COMPANY/A CHORUS LINE/GREY GARDENS- age group?

[bwayondabrain]

Posted: 9/4/06 at 7:27pm

Hello everyone
Well, the coolest thing happened to me this morning.
I got up, and my parents decided they wanted to go to NYC for New Year's Eve. So, today they got airline tickets, and booked us a room at the Marriott Marquis hotel, and we are going to NYC from Dec. 28- Jan. 2. I am very excited!
So, now the last step is getting our show tickets. My family already wants to see LES MIS (we checked ticket availability, and we're good with that.) But we want to see 1 or 2 more shows. I was thinking maybe COMPANY, A CHORUS LINE, or GREY GARDENS.

So, everyone, I was wondering, what age and up these shows are good for, like, how old should a person be to see this? Basically, how much material in each of these shows would you deem "innappropriate", at least for a family with a few young teens?

I would appreciate ANY help on this, and I'm sorry to bug you all.

Thank you!

:)

[bwayondabrain]

Posted: 9/4/06 at 7:47pm

bump...

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 9/4/06 at 7:48pm

While I don't think any of the shows would be inappropriate for a young teenager, I'm not sure how interested a typical 14 year old would be in a show about middle-age concerns over marriage, dating and neuroses (Company) or a couple of eccentric older women trapped in a house together and bickering at one another(Grey Gardens), though a young theatre fan probably would like both to some extent. I saw the original ACL for the first time around the age of 11 or 12 and while some might find that a little young (there's some frank talk about coming out of the closet and early sexual experiences and references to drugs), in 2006, kids are exposed to FAR more explicit and adult material on tv every day.

Personally, I don't see a problem in terms of age appropriateness with any of them, though perhaps some would disagree.

[sally1112]

Posted: 9/4/06 at 7:49pm

I saw Company in Ciny, OH and it is great. Raul is amazing as is the entire cast.
But I myself am heading to Broadway to see Grey Gardens as soon as I get some money together. If you can see two, see these two.

[bwayondabrain]

Posted: 9/4/06 at 7:58pm

yeah, my family is conservative and Republican, so that's why i was wondering
but if none of them are as full of "innappropriate" material as RENT, we should be fine
but thanks margo and sally
any other more details would be appreciated!
:)

[BtMartin25]

Posted: 9/4/06 at 8:05pm

A Chorus Line..

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 9/4/06 at 8:20pm

Well, I can't see how even conservative Republicans would have ANY problem with anything in GREY GARDENS or COMPANY, though real tight-assed fundamentalists might have a problem with the fact that Bobby in COMPANY is 35, unmarried and yet having sex -- with only women incidentally -- out of wedlock (there is one scene, "Barcelona," where he is sitting on his bed with a woman, April, he's obviously just had sex with, though they are clothed).

As for ACL, perhaps take some comfort in the fact that the show ran for 15 years on Broadway and longer than that nationally and internationally, with companies that hit every ultraconservative Bible Belt town of the south and yet was not only accepted but was a sold out hit (and returned for multiple engagements to those towns over the years). Thousands (if not millions) of teens have seen it in the past 30 years and I would bet that none of them were scarred for life by it (and in fact were probably touched and inspired by it, as were their parents sitting next to them). While the subject matter of a few of the monologues isn't exactly G-rated, it's just talk -- people revealing stories about their childhood and adolescent insecurities and traumas (no explicit sex talk or anything I think that 99% of people would find particularly offensive). It's certainly a bit less "in-your-face" in terms of drug usage or homosexuality than RENT is (not to say that that's a bad or good thing ).

And if you ask me -- and you didn't, and you needn't take my advice -- I would think that your family would actually enjoy ACL more than the other two. It's truly a masterpiece of theatre that integrates music and dance and honest, heartfelt storytelling better than any show I can think of. It's powerful and touching and funny and life affirming in ways that few shows have ever been.

Good luck with your trip.

[bwayondabrain]

Posted: 9/4/06 at 8:24pm

thank you very much, margo, for the help
i appreciate it a lot!
i will most likely be seeing A CHORUS LINE- as you said, it wouldn't be such a hit if it really wasn't a great piece of theatre
but yeah, ill probably go with LES MIS, A CHORUS LINE, and one more possible slot open
just need to arrange the tickets and such
:)
anyhow, thanks!

EDIT: by the way, do they actually talk about having sex in the songs in COMPANY, or is it just assumed? one last question, sorry
Updated On: 9/4/06 at 08:24 PM

[ljay889]

Posted: 9/4/06 at 8:40pm

Well in the original COMPANY there is a song TICK TOCK but it has unfortunatly been cut from the revival. It was basically Bobby and April expressing they're feelings while they're having sexual contact (I think?) But I don't know how they handle it in the revival without the song/dance to go with it.
Updated On: 9/4/06 at 08:40 PM

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 9/4/06 at 8:40pm

There's no actual singing about sex in COMPANY. It's a Sondheim show after all and he's a bit too, well, sophisticated for anything like that. Even in "Barcelona" the song's lyrics are actually a conversation between Bobby and the girl April, who's a stewardess, about it being too bad that she has to leave their bed and take a flight to Barcelona when she'd like to stay with him (and he'd, well, sorta like her to stay, too .....sorta). That's about as risque' as it gets (and that's hardly risque' at all).

It isn't a show about sex at all. Almost all of the show just deals with what it is to try and stay together and make a marriage work and what life is like for Bobby, a bachelor, who has girlfriends but has trouble with the notion of committing forever to any one of them.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 9/4/06 at 8:43pm

ijay,

I was going to mention "Tick Tock" but since I'm pretty sure it's been cut altogether, I didn't think I needed to. And while that number was originally very sexy -- especially as danced by Donna McKechnie -- it was always tastefully done (no nudity, at least in the original production).

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 9/4/06 at 8:45pm

As of Cincinnati, there is no bed. They lean up against the piano making out, but that's about it.

[ljay889]

Posted: 9/4/06 at 8:49pm

Yeah, Margo. I think it's pretty unfortunate it has been cut. The arrangement of the song is quite thrilling. Don't know how it would be without the dance though.

I would do anything to have experienced McKechnie performing the number in the original.

Orange in the Doyle's, do they still have the pretty sexual dialogue with eacother from TICK TOCK. What music do they for a lack of a better word, perform it to since there's no Tick Tock?

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 9/4/06 at 8:54pm

The farthest the Company revival goes, visually, is a tame makeout scene; the girls sing Poor Baby, and Bobby and April make out against the piano during the song. It directly follows the scene where Bobby tells the story about getting lost on his way back to the motel, and goes right into Barcelona.

Updated On: 9/4/06 at 08:54 PM

[sweetestsiren]

Posted: 9/4/06 at 9:12pm

The dialogue that takes place during Tick Tock is also cut, ljay. As Emcee said, it goes from the reprise of Poor Baby into Barcelona with no dialogue in between.

As to the original poster's question, it sounds like A Chorus Line is the most likely of the three to be enjoyed by everyone. Updated On: 9/4/06 at 09:12 PM

[bwayondabrain]

Posted: 9/4/06 at 9:15pm

well, that sounds good!
is there much cursing in COMPANY?

but so far, i think it sounds great for my family :) ill talk with them about what they might wanna see

[sweetestsiren]

Posted: 9/4/06 at 9:17pm

There's certainly some, and there's a pretty tame scene where three of the characters smoke pot... if your family is really conservative, which it sounds like they may be if they find Rent highly objectionable, they might have a few problems with it. A Chorus Line as well.

[bwayondabrain]

Posted: 9/4/06 at 9:20pm

well, they actually liked RENT, but didnt exactly care for the cursing much
but if there is no more cursing in COMPANY than in RENT or THE WEDDING SINGER, it should be fine
and the pot thing would be fine, too- my parents think drugs are wrong, but wouldnt not see a show because someone is smoking :P

[WickedGeek28]

Posted: 9/4/06 at 9:23pm

I'd avoid Company with young people. But you may be mature enough to appreciate it, though I doubt you'd be able to empathize with the characters.

Go with ACL, it's the most family friendly of your choices.

grey Gardens may lose a young person's attention and it's very deep.

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 9/4/06 at 9:37pm

They added Marry Me A Little back in and they took out Tick Tock. I don't understand why it's such a great loss. I mean, it's not like they took out Being Alive or Ladies Who Lunch, which are much more "standout" songs in the show than Tick Tock. Other than showing off the talents of Donna McKechnie and implying a sex scene, Tick Tock doesn't seem to serve much purpose in progressing the show.

And I'm pretty sure both past revivals didn't have Tick Tock, so productions haven't suffered that greatly in the past without it.

Updated On: 9/4/06 at 09:37 PM

[ljay889]

Posted: 9/4/06 at 10:56pm

The 95 revival had MARRY ME A LITTLE and TICK TOCK (danced by Charlotte d'Amboise.)

It sounds wonderful on the revival recording. It is a thrilling uptempo foot tappin song in a second act of mostly ballads.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 9/4/06 at 11:03pm

In the context of this particular production, I would take Marry Me a Little over Tick Tock any day. Yes, Tick Tock was surely a great dance number and it adds variety and everything, but dance in a minimalist Doyle production? You've got to be kidding me. It wouldn't fit in this production at. all. And giving up Raul's heart-wrenching rendition of Marry Me a Little, as well as the way it provides great closure to that would be a crime.

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 9/4/06 at 11:20pm

Excuse me, I was thinking of the Kennedy Center production, not the Broadway one.

But regardless, the show doesn't *need* an uptempo, foot-tapping song in the second act of ballads. That's almost like people complaining about how Sondheim shows aren't good because they don't have hummable songs. It's a personal preference, not a requirement for a "good" musical.

Updated On: 9/4/06 at 11:20 PM

[ljay889]

Posted: 9/5/06 at 12:18am

But Emcee. Why are you making it an either or? Productions have had both TICK TOCK and MARRY ME A LITTLE. The 95 revival did. The songs have nothing to do with eachother. It's not like one replaces the other in the context of the show.

And no the dancing would've not have worked in this Doyle style production. BUT I would've settled for the song and dialogue, with no dancing. The music is just so thrilling.

Anyway I'm very excited for this production. I am just hoping it doesn't turn into a teen bop fan girl fest like Sweeney became.

[sweetestsiren]

Posted: 9/5/06 at 12:24am

The music of Tick Tock is interesting, but it's so rooted in the '70s, and while Doyle's production isn't a modernization per se, it distinctly goes for timelessness and updates the orchestrations so that they're less period. I just don't think that Tick Tock wouuld have fit in the production in any way, shape or form. I do sort of miss the dialogue (namely the part where Robert can't respond to, "I love you"), but I don't think that choosing not to include it hurts anything.