BWW Q&A: Maelyn Jarmon on THE LAST FIVE YEARS at Core Theatre Group

Maelyn Jarmon (Season 16 winner of “The Voice”) and Clay Singer (National Tour of The Band’s Visit) will star in three-time Tony Award winner Jason Robert Brown’s THE LAST FIVE YEARS at Core Theatre Group, directed by Jessica McRoberts, with music direction by Paul Peglar. THE LAST FIVE YEARS will play Thursday, February 22nd through Sunday, February 25th, at The Drowned Lands (252 State School Road, Warwick, NY).

Tickets for THE LAST FIVE YEARS range from $45 - 65 (including fees) and are now on sale at coretheatregroup.com. This modern musical chronicles a five-year relationship between Jamie Wellerstein, a rising novelist, and Cathy Hiatt, a struggling actress. 

Jamie's story is told in chronological order starting after the couple has just met, and Cathy's story is told in reverse chronological order.

CTG launched with a sold-out cabaret fundraiser at The Drowned Lands Brewery on Friday, July 14, 2023, followed by their October 2023, sold-out inaugural production, The Rocky Horror Show. 

In December 2023, CTG celebrated the holidays with That Holiday Feeling starring Broadway’s Harris M Turner and Mara Davi.  Core Theatre Group is a professional theater company in Orange County, New York.

Setting course to enrich our community by connecting people through the transformative power of the performing arts, our vision is to create a center for artistic work that entertains, educates, and enlightens our community. By offering creative collaborations of industry, professionals, and local talents, CTG is bringing a signature brand of homegrown entertainment experiences to the Warwick valley area. 

CTG’s Artistic Advisory Council includes Craig Carnelia, Paige Davis, Ben Folds, Christopher Gatelli, Alex Lacamoire, Norm Lewis, Molly Ringwald, Stephen Oremus, Seth Rudetsky, and Maury Yeston.

Maelyn enchanted millions as winner of Season 16 of NBC’s “The Voice.” Audiences witnessed her shut down the stage nightly as part of Team Legend. She went on to smash records and make headlines, soaring to #1 on the Billboard Emerging Artists Chart and becoming the “15th Artist of All Time To Land 3 Simultaneous Top 10 Songs” on the iTunes Charts. Among those, her version of “Hallelujah” topped the Overall Top Songs Chart. Breaking through on to the IndiePop scene, she is currently writing, performing and recording new music with Moon Records and is set to release her Debut EP in Spring of 2024.

How did winning The Voice prepare you for your role in The Last Five Years?

Winning NBC’s The Voice was an amazing experience and musical theatre is very different from creating pop music. I found that having my roots in theater was a big part of why I was successful on The Voice. It’s easy to get lost in the sound or tone of a pop song—but to really connect with what you’re saying, to commit to telling a story, that is in my experience what really resonates with the audience. Being successful in both genres has led to a beautiful expansion of myself as an artist.

What drew you to the role of Cathy Hiatt in The Last Five Years?

I first heard the original cast recording of The Last Five Years when I was a teenager and it was love at first listen. Coming back to it years later, after living more life and having had both beautiful and disheartening experiences, it’s been really interesting to see all the parallels between Cathy and me. Exploring her layers has been a journey of self-exploration as well.

How have you prepared for your role in The Last Five Years?

The first thing I did was a deep dive into the incredible score. After so many years of singing pop songs, I noticed that my musical theater muscles needed a tune up. I’m beyond grateful for Deric Rosenblatt, my voice teacher of 15 years who has helped me unlock those tools again. I’ve also had the privilege of working on this material with the world renowned acting teacher, Craig Carnelia. He helped shape who I was as a younger artist and to return to the room with him at this stage in my life and career was an absolute honor and thrill.

Can you share some challenges and triumphs you've experienced while preparing for this role?

Reaching the level of vulnerability this role calls for was a challenge in itself. As intense and sometimes painful as this process has been, there has also been so much joy in allowing myself to feel all of it, own it and have a space to release it as Cathy.

What do you hope the audience takes away from The Last Five Years performance?

Jason Robert Brown has written this beautifully complex, messy, chaotic, heartfelt relationship that so many can relate to. I hope the audience has a cathartic experience along with us.

What has it been like working with Clay Singer?

Clay Singer is truly a star…when he walked in he absolutely blew us all away. I’m thankful that I was included in the audition process for Jamie, and while we saw so many talented actors, when we met Clay it was that immediate feeling of “this is him.” He brought all of the charisma, nuance, and confidence we were looking for in our Jamie, but also something fresh and new. In addition to having the most stunning, soul-baring voice. Everyone behind the table looked at each other and knew we had found the perfect person. Clay was offered the role on the spot! He’s an absolute dream to work with and it’s honor to take this journey with him.

Why must audiences come and see the show?

This production is passionate! Every person involved on the creative team, the cast, the script, the music, everything about it is pure passion. This story is so detailed, the lyrics stunning, and the format of it, how Jason wrote it, it’s just gut-wrenching and so, so beautiful. It’s an intimate piece, there are only two of us in the cast, and Core Theatre Group’s venue leans even more into that intimacy. It’s going to be a very special experience for us and for audiences, and I really hope as many people as possible can come share it with us.

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