After almost a decade, “The Last Five Years” comes alive on the Philippine stage once again — this time, starring on and off-stage couple, Gab Pangilinan and Myke Salomon! Chico, Hazel, and Markki got to chat with Gab & Myke last October 4 on ‘The Morning Rush,’ and it definitely left Rushers looking forward to the show.

Set in New York, the Jason Robert Brown-penned musical is about the heart-wrenching love story of aspiring Broadway star Cathy (Pangilinan) and promising writer Jamie (Salomon), and how their relationship runs its course for five years. What makes it so ingenious, though, is the way the story is told: Gab’s character starts at the very end of their relationship, while Myke’s Jamie shares his point of view chronologically. The two characters meet only once, at their wedding during the middle of the production.

Asked about how they relate to their characters, Myke says that he relates to Jamie’s passion and drive. “We’re both artists, and we want the same things,” he said.

On the other hand, Gab shared, “Well Cathy’s a theater actress — a struggling one at that... so I believe that I very much relate, you know, as a theater actor in the Philippines. You go to auditions and you fail auditions left and right. And that’s exactly what Cathy goes through alongside her very successful boyfriend .” Myke, who is seated beside her, jokingly whispered to Markki though:  “She doesn’t even audition!” And that’s on being one of the top Filipino theater actresses of this generation!

Another highlight of the show is the beautiful music. The melodic, sweeping, and sometimes tense and stirring piano leads each song and strings the interchanging timelines seamlessly. Asked about each of their favorite track, Myke and Gab coincidentally chose a song performed by the other: ‘Still Hurting’ for Myke and ‘Moving Too Fast’ for Gab. Check out the entire soundtrack here:

“The Last Five Years” is directed by Topper Fabregas, with musical direction by Rony Fortich. As a testament to Gab and Myke’s powerful performance, the show was extended from its original run dates, now showing until October 29 at Power Mac Center Spotlight, Circuit Makati! Grab your tickets now!

Watch their full interview here:

Thanks for dropping by the Monster, guys! We look forward to seeing you on stage soon!

Get to know more about Filipino theater’s powerhouse couple here: