didn't Sondheim shoot down an all-male version of COMPANY a year or two ago?
A Chorus Line revival played its final Broadway performance on August 17, 2008. The tour played its final performance on August 21, 2011. A new non-equity tour started in October 2012 played its final performance on March 23, 2013. Another non-equity tour launched on January 20, 2018. The tour ended its US run in Kansas City and then toured throughout Japan August & September 2018.
I don't think Robert was written with any intention of him being gay. Sondheim and Furth say he is straight. That said, you could certainly make that choice as an actor or director. Sometimes an author is not the best interpreter of their own work.
Regarding a female in the role, it's interesting but if they are going to make Joanne become "John" and stuff I don't know if the production would work except as a fun concept for those who already know the show really well.
imeldasturn said: "Cynthia sang a stellar being alive in London a couple of years ago
OMG I had completely forgotten about this (and didn't know there was a recording floating about). If this was the rendition at "WestEnd Recast" that I saw she ALSO stopped the show with "Memphis Lives In Me".
Oh. My. Dear. Goodness. I now want nothing more than a fully staged Company with Cynthia Erivo at the helm so I can bawl my eyes out to her live "Being Alive." THANK YOU for posting, imeldasturn!!!
umm, where is this audio/video of Erivo's Being Alive? I've searched and can't find it.
A Chorus Line revival played its final Broadway performance on August 17, 2008. The tour played its final performance on August 21, 2011. A new non-equity tour started in October 2012 played its final performance on March 23, 2013. Another non-equity tour launched on January 20, 2018. The tour ended its US run in Kansas City and then toured throughout Japan August & September 2018.
A Chorus Line revival played its final Broadway performance on August 17, 2008. The tour played its final performance on August 21, 2011. A new non-equity tour started in October 2012 played its final performance on March 23, 2013. Another non-equity tour launched on January 20, 2018. The tour ended its US run in Kansas City and then toured throughout Japan August & September 2018.
I've been saying it since age 15 and I'll share it here too. I don't care if you are Larry Kert, if you portray Bobby as gay you lose the whole point of the piece. It essentially turns into a coming out story, when in reality the moral is SO much more deep and complicated than that.
Years ago I saw a production of Company that my friend was in. Due to an unexpected sickness, the Larry was unable to perform and had no understudy. The stage manager, a youngish woman, had no choice but to step in and play the role for that performance only- she was referred to as Laura, and gendered pronouns changed, but nothing else was changed at all.
It gave Joanne a very interesting character fillip- a woman who has been married, repeatedly, to men, but has partnered up with a woman this time around and doesn't feel the need to explain or justify. Granted it was a last-minute emergency quick fix, but there was an interesting character study.
At first I was like "mrrrr, no," but then I gave it some thought and I think it could actually bring something really valuable and interesting to the show. I'm down. I'll be super curious about more details of the changes as they emerge!
Back in 1979 there was something called the Octagon Theatre Club. They performed in the Carter Hotel Ballroom. They did shows like Apple Tree, 110 in the Shade and Drat the Cat. I was cast in an all male version of Company.
We rehearsed for a few weeks and few days before we were to open the Producers got a cease and desist and the show never opened. Rumor had it the cease and decist came from Sondheim. Who knows. We never opened.
It really worked with all male couples and Bobby being single. I remeber the it was "a Steven kind of Sammy.. a Jimmyish Jerome....Someone is waithing warm as Steven"'
ACL2006 said: "didn't Sondheim shoot down an all-male version of COMPANY a year or two ago?"
In my opinion, an all-male Company is a gimmick. But making Bobby bisexual and switching one or two of the couples to same-sex pairs would be interesting.
There is also a lot of 'fella' and 'kiddo' used. But you could spin it as affectionate ribbing of a butch chick.
I saw Victoria Clark and Gregg Edelman do a gender swapped Barcelona and it was very funny. He played it as a Spanish flight attendant with a Castillian lisp.
If Company's subtext were that Bobby can't commit to any woman because what he really wants is a man, than the actual text of Company would be a disaster. Which fortunately it isn't.
Anyway, I agree that I'm not sure "You Could Drive a Person Crazy" would be convincing as a song sung by three guys who want to marry Bobbi. However, it might be interesting as a song for three of Bobbi's married women friends who can't deal with her repeatedly turning down such eligible men.