The newly released trailer for the upcoming Anna Kendrick flick “The Last Five Years” gives us a glimpse of the actress singing her way through the movie musical. The film, due in theaters February, is an adaptation of the 2002 off-Broadway musical about falling and failing in love.
While many might react with a “She can sing more than a cappella cover songs?,” Kendrick actually established herself as a Broadway star long before her vocal power went viral from 2012’s “Pitch Perfect.” Here, her path from the Broadway stage to the movie-musical screen.
‘High Society’ (1998)
At the tender age of 12, Kendrick assumed the role of Dinah in the musical comedy “High Society.” The performance earned her a 1998 Tony nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical.
She lost to Broadway megastar Audra McDonald, but she wins in our book with this performance of “Life Upon the Wicked Stage” from “Showboat,” performed on the Tony stage alongside the Kit Kat Girls from “Cabaret.”
‘Camp’ (2003)
Kendrick first brought her Broadway background on-screen in the 2003 movie “Camp,” playing a stage-hungry performing arts camper willing to do anything for the spotlight.
‘Into the Woods’ (2014)
After “Twilight” and “Up in the Air” catapulted Kendrick into the big leagues, she’s now on a roll with movie musicals. “Pitch Perfect 2” comes out in May, and this Christmas we’ll see her as Cinderella in “Into the Woods,” the stacked Stephen Sondheim movie musical also starring Meryl Streep.
Long story short: Girl could always sing, but now her pipes are taking over the movie screen, since she already conquered the Broadway stage — like, you know, most 12-year-olds do.