Play Suggestions: Does "Company" ever get done locally?

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Does "Company" ever get done locally?

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Topic: Does "Company" ever get done locally?

Posted By: bandray
Subject: Does "Company" ever get done locally?
Date Posted: 2/03/11 at 6:27pm

I've just discovered this wonderful Sondheim gem. It's certainly not his most well known piece...not even close but it's completely sucked me in.
How often, if ever, is it done locally around the country?

Replies:

Posted By: edh915
Date Posted: 2/03/11 at 10:58pm

It's not done nearly as often as it should be. It's definitely in the top five on my "Best of Sondheim" list. But most groups seem to overlook it in favor of "Sweeney Todd", "Into the Woods", and "Assassins". I guess the darkness of those three shows resonates more strongly with audiences (or at least, theatre groups) of the 21st century. I don't particularly like "Sweeney", "Woods", or "Assassins." I can admire them, but that's not the same as liking them. I'm more of a hopeful "Forum", "Night Music", "Company" "Sunday in the Park" type of person.

Please do "Company" if you can. It's like planting a tree on Arbor Day. It's the right thing to do, and it'll make you feel good about yourself.

Posted By: NDTENOR
Date Posted: 2/04/11 at 12:35am

I really like the music of "Company" but don't really like the story ..... for which we all know .... there really is no "story". "Company" is like the T.V. show Seinfield... it's a show about "nothing" ... a show about "life" in Manhattan .... but it has no "deeper" meaning.

Posted By: Tallsor
Date Posted: 2/04/11 at 9:11am

The Kansas City Rep did it back when it was still the Missouri Rep, 2000-2001 season. That's the last time I've seen it in the Kansas City area.

And I think there is deeper meaning, NDTENOR - it's about relationships, and the constant push to singles to find that 'special someone' (typically of opposite sex) and how it tends to get worse the older you get. It's also how no relationship is perfect - how singles wish they were married, and married people sometimes wish they were single.

As you can see, I love the show (although I hated the 'play your own instrument' version that PBS videotaped).

Posted By: SpenceKenzer
Date Posted: 2/04/11 at 1:36pm

One of our city's CT's did Company, back in 1996 or 1997 I think. (I got to play Larry). It's a great show, on a relatively small scale.

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Saludos, my dahlinks, and you know who you are ... !

Posted By: bandray
Date Posted: 2/04/11 at 4:16pm

Are there any copies of a performance of the original cast?

Posted By: KEB54
Date Posted: 2/07/11 at 5:59pm

My CT did it in 2008. The local University is doing it in about a month.

PBS recorded the last performance of the Broadway revival about a month after our CT's production closed. It is very good. http://www.pbs.org/wnet/gperf/shows/company/index.html - http://www.pbs.org/wnet/gperf/shows/company/index.html

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KEB

Posted By: NDTENOR
Date Posted: 2/10/11 at 11:01pm

Bandray:

I'm sure Amazon has can get you a copy of the original production CD of Company. I have a copy that I got a few years ago. Historically interesting because Dean Jones (as Robert) did most of the music but was canned shortly into the Broadway production. And then Larry Kurt was brought in ( the original Tony in West Side Story ) and he won the Tony for best lead actor in a musical. And then about 20 years later Sondheim added a song for the revival ( because he IS Sondheim, after all.) So there are at least a couple of "original" versions out there.

Again.... I like a lot of the music.... but it's not on my top 20 list of favorite musicals.... because it really has no story.

Posted By: bandray
Date Posted: 2/13/11 at 10:47pm

I was trying to find a DVD or video of a performance of the original cast (Jones or Kurt) but alas I don't think one exists.
I do know about the DVD of the recording of the cast album and have seen that.
I'd really like to see the original production though. I know I'm not alone lol.

Posted By: NDTENOR
Date Posted: 2/14/11 at 8:10am

My general impression is that, unfortunately, a video of the original production doesn't exist. Ah, yes, if only there was a nice "original" production video for many shows like they did for Sondheims "Into the Woods". They would definitely be worth their weight in gold.