Company Commentary Thread — Page 12

lots of replies....

McFan2 -- it's not about liking the music. She could have simply said that and we wouldn't have said a word back to her because we know tastes differ. But claiming a musical would be better sans music is just not a point one musical theatre fan makes. It doesn't make any sense. Someone could HATE every single song and I could care less, as I'm sure others wouldn't care either.

wickedrentq -- as I said, I am attached to Sondheim immediately so I do personally find everything of his 'hummable', but many don't, including his fans. And that is mostly due to his unconventional melodies. (Difficult melodies to recall after hearing once.) But oh how I adore them. :) After I hear a Sondheim song for the first time, I do indeed hum it. But this is not the general consensus even if one feels they can hum something of his. Even the title song is a bit difficult for some.

aliciag -- I FLIPPED OUT when I saw it was on HD! Does anybody know if Rise and Fall.. was as well? I think I watched that on it's normal PBS channel and not the HD one.

morosco -- I was thinking the same thing last night. When I see a filmed stage show with all these camera angles I feel like I should be watching a tv show or film. Or worse, a music video. But the close-ups come in handy when you want to icon/capture little moments. But yes, I'd love for dvd versions to have a separate option to watch the show from afar.

ok, I'm glad this was filmed (for broadcast) on PBS.

and when they listed all the people who brought it to you and they included "viewers like you", do I as a PBS Supporter get some of that elusive credit where credit is due Brody?

kidding.

Glad it was on and that so many could enjoy it.

and debate about its merit.

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Updated On: 2/21/08 at 12:02 PM

My favorite moments:

-"As a matter of fact, if you ever get divorced, I wanna' be the first to know."
"Well... you're the first to know."
"We're getting a divorce!"
(Raul's expression)

-"Just look, Bobby, I could fit my whole first down these pants!"
"Oh, please, I can do that too!"
(Raul's expression)

-"In fact, Bobby, if you ever get married, find someone just like Joanne."
"Don't ever get married, Bobby."

-"I'm a living thing too, you ****head!"

It just amazed me how emotional George Furth's book could be, considering how many people complain about it.

And I thought Angel Desai was a little too over-the-top for her own good in the book scenes (which is ironic, considering that it's the exact opposite on the bootleg of Another Hundred People on that site). But I don't want to complain, she was probably supposed to be irritating.

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Updated On: 2/21/08 at 12:27 PM

I was lucky enough to catch opening night of Company in Cincinatti.

I seem to remember Bobby having cymbals during "What Would We Do...."

Was that a Broadway tweak?

Also, I was e-mailing a colleague of mine about the performance last night.

I never noticed this, but I totally agree with her:

"Here was the most brilliant stroke of all: Barbara Walsh speaking and moving her face like a woman who's had a face lift. Sheer perfection."

And Raul...

Goodness.

sorry Emcee...but I'm going to marry him.

I have a question for the board cognoscenti... I played Paul in a college production of Company more years ago than I care to admit. Watching last night brought back great memories of that production and the show (I haven't heard/seen it since) - while most of it came flooding back to me, I was struck by the Act II scene with Peter and Bobby where Bobby is questioned about his homosexual experiences and the subsequent sexual tension between the two... I have no recollection of this scene. Is this an excision that was put back in? Has it always been there? Granted, the college I attended was in the mid-west and the scene might have been cut... I'm just curious. Appreciate any input.

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I seem to remember Bobby having cymbals during "What Would We Do...."

Was that a Broadway tweak?

Yes, they cut the cymbals during previews in New York. The kazoo came in during previews, as well.

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I just watched a little of it at lunch again and I noticed that during Poor Baby when all of the women are around the Piano, you have to watch Heather Law's (Amy) face as she is watching them make out...she looks so jealous/wishes she was April/disgusted...it just showed how layered these performances were...it's those little nuances that each character did that made this a great show

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I don't know on any kind of authority, but this is what I posted the first time I saw the change. Obviously it's just an assumption:

... the other instrumentation change I noticed is very minor, but Raul doesn't play the cymbals anymore during Side by Side by Side. At first I was bummed out, because it was an adorable moment, but also pleasing to look at -- him sort of standing atop the pyramid of people, and so forth. Instead, now he only has a kazoo solo. He stands off to the side and follows the clarinet and sax solos. It's also a bit hammy, but it works -- especially if you consider that when he played the cymbals in Cincinnati, Bobby was literally joining in with everyone else. The change makes it so that he's more hesitant -- still testing the waters, but also still on his own.

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" was struck by the Act II scene with Peter and Bobby where Bobby is questioned about his homosexual experiences and the subsequent sexual tension between the two... "

It's been added in to the more recent productions. I don't think the scene is necessary. It opens a can of worms that the show doesn't have time to address.

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Just more of the symbolism in everything about this performance.

Everything has a purpose.

There is no superfluous blocking.

Every single moment has a meaning.

I love it.

Yes, exactly! That's why I totally bought into the change, even though I did miss the cymbals. Because it just made such a statement that the cymbals could not. That blocking ended up coming back, with Bobby on the block in the center of the "band," but having him do so without an instrument, only able to clap his hands and down his liquor, was way more powerful. And EVERY change was like that. Just constantly outdoing the last, and making things work better and better. Hence my devotion to the church of John Doyle.

Raul's Someone is Waiting is totally underrated. Love love love. And the orchestrations are great, too.

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Updated On: 2/21/08 at 02:50 PM

Once again I will bring up the all too sobering thought that Raul was completely deserving of that TONY AWARD!! All those feelings of frustration have come back to me after watching it last night. He was jipped!!

Lot of people on ATC are openly gay.