Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Marianne Elliott adventurously and stylishly reconceives Sondheim & Furth’s COMPANY for the 21st century

• By drediman
• December 10, 2021
• No Comments

Last night, the stylish, highly anticipated revival of Company opened on Broadway at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre. The production’s opening comes on the heels of the passing of the show’s legendary composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim, which makes the occasion a truly bittersweet one. The revival – more of a revisal, really – comes by way of London’s West End, where it was met with much acclaim. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the classic musical, it depicts (through a series of episodic, relatively unrelated scenes) the psychological journey of a bachelor – now a bachelorette – and her relationships with her many married friends, as well as her dating adventures in New York City.

When the musical premiered in 1970, it pioneered the notion of the concept musical, which eschews conventional narrative arcs in favor of exploring themes in more unstructured, non-linear ways. Director Marianne Elliott has adventurously reconceived the piece by gender-swapping many of the characters (to accommodate the shift, Sondheim tweaked many of his original lyrics), thereby evolving the show’s major themes. Whereas the original version focused mainly on the merits of marriage and commitment, this iteration of the show seems equally interested in investigating the process of self-actualization, which goes a long way in making the chameleonic and frustratingly enigmatic central character of Bobby – now Bobbie – less problematic. Additionally, George Furth’s dated book has undergone significant changes, thankfully updating the musical to the 21st century and ensuring that the piece no longer fells like a time capsule. It’s a testament to the strength of Sondheim’s thrilling score that Company has been able to withstand such drastic modifications

Ms. Elliott’s exciting and decidedly flashy production keeps the visual coups coming (e.g., clever references to “Alice in Wonderland” are inspired and make total sense within the context of the show), thanks largely to Bunny Christie’s kinetic and modular set pieces. As for the performances, they’re mostly spectacular, notably lending the revised book scenes with terrific comic punch. Particular standouts include Patti LuPone as a soul-piercing Joanne, Matt Doyle as an adorably hilarious Jamie, and Jennifer Simard as a scene-stealing Sarah. However, in the central role of Bobbie, Katrina Lenk – an actress as enigmatic as the role she plays here – gives an intriguing, thoughtful, if vocally strained performance that seems a tad at odds with the colorful, vividly etched work of her cast mates.

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COMPANY
Broadway, Musical
Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre
2 hours, 45 minutes (with one intermission)
Open run