COMPANY Revival On Tour - News & Discussion Thread- Page 10

[Det95]

Posted: 10/18/23 at 8:53am

Caught the first performance in Detroit last night. Overall I thought it was very good. Having seen the show twice in NY I was able to pick out some of the differences. Joanne flubbed a line in "Little Things", but her "Ladies who Lunch" was incredible. I heard comments that it was better than Patti's (I disagree). I think the cast needs more time to live in the characters as some of the line deliveries were kind of just rushed out, and not delivered in a way that made the line stick. This was a problem with David specifically. I felt like there was some stronger commendation of Bobbie on the tour than in NY. The pot scene seemed to have Jenny be much more direct and it stung more, the whole we're not kids anymore. I also feel like Joanne was more speaking directly at Bobbie during "Lunch" than Patti did, even during the "Here's to the girls who just watch" line. She was starring directly into Bobbie's eyes. I look forward to seeing the show again at the last Detroit performance to see how it grew over these two week, and I'll report back then.

[windowwaving]

Posted: 10/19/23 at 7:03am

n2nbaby said: "Got out of the first performance a bit ago. I personally think that this revival is one of the best productions I’ve ever seen, so I was super excited to see it again (for the fifth time).
As I said above, the set is almost entirely the same as it was on Broadway and the automation went off without a hitch. The only thing that was cut was anything that came through the floor (like the Alice in Wonderland bit). This stuff comes from the ceiling now. There is also a big present that opens up to a door and a tiny cake in act 2 that wasn’t there on Broadway.
Britney Coleman is very talented, but I don’t think Bobbie is exactly the role for her. She is in excellent voice, but she does kind of fade into the background.
Judy McLane was quite solid. She forgot the words to Ladies Who Lunch and stumbled over the second verse, and then stopped the orchestra. But other than that, she was very good. Jennifer Simard is still my favorite Joanne.
Tyler Hardwick was quite the fine. Their Another Hundred People was a highlight for me. Jacob Dickey, who I saw on Broadway as well, was very good and hilarious. I have also seen Kathryn Allison as Sarah before and she is very funny.
Matt Bitter needs a lot of work. His Broadway counterpart is as hilarious, and he just didn’t nail any of the humor.
All in all, it is a very well performed production and the set is as impressive as ever. It is missing something that made the Broadway production so special - but America is lucky to have this show touring all over the country."

It does feel like it's missing just a little something. It's a gorgeous production that keeps a surprising amount of the Broadway set and movement, but it didn't have quite the impact it did as Broadway did on me. 

My best bet would be the star quality. Patti, obviously, but I think Katrina Lenk had a more mysterious air to her. The Broadway cast as a whole was akin to me as the last Into the Woods revival as it was a collection of well-known Broadway stars. 

Don't get me wrong, this is still a great show and a great cast. If you didn't get a chance to see it on Broadway, audiences will still have a great time.

 

[JasonC3]

Posted: 10/19/23 at 8:03am

jakethesnake said: "I don’t think your quote about Britney fading into the background is unique to her. Every time I have seen Company in any iteration, I have felt that about that role. It feels as if Bobby/Bobbie is an observer, watching how others view him/her, until the realization about what they really want hits at the 11:00 number. I felt the same way when I saw Katrina do it on Broadway. Also, for all the actors, you saw the very first performance. I imagine they are all still finding their footing."

This was one thing I thought the Doyle production amplified and exploited so effectively. Esparza as Bobby was literally in the background, observing outside the action, or physically not a part of the group. And until the closing number, he was only cast member who did not also play an instrument. The culmination and costs of living in that manner crescendos in Being Alive, with him finally having an instrument, playing the piano while singing vigorously until he stands, moves center, and explodes with rage and emotion. Updated On: 10/19/23 at 08:03 AM

[BJR]

Posted: 10/19/23 at 8:19am

I always felt the strength of this production was the supporting cast and the comedy. Indeed, it was easily one of the funniest shows on Bway.

It's a tricky balance act, as in Doyle's company, no one was as interesting as Bobby. What that production, which isn't really in the text, is make Bobby's arc very clear, leading to Raul's nervous breakdown of Being Alive. I say it's tricky because, again, it's not in the text. You hear Bobby openly struggle in a way that leads inevitably to the ending.

Elliot's production creates a world that is confusing, intoxicating, suffocating, and fills it with big personalities. But then, Bobbie's journey wasn't as clear and it's a bigger lift for the actress.

[jonartdesigns]

Posted: 10/19/23 at 10:26pm

I’m seeing this next Friday here in Detroit. In what I think is a rarity the tour has its own unique windowcard, as opposed to using the Broadway one. 

[jonartdesigns]

Posted: 10/29/23 at 4:22pm

Caught the show this past Friday. The cast seemed uniformly strong with Matt Rodin’s Jamie being a standout. I found Britney Coleman to be an excellent Bobbie, although her “Being Alive” was a little less visceral than I’d prefer. It’s a hell of a good time even if you, like me, are not the biggest fan of the show’s book. 

[Broadway Flash]

Posted: 11/3/23 at 9:43pm

Does anybody know if the Kimmel Center in Philly has parking?  I'm trying to catch this when it's there in a few weeks.

[JasonC3]

Posted: 11/3/23 at 9:49pm

Their website provides good info on transit and parking.

https://www.kimmelculturalcampus.org/plan-your-visit/how-to-find-us/

[MrsSallyAdams]

Posted: 11/3/23 at 10:16pm

Katrina Lenk, when I saw her, played Bobbie bitter and depressed. Tired of being the smartest person in the room. Tired of playing the sex kitten for idiot men. Turning into another Joann.

Britney Coleman’s touring Bobbie is immature. Used to playing the clown to cheer folks up. She’s got a case of arrested development and her friends are starting to call her out on it.

PJ in NY was sleazy. Here he’s confident.

 

[Broadway Flash]

Posted: 11/3/23 at 10:38pm

Do national tours show up on TDF?

[MrsSallyAdams]

Posted: 11/3/23 at 11:34pm

Act two wasn’t as effective. Andy’s hot but his robotic characterization makes no sense. Judy McLane sings a lovely, understated Ladies who Lunch. But when you’re used to the number being a nervous breakdown, understated doesn’t cut it. And then we get a Being Alive with no discernible motivation behind it. I had this issue with Lenk as well. She was clearly going through “something” but wasn’t given the words to tell us what.

Still adore this show. I listened to scraps of audience conversations at intermission. The gay couple behind me loved Peter and Jamie. The straight couple next to me didn’t like how the women were written. “Women from the 70’s are different from women in 2023. You can tell this was written by a gay man because it’s so anti-“

By that point they were out of earshot. I assume they meant anti-marriage. But it’s fun to fill in the blanks.

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 11/4/23 at 8:16pm

I won the ticket lottery for the Thursday evening performance and was sat from row. I had a few thoughts.

If you hadn’t seen or weren’t familiar with the Broadway production you would think this set is quite full. I’m surprised by how much of it was intact, from the few naughty videos I’ve seen of the Broadway run. The Company letters in Another Hundred People are a let down though (they don’t even light up). 
 

Britney Coleman blew my breath away, I think she’s an absolute star here. I was definitely lucky being so up close, but her facial expressions are pitch perfect. I would’ve given her a standing ovation for her “Marry Me a Little.” 
 

Matt Rodin as Jamie is a standout from the rest of the ensemble, no shade to anyone else as I thought everyone was spectacular.
 

This was my first time seeing a production of Company live and am quite pleased.

 

Updated On: 11/9/23 at 08:16 PM

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 11/4/23 at 8:16pm

Double post!

Updated On: 11/5/23 at 08:16 PM

[sparklingtonic2]

Posted: 11/9/23 at 12:40am

Well, I might be alone in this opinion, but I found this show dated and a bit annoying.

I’d never seen “Company” before, and I had only a broad understanding of what it was about. So I don’t know how many of my issues are with this particular tour versus the 2021 revamp that introduced the gender flip versus the original material. But I was irritated by several things, including the show’s mean-girl sensibilities (e.g., let’s all laugh at a “stupid” person), the hilarious suggestion that a 35-year-old in Manhattan is somehow an outlier for being unmarried (and somehow has no single friends), and the groovy 70s dialogue. (The dialogue obviously would have worked if the characters had been allowed to stay in the 70s but, given the smartphones that they were pointedly waving around, it just seemed like bad writing.)

During intermission, my husband and I also agreed that the show wasn’t offering much insight into marriage — certainly nothing that we haven’t seen before. I realize that the show was considered groundbreaking for its time, and that's great, but IMO a lot of the scenes don't hold up. I feel like we were supposed to find it shocking or at least interesting when a wife says that she wishes she had freedom, or a couple who seemed happy says they’re getting divorced, or a husband and wife quibble about when he stopped drinking. (Separately, it seems tonally wrong to play alcohol abuse for laughs -- perhaps another thing that needs updating.) But it all just seemed ho-hum, not terribly interesting and not as funny as it's supposed to be. Maybe if the characters had been more fully developed, some of these situations would have been more compelling. But as it was, several of these scenes bored me.

Even the song “Being Alive,” which I’ve always liked, was unappealing in the context of the show -- especially since the theater had open captioning, which let me follow the lyrics more closely than I have before. When she said “Alone is alone, not alive,” I was like, um, what?!! As someone who lived alone happily for many years (including when I was 35), I found that statement to be … very wrong.

I did appreciate the inventive staging and a few of the numbers (especially “Getting Married Today” and “Another Hundred People). But I wouldn’t rush to see this show again.

Updated On: 11/9/23 at 12:40 AM

[Dancingthrulife2]

Posted: 11/9/23 at 11:24am

sparklingtonic2 said: "Well, I might be alone in this opinion, but I found this show dated and a bit annoying.

I’d never seen “Company” before, and I had only a broad understanding of what it was about. So I don’t know how many of my issues are with this particular tour versus the 2021 revamp that introduced the gender flip versus the original material. But I was irritated by several things, including the show’s mean-girl sensibilities (e.g., let’s all laugh at a “stupid” person), the hilarious suggestion that a 35-year-old in Manhattan is somehow an outlier for being unmarried (and somehow has no single friends), and the groovy 70s dialogue. (The dialogue obviously would have worked if the characters had been allowed to stay in the 70s but, given the smartphones that they were pointedly waving around, it just seemed like bad writing.)

During intermission, my husband and I also agreed that the show wasn’t offering much insight into marriage — certainly nothing that we haven’t seen before. I realize that the show was considered groundbreaking for its time, and that's great, but IMO a lot of the scenes don't hold up. I feel like we were supposed to find it shocking or at least interesting when a wife says that she wishes she had freedom, or a couple who seemed happy says they’re getting divorced, or a husband and wife quibble about when he stopped drinking. (Separately, it seems tonally wrong to play alcohol abuse for laughs -- perhaps another thing that needs updating.) But it all just seemed ho-hum, not terribly interesting and not as funny as it's supposed to be. Maybe if the characters had been more fully developed, some of these situations would have been more compelling. But as it was, several of these scenes bored me.

Even the song “Being Alive,” which I’ve always liked, was unappealing in the context of the show -- especially since the theater had open captioning, which let me follow the lyrics more closely than I have before. When she said “Alone is alone, not alive,” I was like, um, what?!! As someone who lived alone happily for many years (including when I was 35), I found that statement to be … very wrong.

I did appreciate the inventive staging and a few of the numbers (especially “Getting Married Today” and “Another Hundred People). But I wouldn’t rush to see this show again."

But the thing about Company, or at least how it's been interpreted in this specific production, is that it is not really about marriage, but rather relationships and being trapped in them in the context of modernity. One way to start truly understanding the piece is to ask, why did Sondheim intentionally change "'cause alone is alone, not alive" to "but alone is alone, not alive." The former would be a much more logically link to "make me confuse; mock me with praise; let me be used, vary my days." This is why I found Lenk's performance sublime in that she answered the question with great depth that I have not seen from any other renditions.

[ljay889]

Posted: 12/3/23 at 4:19pm

I caught the tour in Philly yesterday. Having seen the production many times on Broadway, I was left pretty underwhelmed with the tour. It felt mostly insignificant, while the Broadway revival felt like a must-see event, confirming for me how much of the revival was built on Patti's presence. 

Maybe the show plays better in New York (not that Philly is far away), but there is SO many less laughs on tour. So many lines and lyrics that received roars of laughter on Broadway go without a laugh on tour. As expected, "Not Getting Married," "Ladies Who Lunch," and "Being Alive" still bring down the house.

The pared down set mostly works, but the new letters are hideous. Yuck. Maybe they should've completed restaged "Another Hundred People" - because the new letters are not appealing.

The slightly reduced orchestrations work just fine. I heard some minor changes throughout, and to my ear, the percussion feels brisker and bouncier on tour, which I enjoyed. They have reverted back to the original London orchestration for "Being Alive" with the synth guitar. During the 2021 return previews, the song was almost completely re-orchestrated, which included a key change for Katrina for the second half of the song. It sounded better on Broadway.

Some minor cuts and changes to the book and lyrics throughout. Only major cuts I noticed were cutting Andy's voicemail in the opening, and they cut the bit about Paul being Jewish in the kitchen/wedding scene. 

Now for the cast...well...Coleman and McLane are just good. For me, they don't even come close to Katrina and Patti. So much of the intensity is gone now, making the club scene less effective. What Katrina and Patti did at the end of the club scene was chilling, and created a perfect lead-in to Katrina's haunting and powerful "Being Alive." Coleman plays the club scene FAR less drunk and less angry than Lenk did, and her "Being Alive" wasn't the cathartic epiphany of Lenk's. Coleman's Bobbie is nice, sweet, and fun to be around. It works well until the club scene and the ending. Lenk played the role anxious, confused, and often on the brink of losing it, and boy did I miss that. Coleman does a great job in the bedroom scene with Jacob Dickey, who is an excellent Andy. He plays it dumber, but not as dry as Elder. I really enjoyed Dickey's performance, and he was a great match with Coleman in that scene and "Barcelona." 

McClane does a nice job in the club scene and gives a nice delivery of LWL, but boy did I miss so many of Patti's moments and laughs. Kathryn Allison who I loved when she understudied Sarah on Broadway had completed changed her interpretation of the role. She played it in Simard's mold on Broadway, but on tour she practically takes it in the opposite direction. She is a  lovely performer, but I think I enjoyed her Sarah better on Broadway. Tyler Hardwick was a great PJ, and didn't seem as strained singing AHP, as Conte often did on Broadway - although I always enjoyed Conte's performance. Matt Rodin is a good Jamie, but it's not the star performance of Doyle's on Broadway. Otherwise, there weren't any other standouts in this tour cast.

Oddly enough, the only moment that I felt was AS impactful as Broadway was randomly "Tick Tock." Otherwise, nothing really came close to what was seen on Broadway. I truly missed the intensity and power of the Broadway production. If Lenk's divisive performance (and singing) bothered you, Coleman's performance will likely be more your speed. She is a charming actress and singer, but Lenk's gutsy performance can never be erased from my memory. If you've never seen Company, it's still worth giving it a shot on tour - it's a nice introduction to the show and good opportunity to see Marianne Elliot's vision. If you did see this revival on Broadway, you will likely be disappointed in many aspects of the tour. 

Updated On: 12/3/23 at 04:19 PM

[Broadway Flash]

Posted: 12/7/23 at 1:04am

Saw this tonight at the Forrest Theatre in Philadelphia.  The theatre sadly was half empty.  I didn't always understand what Britney Coleman was going for.  It didn't really feel like a journey.  She was kinda giving the same smileyness the entire time.  I still love this production of Company, but the performances were kinda amateurish and it never felt like the stakes were particularly high for any of them.  Definitely miss the intensity from the amazing Broadway cast.  The standouts were the divorced couple especially Marina Kondo who played Susan.

[binau]

Posted: 12/7/23 at 3:19am

‘Smilyness’ sounds like the complete opposite of Katrina Lenk, who was complex, vulnerable, strange, sexy….it was such a haunting performance and given no cast recording or video exists feels like a ‘you had to be there’ moment. I’m still upset that many people didn’t seem to get it. These vanilla bobbies (including Rosalie Craig) sound so boring. 

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 1/19/24 at 10:54pm

Jed Resnick joins the cast as David this Tuesday in Greenville and is scheduled to perform through March 31st when the show is in DC. 
 

I hope all is well with Matt Bittner!

[ACL2006]

Posted: 1/20/24 at 9:01am

Call_me_jorge said: "Jed Resnick joins the cast as David this Tuesday in Greenville and is scheduled to perform through March 31st when the show is in DC.


I hope all is well with Matt Bittner!"

Did Will Blum stay with the show through Jan. 21? He was originally scheduled through Dec. 10 only. Sounds like Matt Bittner isn't joining the tour at all.

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 1/20/24 at 9:47am

ACL2006 said: Did Will Blum stay with the show through Jan. 21? He was originally scheduled through Dec. 10 only. Sounds like Matt Bittner isn't joining the tour at all."

Yes, Blum stayed with the show through the Memphis and two Florida stops this year, until tomorrow.

From Blum's IG:



 

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 1/20/24 at 2:17pm

Unsure if Matt Bittner isn’t joining the tour at all anymore, but it is interesting they’ve only contracted Jed through March. 

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 1/21/24 at 4:48pm

Per the Company instagram story it is also the final day Ali Louis will be with the show. Any news regarding his replacement? 

[jkcohen626]

Posted: 2/3/24 at 11:05pm

Did a little day trip up to New Haven to see this today. I had a great time and am definitely glad I went up to see it. I saw the Broadway production once in March, 2022 and fell head over heels in love with it. I meant to go see it again, but the stars never aligned during that semester and then I was out of the City for the whole summer. This totally scratched my itch. 

I thought the whole cast was solid with the biggest standout being Tyler Hardwick, who was probably the only cast member I thought was distinctly better than their Broadway counterpart. I don't blame anyone else in this cast for that though. The Broadway cast was a collection of some of the best character actors working in New York right now. Tour casting was never going to beat that. 

I liked Judy's interpretation of Joanne a lot as well as the costume and (baruch hashem) hair redesign. I think it came across more like a business woman at the top of her game. I did also like Britney a bunch, but she definitely messed up the crucial "who will take care of me?" It just didn't pack the punch that moment needs to. 

I think they did a pretty solid job adapting the physical production for tour. Most of the key stuff is still there, even if pared down a bit and almost all of the changes didn't take much away. The one big change that is awful are the aforementioned letters. I just don't get why they had to change THAT much and who signed off on them. I really likes how they did the church singer and the reveal of the miniature set. That was great ingenuity. 

Overall, I think the strength of the production and vision still come through and that made it a wonderful and effective afternoon. 

Also, the ending of this production is still sublime. Just brilliant and a perfect update to the original!

 

 

[A.J.]

Posted: 2/3/24 at 11:50pm

Fingers crossed this tour makes a stop in Toronto in its second year.