parts admirably. Jenna Noreck (violin), Luke Borkowski (cello), Nate Reiser (bass), and Sam Osmond (guitar) played this intricate score masterfully.

The Last Five Years is the first show in a six-production season, which includes a little something for everyone. So good to have live theatre back on this stage. Find details and tickets at kenancenter.org.