Nick Jonas is set to make a grand return to Broadway, starring in the first-ever Broadway production of Jason Robert Brown’s acclaimed musical, “The Last Five Years.” Joining him will be Tony Award-winning actress Adrienne Warren. This highly anticipated production is scheduled to open in the spring of 2025, under the direction of Tony-nominated Whitney White, known for her work on “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding.”
The announcement has generated significant excitement among theater enthusiasts and fans of both Jonas and Warren. The producers, Seaview, Ambassador Theatre Group, and The Season, have described the project as a “bold, brand-new production.” Further details, including the venue, opening night, and additional creative team members, will be revealed at a later date.
Whitney White expressed her enthusiasm for the project, stating, “The Last Five Years is one of the greatest original American musicals in the canon. I could not be more excited to bring it to Broadway for the first time with Nick and Adrienne, two powerhouse performers and lovers of theatre. I fell in love with this musical many years ago when I was a student at Northwestern. I found it then, and still consider The Last Five Years to be such a human portrait and a beautiful exercise in making time– the one thing we are all bound to– feel consequential.”
Nick Jonas and Adrienne Warren are scheduled to present at tonight’s Tony Awards ceremony, adding to the buzz surrounding their upcoming roles. Jonas will portray Jamie, a rising author, while Warren will play Cathy, an aspiring actor. The musical explores the couple’s relationship over five years, examining whether their shared dreams can keep them connected as their paths diverge.
“The Last Five Years” first premiered in Chicago in 2001, starring Norbert Leo Butz and Lauren Kennedy. It made its Off-Broadway debut in 2002 with Sherie Rene Scott in the female lead. Over the years, the musical has seen numerous productions, including a 2016 London staging with Jonathan Bailey and Samantha Barks, and a 2014 film adaptation featuring Jeremy Jordan and Anna Kendrick.
Jason Robert Brown, the composer and lyricist of the musical, shared his thoughts on the upcoming Broadway production. “On June 15, 1999, I wrote the first song of a new project. It was the first time I had started a project without knowing where it was going to end up, without a producer or collaborators, just me very much on my own needing to find the music and words that would tell a story that was twisting my heart into impossible shapes every day. For twenty-five years, I have let The Last Five Years lead me on its journey, through our very first production in Skokie in 2001 to our Off-Broadway premiere a year later, a thrilling film version, a record-breaking revival at Second Stage, and thousands of productions spanning every continent. I have always believed that when the time was right, The Last Five Years would make its way to Broadway. To have Nick and Adrienne taking on these roles is a composer’s dream come true, and to have Whitney’s extraordinary guidance and vision is the hope of every playwright. It has taken twenty-five years, but the time is right.”
The musical features iconic numbers such as “The Next Ten Minutes,” “A Miracle Would Happen/When You Come Home to Me,” “Shiksa Goddess,” and “Still Hurting.” White emphasized the timelessness of the songs and the relevance of the story, saying, “The songs are iconic, and the vibes are very two-thousand-and-now because this is a story about artists falling in and out of love and what happens when something has to come to an end. There is no place in the world that can rip people apart and bring them together like New York City. I think we all understand how hard it is to leave something behind; a lover, a job, a country, a relationship that doesn’t serve you anymore. But for me, the heartbreak at the center of the show walks hand in hand with abundant love and possibility. I know that audiences will be blown away, once again, by the brilliance of Jason Robert Brown’s one-of-a-kind composition, orchestration and musical vision, and that they will see themselves in Jamie and Cathy– two young people trying to figure it all out.”
Nick Jonas, who has a rich history with Broadway, has appeared in productions such as “Les Misérables,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Annie Get Your Gun,” and “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.” Adrienne Warren, on the other hand, made her Broadway debut in 2012 with “Bring It On – The Musical” and has since delivered a Tony-winning performance as Tina Turner in “Tina: The Tina Turner Musical.”
The anticipation for this Broadway debut of “The Last Five Years” is palpable, with fans eagerly awaiting the chance to see Jonas and Warren bring their characters to life on stage. As the countdown to spring 2025 begins, theatergoers can look forward to a production that promises to be both a celebration of love and a poignant exploration of the complexities of relationships.
