Company Commentary Thread — Page 13

Lot of people on ATC are openly gay.

lol, that is so not what blaxx meant.

Lemme find the Times article, hang on.

From stuff I've read about how the original production was received, there was a fairly widespread reading of, "oh, he's not married by this age, he MUST be gay."

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Updated On: 2/21/08 at 03:20 PM

I know! I was just being silly, because I read that last comment out of context while I was scanning through.

By-the-way, here in Louisville, KY, Company doesn't air until 3 a.m. tonight. I saw the production pre-Broadway when it was in Ohio, and can't to see it again (on TV).

My parents got to watch it in HD. My mom was just raving about how great it looked.

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Today my friend told me that now he wants to play Bobby (because I got him into the show). I feel accomplished. It's such a wonderful musical... I love sharing it with people... and I feel that's partly due to the fact that Bobby is so relatable. (Personally, I identify with April and Bobby [for different reasons, obviously]). Watching it last night -- despite the fact I may have heard the lines or songs numerous times over -- there were still moments when I felt the connection. And I feel that's what makes the show special... if you can still get something out of it... (which is why I love Cabaret so much, because no matter what I will always find something new and exciting about it).

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Updated On: 2/21/08 at 07:53 PM

I am selling a DVD of Company that was aired on Great Performances on Feb 20, 2008. Please message me if anyone is interested. And the DVD quality is in HD!

Well damn, I missed it. Does anyone know where to get a schedule of upcoming rebroadcasts? I looked at PBS but couldn't find my area. Thanks.

I didn't get to watch the whole thing (I had to watch Project Runway), but I really enjoyed what I saw.

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I forget who it was, but someone mentioned (several pages back) having a video of the original. I would LOVE to have a copy of that!!!

Tried to watch it again and boy is it boring, I love COMPANY so much, I just wish the cast was more attractive, except for Fred, so I didn't have to watch the static staging.
I can't believe this is the same Director who I loved from SWEENEY and A CATTERED AFFAIR.
I am still glad a lot of people will get to hear the book and score thanks to PBS.
( what's left of the original book, which was drier and had no overt gay stuff )

If you and your pig-headed purism know you hate it so much, why do you bother? Do you think it's like, noble of you to keep trying, or something? Oy.

verynewyorkcurious - I'm not sure I entirely get what you're asking, but I will try to help you out. Based on my own interpretations, anyway. It's a lot of symbolism -- especially in the set, and the way it's used. The column is probably at least in part a phallic symbol; and look at the way Bobby climbs up on and clings to it, especially during those full company numbers. And it's staged almost like they're coming at him and he has to get up there to escape. It's like he's clinging to that as a representation of bachelorhood, or something. The cubes... people have said they look like ice cubes -- the symbolism of which is pretty obvious -- or museum displays. This production, as I said earlier, really heavily emphasizes the isolation and disconnection in our society. Especially living in a big city like New York. The coldness of an ice cube has a pretty strong implication in terms of how distanced we are from one another -- as does a museum display. You go to a museum and you can look at something, but you can't touch it. There's no contact, no connection. And in the sense of putting people up there and treating them like objects in a museum, that's totally impersonal.

Not sure what you mean by this:

Was that there showing that the two ends of the center square are connected?

And, are you asking what the point of the actor-musicians was, or just the point of having them seated where they were? I don't want to type up something unnecessary if that's not what you're asking.

The end was supposed to be the same birthday party at the beginning of the show? There was just so much going on that I couldn't catch up.

The beginning and the end occur in real time. Bobby has been thinking about everything you see in the middle. So Being Alive and the voicemails happen on the same birthday.

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Updated On: 2/22/08 at 12:58 AM

Thanks for the quick response, luvtheEmcee. Never thought about the column being a phallic symbol but what you just said about it makes sense, as well as the thing about the 'ice cubes.'

Sorry I confused you about the center square thing..I meant the stage, but I didn't want to use the word stage because I just meant the set (the square)..how the ends/tips of it connects (i.e. 'The Little Things You Do Together' when the couple practices karate on each other). Like the first Mario Bros game.

As for the actor/musicians, I meant that the entire thing was innovative..but I was wondering if there was a point to it. Symbolism and interpretation can escape me.

You said Bobby has been thinking about everything you see in the middle.

So the middle are random moments with his friends prior to his 35th birthday party? Please say yes because that would make a lot more sense.

Thanks again for your help.

No problem. I'm stuck in bed with a fever so I've had nothing better to do than just sit around on BWW all day. And this is something I like talking about. I enjoyed it just a little.

You mean the diamond-shaped playing space, right? I still don't get what you mean, though. Do you mean the significance of the shape, or the use of the tip, or... ? I'm so confused.

So the middle are random moments with his friends prior to his 35th birthday party? Please say yes because that would make a lot more sense.

Yes. All of the vignettes are his memories, or at least in his head. So, previous birthdays, imagined birthdays, particular visits to his friends', what have you. In the interview that aired with the broadcast last night, Sondheim talked about how the show actually takes place in a very short period of time -- an hour, five minutes, perhaps even a mere thirty seconds. Think of it this way: he comes home from work, he thinks, he freaks out, he leaves. You're just seeing everything he's thinking back on.

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