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THE LAST FIVE YEARS
by Jason Robert Brown
November 7 – 30, 2024

Cannon Street Arts Center
Directed by Sharon Graci*
Music Direction by Misha Pekar
Featuring Manny Houston & Heather Rice
Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music & Outstanding Lyrics

JAW-DROPPING! A gem of a show from Jason Robert Brown” –New York Magazine

In The Last Five Years, love, heartache, and the passage of time are woven together with music in a mesmerizing journey—from the meet-cute to the break-up and then somehow right back to the start again. First produced at PURE 15 years ago, this freshly reimagined staging showcases triple-threats Manny Houston and Heather Rice in a passionate and intimate take on one of contemporary theatre’s most beloved musicals.

Heather Rice (Cathy) is a Charleston-based singer-songwriter and actress known for her powerful voice, intelligent songwriting, and dynamic concerts; most notably A Tribute to Joni Mitchell for Symphony Orchestra. She is an opener for Joan Osborne, Sheryl Crow, and Lady Antebellum. Rice co-wrote the song, “Like Make Believe” for Hootie and the Blowfish artist, Mark Bryan, and was a featured performer in the drama desk award-winning show, Toxic Audio. Rice has been featured with the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra, The Orlando Jazz Orchestra, The Charleston Jazz Orchestra, the North Charleston Pops, and now the Charleston Symphony. Heather Rice is an accomplished pianist and has played for over 20 years. She has headlined festivals such as Musikfest, NSB Jazz Festival, and the Charleston Jazz Festival. She appears on many critically acclaimed recordings as a guest vocalist and heads Red Lion Recording where she releases her own original music now streaming everywhere.

Heather is thrilled to be returning to the stage as “Cathy” in THE LAST FIVE YEARS alongside Broadway’s Manny Houston for PURE Theater. She has portrayed Jenny Hildebrand in Kurt Weill’s STREET SCENE, Elma Duckworth in BUS STOP, Titania in A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAm, Serena in FAME, Bette in THE MARRIAGE OF BETTE AND BOO, and Hypatia Tarleton in MISALLIANCE among others.

Manny Houston (Jamie) Artistically raised in Charleston, SC, and now based in NYC, Manny is thrilled to return home to do a musical where it all started. He recently made his Broadway debut in Justin Peck’s production of ILLINOISE: A NEW BROADWAY MUSICAL, and was last seen on the National Tour of FREESTYLE LOVE SUPREME: LAS VEGAS, and FORBIDDEN BROADWAY: NEXT GENERATION. He has a degree in Classical Piano Performance from the College Of Charleston.

Know Before You Go
Frequently Asked Questions

PURE SEASON 22 SPONSORS
The Rodney B. & Marjorie S. Fink Foundation
Connie & Richard Hayes
Lee Bell & Fotios Pantazis

INDIVIDUAL SPONSORS
Chalmers Foundation
Lee Bell & Fotios Pantazis
Anonymous

PAY WHAT YOU WILL SPONSOR
Judith & David Miller

John & Susan Bennett Memorial Arts Fund

Funded in part by the South Carolina Arts Commission, which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional ongoing financial support provided by Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Coastal Community Foundation, The John & Susan Bennett Memorial Arts Fund, The Joanna Foundation, and The Boeing Company.

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