Phone rings,Door chimes,In comes company

[jeff_thedancer]

Posted: 1/27/06 at 9:30am

hey Guys,why is that than next to no one knows about company...its such a great show..and you would think the way people are obsessed with Sondheim...oh well...anyone ever been in this?...iv only seen one place to it and it was sheridan collegite-music theater program and it was one of the best shows iv seen-any thoughts on the show?

cheers
jeff

[WalveMalve]

Posted: 1/27/06 at 3:24pm

I'm a big fan of the show. John Doyle is currently putting on a production of it in Cincinnatti that will be done in the same format as his current revival of Sweeney Todd on Broadway -- the actors play the instruments.

[suchclumsytime]

Posted: 1/27/06 at 3:33pm

While that style lends itself well to ST, I'm not sure if it'll work for "Company." The characters are a lot more earthy and real than those in ST (as in, they don't murder people and put their body parts into pies). For some reason, this doesn't sit well with me...

"Company" is amazing, but perhaps doesn't get talked about all that much because it is, in many ways, the 'normalest' of Sondheim's shows. Just my thoughts.

[ashley0139]

Posted: 1/27/06 at 4:13pm

People never comment on it because they're not TRUE Stephen Sondheim fans. They pretend to be cultured and that they love Stephen Sondheim when really, they know of Into the Woods and Sweeney Todd. No SITPWG, no Company. Most people I know don't even know he wrote the lyrics to WSS. My two cents.

[gustof777]

Posted: 1/27/06 at 7:23pm

I also am very nervously curious to see how they are going to have the actors play the instruments and make it work...not saying that it won't...i'll wait until i see it but it does seem an odd choice because as mentioned earlier company is a very realistic show and more down to earth...whatever anything with raul is worth seeing so it should be interesting at the worst.

[where's my shoe?]

Posted: 1/28/06 at 2:09am

I actually think it could work well, as the show is mostly vignettes with only a few people in each one. I personally don't really like the actors-as-musicians concept very much, but I don't think it's impossible to do with Company. As for no one knowing about it, I think more people do than you think. Still, it was not very well recieved at first because people thought the characters were too complicated and lacked "heart." Every time I have seen it, there have been many audience members who just didn't get it. I first saw it when I was twelve, and although I'm sure I didn't understand all of it, it instantly became one of my favorites.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 1/28/06 at 2:19am

re: Doyle's production -- I think people are being too quick to pin him as a one-trick pony and assume he's going to do the *exact* same thing with Company as he did with Sweeney. I'd like to give him the benefit of the doubt and hope that he's going to vary it some, even if he does do the actor/instrument thing.

I just got the CD in preparation for my trip to see the revival. I like it! It's kind of trippy, but it's good.

Esparza's going to be brilliant. He may not play an instrument, though.

[pndmnd]

Posted: 1/28/06 at 9:59am

I played April in a production of Company a few years ago, and had a blast!

I'm also not so sure about using this seemingly trend of using actors as musicians--I think it can work for some things, not everything. But, as was mentioned before, since Company has very few scenes with everyone in them, hopefully they can work it so that the people who are not in the songs are the ones playing. I can't really picture Joanne playing an instrument during "Ladies who Lunch" or Bobby and April playing during "Barcelona" in bed. But, I can see it being kind of fun to have all of the actors playing and singing during "What would we do without you?" (one of the few songs that everyone is in). I could even picture Bobby running over to play the piano at times.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 1/28/06 at 11:14am

I read something that said Bobby will play piano, but this was like three days after Raul told me himself that he likely wouldn't play anything. It was still up in the air, he said. He also knows how to play guitar, but I guess that would be too similar to Sweeney, since Michael Cerveris plays guitar there. Honestly, I can't picture it. I mean, would they stick the piano on wheels so he could play it while still doing more stage directions than just standing there?

I felt like Doyle found a way to get the instruments into the scenes, amazingly, without it feeling awkward or clunky. He made it fit. So, hopefully, it whatever way necessary, he'll do it here, too.

[gustof777]

Posted: 1/28/06 at 11:59am

I could definitley see it working emcee...and lord knows Esparza is genius in everything...it just doesn't feel necessary for Company. I like the idea in Sweeney and I really like the recording too its makes it very earthy and makes it slightly more creepy. But personally what i loved about Company was the big orchestra parts and when I saw it when i was twelve the "grand ness" of it all was what i loved. not to say he won't do that...i should wait until i see it...it's just very hard to imagine how he'll do it...but as i said i just don't feel that it's necessary for Company. but i'm definitley excited and interested to see it.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 1/28/06 at 12:40pm

I'm curious to see what he does with the character; I don't know that much about the show, but when I asked two separate people what it was about, one told me Bobby was bisexual, and one told me that he definitely was not bisexual, but just not into committment. So aside from the production aspect, hell, I'm just ready to see him do something that's got the substance he's worthy of.

I don't really think the mimimalist, actor-as-musician thing is "necessary" for any show; I mean, that's why it's not common, no? If it were necessary, than Sweeney would always be produced that way, rather than as a traditional production. It's a matter of whether or not they can make it work.

[sweetestsiren]

Posted: 1/28/06 at 1:03pm

I'm glad I'm not the only one who was initially scratching her head about the idea of Doyle's carrying over the actor/musician thing over to Company. To be fair, though, I haven't seen Sweeney Todd (but will in early March), and it sounds like it works pretty seamlessly for that show. Company is so different, though. In certain scenes I can see how it would be really cool to have the actors playing (Tick Tock, for example), but in others I wonder how it could work.

I'm definitely going to give it the benefit of the doubt, though. It'll be fun to see how it all comes together. I'm really excited to see this production.

ETA: I'm sure that everyone was just as skeptical (if not more) about Doyle's production of Sweeney Todd, and that's turned out to be a hit. Updated On: 1/28/06 at 01:03 PM

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 1/28/06 at 1:16pm

Don't they... dance in Tick Tock? hee. I'm so excited for that one.

[gustof777]

Posted: 1/29/06 at 12:38pm

I think what i mean is just that when you think actors playing music....and someone brings up sweeney you initially think...wow that is an out there idea...but i can see it working and it apparently is more than working at the o'neil...which is great...However if you say company my immediate reaction was how is that going to work and can it help enhance the story which i get a sense that in Doyle's production of sweeney it does...a really creepy world....i don't see that happening for company...i'm sure that it can...i just don't see it right now and am hesitant to see it just because it is one of my favorite shows.

[Chrysanthemum62001]

Posted: 1/29/06 at 3:52pm

I know what you mean about scratching your head to this idea for Company. But I have to admit, as much as I wanted to like the new revival of Sweeney, I just didn't have a clue how it could be done. But John Doyle has this brilliant immagination, and if anyone can make this idea work, it will be him. Personally, if I don't get to see this production, I am going to hate myself for a very long time.

Oh, and I love Company. The music is brilliant, some of Sondheim's wittiest. Getting Married Today is such a fun song!

[sweetestsiren]

Posted: 1/29/06 at 9:07pm

I agree, Company is such a witty show! There are some parts that are just so evil, and the inner cynic in me totally loves it. Especially the lyrics to... well, everything, but I was going to say "You Could Drive a Person Crazy," "Have I Got A Girl for You" and "Side by Side by Side." And "Barcelona." So yes, basically the entire show. I'm really looking forward to this.