COMPANY To Close On July 31, 2022 — Page 8

Just went for another round this week, and I'm now regretting not jumping on closing night tickets earlier. I agree with the point made about Bobby Conte--I was never a huge fan of his interpretation but something about this latest time I saw it just seemed different and it really worked (though still not necessarily my favorite version). Jeff Kready was also a delight, just such a warm presence that feels quite different from Chris Fitzgerald. And Patti LuPone was absolutely on fire, holding out the last note of Ladies Who Lunch longer than I've ever heard it, she had the audience eating out the palm of her hand the entire song.

I took a friend who didn't know the show at all going into it, and I was quite gratified to hear how much she loved it as well, and at intermission she mentioned that she thought Katrina Lenk was a great singer but wasn't sure about her as an actor, which I don't think anyone else has other said (though she did revise that opinion in act 2 once she could kind of see the character arc Bobbie takes). And at least to my ears, Katrina's singing gets better every time I see her. It's really a shame that the full version of her Being Alive isn't professionally recorded (and it seems the performance she did on Seth Meyers has been taken down).

I'm coming to NY next week for my birthday and it's my first time seeing Broadway after COVID so can't be more excited to ruminate on life and modernity with Bobbie lol.

Updated On: 7/14/22 at 03:21 AM

David10086 said: "jimmycurry01 said: "

SO if the question was pointless from my original post why even bother to answer the first time ?"

If the question was pointless, why even bother stating it?

Marlothom said: "Just got closing night ticket! I was supposed to see this show before the shut down, and then before the Omicron outbreak, so glad I finally get to see it. Only ORCH-C seats they had were pretty far behind, does the overhang ruin the view at all? I've never been to a Broadway closing night - so excited!"

This is from row N:

Finally saw the production I've waited for over three years. Overall I think it's an amazing production with great humor (maybe too much for reasons I'll talk about later) and an incredibly talented cast. I understand why people who are familiar with the material find Lenk's vocals somewhat underwhelming, but personally I find her take on Bobbie fresh and on-point with the concept of this production, which indeed pays off in her very special and sublime rendition of Being Alive. This production's Bobbie is clearly inspired by "the girls who just watch," and goes all out from there. Compared with the usual takes on Bobbie/Bobby, Lenk's is a neurotic one from the very beginning, which also makes it clear that this play takes place in Bobby's mind instead of in real life places. Each encounter/episode, then, is also exaggerated more than usual to reflect Bobbie's own anxiety. As she travels from room to room, you can feel she gets increasingly more neurotic and unstable, and she finally comes undone before Patti's incredibly touching Joanne. While in most productions Being Alive is this 11 o'clock number of emotional catharsis, in this production it feels more like Bobbie's journey to come to terms with herself and piece herself back together, where finally the "but" in "but alone is alone, not alive" makes the most sense. I love how she does not belt out the final note like Raul or Dean Jones does but instead gives it a does of newfound confidence that makes it even more impactful. Lenk really should get the Tony nom and win for what she does with this role but oh well. My qualm about the excessive amount of humor, which makes the show fun and it's good, is that in act 2 it starts to feel distracting. I love Patti, but some moments of comedic relief after Ladies Who Lunch stop the show and let it hang there in the middle while Bobbie is going downhill with her on the brink of an emotional breakdown.

I also like how they dialed most of their clocks to 3:05 signifying it's Bobbie's 35th birthday and not "real," but one clock is dialed to 3:10 if I saw it correctly. Maybe an error?

Finally to the gentleman who sat next to me and who dared to hum during Patti singing Ladies Who Lunch and other songs, I'm grateful that your lungs couldn't get you through Getting Married Today.

Updated On: 7/16/22 at 05:59 PM

quizking101 said: "Was also there this afternoon. Everyone has dialed up their comedy in spades for sure, eliciting a lot more laughs than the five times I’ve seen it previously. Patti went almost full camp at the end (including the high note) and the audience ATE IT UP. This was also my first time seeing Jeff Kready and I thought his portrayal of David was far less goofy than Fitzgerald, but he found subtler moments for sure.

My only issue is Bobby Conte - I feel like he is vocally worse every time I see the show. It’s like he’s incapable of just singing the damn song and instead goes off on so many unnecessary vocal flourishes that it seems almost amateurish (when I can hear him)."

Good to hear! I'm going again in a few days so I'm looking forward to a potentially more serious tone. I think Conte did a reasonable job interpreting the song but the performance I saw was leagues worse than the recordings of him singing that they posted on social media, which were much more textured and nuanced than this hot-headed hipster-wannabe take. I was also surprised by how bland the scene between Theo and Bobbie was. Manu Narayan's Theo felt somewhat robotic and lacked the much needed chemistry for the scene to pack a punch.

I love this show and this production but I actually think Bobby Conte was better pre-pandemic. Now his PJ feels forced, over the top, and false and the vocal dynamics are all over the place and seem to serve no purpose really. And I agree about Manu as Theo. Theo is an adult man who has chosen his path but now it’s played like he is an earnest little boy. Why is he tripping over his words etc…

Selling one ticket (PDF) for the July 20th 2 p.m. matinee.

Front center mezzanine; one seat on the aisle, C114.

Paid $145 with fees. Asking $75 via Zelle.

For fastest response, mail me directly at jc-web@mail.com if interested.

do we think Marianne Elliott would show up in the theater in the final performance(s)?

So glad I returned to the show the other night before it closes. I saw it during previews and then once while Nikki Renée Daniels played Bobbi (and a host of other understudies). It was thrilling to see (and especially to hear!) how Lenk's performance has grown, and I agree with some other assessments - I recall being blow away by Conte during previews, less so this week.

I also wanted to come here and give a little shout out to Terrence Archie. Larry can be such a thankless role, and each time I've seen it Archie has been a presence that absolutely added to the piece. It must have been hard for them to find someone who could match LuPone with so little written material, and Archie is perfection.

Jeff Kready was also wonderful- a perfect example of what a swing can be, different to Fitzgerald but still completely charming and dropped in. Loved him.

Updated On: 7/23/22 at 05:24 PM

Saw it again today and Lenk belted out the last note of Being Alive. Kind of wish she didn't as the previous take I saw was so haunting and just perfect. Unfortunately, my luck with Company audiences has been bad. This time, the gay couple sitting in front of me kept chattering throughout the show even with shushing and they literally turned to each other every DAMN minute or whenever there was something remotely exciting happening on stage, which was beyond annoying and distracting. Can people ever behave in theater?