COMPANY
On May 3rd, 1970 the cast of the newly opened COMPANY spent 18 ½ hours in Columbia’s historic 30th street studios, recording multiple takes of the songs from the show. As with most cast albums what was recorded is not always exactly as heard in the theatre. All of these changes resulted in record that was exciting, and theatrical yet still giving full musical values. It would win the Grammy award in 1971 as ‘Best cast/Show album.’
Larry Kert succeeded Dean Jones in the role of Robert after a month and on Novermer 2, 1970 Larry Kert went to Columbia’s studios to attempt to overdub the original recording. It was impossible to completely eliminate Dean Jones’ voice and the remix also has problems maintaing a consistent audio level across the disc.
Sony could have included most of these alternate takes on their 1998 re-release of the Broadway cast album, but elected to include just the track of Being Alive.
It took 25 years for a Broadway revival of COMPANY to happen. When it did it was a production by the Roundabout Theatre Company, though there were changes to the text and orchestration. For starters the orchestra is reduced to foreteen players, less than half the size of the original. Debra Monk sounds too young and lacks world-weary quality needed for Joanne and screams too much in The Ladies Who Lunch, but La Chanze makes a wonderful Marta, belting out Another Hundred People in a style all her own.
The final COMPANY cast album is easily the least impressive of the bunch. As soon as Adrian Lester brings his thin sounding voice to Bobby solo section of the opening number, something s wrong. And if Debra Monk was not world-weary enough in the 1995 Broadway revival, Sheila Gish overdoes the slurring in her whisky-soaked interpretation of The Little things You Do Together. The trio of girlfriends screech too much seemingly forcing the voices into uncomfortable ranges, and Sophie Thomson slows down Getting married Today robbing the song of much vitality. Like the Roundabout recording this version interpolates Marry Me a Little but Lester’s reedy singing voice all but ruins it. This production drops the Tick Tock dance and the finale so the disc clocks in as the shortest of the four.
COMPANY continues to be revived and no doubt the score will be recorded again, though whether any future recording can challenge the supreme original original cast remains to be seen.
Cast albums are NOT "soundtracks."
Live theatre does not use a "soundtrack." If it did, it wouldn't be live theatre!
I host a weekly one-hour radio program featuring cast album selections as well as songs by cabaret, jazz and theatre artists. The program, FRONT ROW CENTRE is heard Sundays 9 to 10 am and also Saturdays from 8 to 9 am (eastern times) on www.proudfm.com
