Frost Fire Summer Theatre to present 'The Last Five Years'
Jun. 10—GRAND FORKS — Frost Fire Summer Theatre will open its 2025 season with the musical "The Last Five Years" on Friday, June 13, with performances to be staged here and in Walhalla, North Dakota.
The musical is the first of two productions the theater company is presenting this summer. The other is "FAME, the Musical," which opens July 8 for several performances at the Empire Arts Center, with a preview set for July 2 in Walhalla. The company is based at Frost Fire Park, seven miles west of Walhalla.
In Grand Forks, "The Last Five Years" will be presented June 19-22 and 26-29 at the Empire Arts Center, 415 DeMers Ave. Curtain times are 7 p.m. on Thursdays-Saturdays and 2 p.m. on Sundays. For tickets, $25 plus fees, go to
www.empireartscenter.com
or call (701) 746-5500.
In Walhalla, shows will be presented at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, June 13 and 14, and at 2 p.m. Sunday, June 15, at the Walla Theater, 909 Central Ave. For tickets, $20 each, visit
www.frostfirepark.org/the-last-five-years
or call (701) 549-3600.
Misti Koop and Michael Marcotte, both well-known local actors, musicians and Frost Fire alums, are the sole cast members in "The Last Five Years." Gina Uhlir, of Grand Forks, also a Frost Fire alumna, is the director.
The musical, written by Jason Robert Brown, will feature a live, string ensemble — Tamara Bertram, Victor Chukwu, Garett Peterson, David Hysjulien and Adrian Luevano — and pianist Yen Loh; the stage manager and lighting director is Autumn Horton; and sound director is Spencer Black, all of Grand Forks.
The emotionally powerful and intimate musical tells the story of a five-year relationship between Cathy Hiatt, a struggling actress, and Jamie Wellerstein, a rising novelist. It uniquely unfolds as Wellerstein's story is told in chronological order (starting just after the couple have first met) and Hiatt's story is told in reverse chronological order (beginning the show at the end of the marriage).
The characters do not directly interact except for a wedding song in the middle as their timelines intersect.
The 90-minute production, with no intermission, "emphasizes precise eye contact and physical placement to help the audience follow the characters' differing timelines while being in the same space," according to the event announcement.
According to Uhlir, "This story showcases the unraveling of a relationship with all the joys, missteps and emotions present along that path. We hope that in this story, you find threads of your own: a beginning, an ending or maybe just a memory of feeling deeply."
In announcing the upcoming performances, Koop wrote, "I can't wait to share this beautiful piece with all of you! I am getting to stretch my vocal and acting chops again! It's an incredible feeling!"
As someone who, for years, has been dedicated to providing rich theatrical experiences, Koop said about the Frost Fire productions and all of live theater, "In today's world where everything is a screen-touch away, it is a privilege to go to the theater and feel. No screens, no AirPods, no white noise ... just the live story being told in front of you."
A production of "The Last Five Years" opened in 2001 at the Northlight Theatre in Chicago and was produced off-Broadway in 2002. It has had numerous productions in the U.S. and internationally, and a subsequent Broadway production. A film adaptation, starring Jeremy Jordan and Anna Kendrick, was released in 2014.
Because the show has some mature language, it is recommended for audience members 16 years and older.
The Frost Fire Summer Theatre company has been unable to present productions since the roof of its amphitheater at Frost Fire Park collapsed due to heavy snow in April 2023.
Since then, performances have been staged at other locations, including the Grafton High School auditorium in Grafton, North Dakota, where the company presented the musical "Oklahoma!"
The amphitheater must be completely rebuilt to meet requirements of the federal Americans with Disabilities Act, according to Koop, the Frost Fire Theatre manager. Soil and topography work is completed and architectural designs are ready.
The organization has received grant funding, financial gifts and donations to support the effort and is "working daily to match our Destination Grant of $1.75 million (from the North Dakota Department of Commerce) to start construction," she said. "We've secured over $700,000 in gifts and pledges" and several requests are pending.
The Frost Fire Summer Theatre company welcomes donations to continue the project. For more information, or to make a donation, contact Koop at (701) 330-8626 or email
mistikoop@live.com
.
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