Company Commentary Thread- Page 9

Posted: 2/20/08 at 11:37pm

WOW, that was THRILLING!!!!

it was edited so well, and seeing subtle facial expressions upclose really adds new layers to the relationships between the characters!

I LOVED IT!

i *did* chuckle at that shot when Bobby is stepping into the circle of light; it looked like he was gonna beam up.

BUT STILL, the whole thing is fantastic and even though i had absolutley nothing to do with it, i feel *proud* of it!!!!

i feel like it blew a lotta minds tonight!!

ok, now im gonna read this thread form the beginning!

[snl89]

Posted: 2/20/08 at 11:37pm

It's interesting, SNL, that you mention it might work better as a straight play, given what Sondheim just said in his interview. Musicals like Company with both positive and negative messages regarding marriage and relationships, and ambiguous themes generally haven't worked well in the medium of musical theater. I am just so in love with the score, and don't think that it would stand up well with only the book scenes. Another Hundred People wouldn't have a backbone, and I don't think the ending would be as unsettling.

oh, like I said, Being Alive would be the one thing that would be like.. a problem in it's working as a straight play. Becuase you NEED that song. Heck, that song alone- and Raul's MORE than insane performance of it- was worth the entire price of the ticket alone!! But no, even just in terms of the show itself, Being Alive is fundamental. I totally get that. But I just felt like almost every other song.. I actually got BORED during a lot of them. Then when it would get to the acting parts I would get drawn in again. And that very, very rarely happens for me.

Again, over all I DID like the show, and I DID recognize it's beauty. I just didn't like the score in general. But, you know, that's just me, and life wouldn't be interesting without differences in opinion and taste

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 2/20/08 at 11:38pm

Harris, I got your PM, but I can't write you back. You don't accept PMs.

[IdinaBellFoster]

Posted: 2/20/08 at 11:41pm

So fantastic. Wish I could of seen it live.

Anyone watch it in HD? It just made the whole thing better.

This just proves again why Raul SHOULD of taken the tony last season; and why Heather Laws also deserved a nomination. Maybe even Elizabeth Stanley too.

Updated On: 2/20/08 at 11:41 PM

[another_reprise]

Posted: 2/20/08 at 11:41pm

I missed seeing this show live by one week, but I really think the production team did an incredible job capturing all of the emotions. I cannot even explain the cathartic experience I had while watching this alone, in my dorm room, on my tiny broken television, in the dark (don't judge). I can only imagine what the live experience was like. I have never felt so connected to a show or a character before, and I am so grateful that it's been preserved.
*sigh* I feel like I have to go reflect on what just happened for a few hours now...

[ljay889]

Posted: 2/20/08 at 11:42pm

I know I'm late. But it's absolutely criminal that Barbara Walsh was not nominated for a Tony. What a frighteningly amazing performance.

[snl89]

Posted: 2/20/08 at 11:44pm

yeah um. I still have some major anger issues as to Raul not having won the Tony, so I'm just not even going to go into it.

*tries to control the urge to vent and type obseneties in big, bold caps*

[thinggoes]

Posted: 2/20/08 at 11:45pm

SNL- I was just wondering...is this your first experience with the show? Have you heard any of the recordings or seen any other productions? The reason I ask is that most people I know find the score incredibly dynamic, especially in it's original incarnation.

[keen on kean]

Posted: 2/20/08 at 11:47pm

Tired, crying, grateful that this production and these performances are preserved.

[Fantabulous428]

Posted: 2/20/08 at 11:48pm

snl, do you not realize that without the score (especially in relation to Bobby's character), there would be close to zero character development? People complain about him being a cold character to begin with. Without Someone is Waiting, Marry Me a Little and Being Alive, not only would we not understand Bobby, but we wouldn't care about him either. This discussion has nothing to do with this production of Company in particular; we're talking about the material itself, so really, you can stop reiterating your obsession over Esparza. We know.

[SNLMedia]

Posted: 2/20/08 at 11:48pm

I will be recording the rerun at 12:30 AM in true HD. My mistake with what I said earlier; I was watching a digital channel, but the presentation was in letterbox. I saw some of the Sondheim commentary on the PBS HD channel, and the clips of the show in HD were stunning. I can't wait to see the entire show like that!

[MrBundles]

Posted: 2/20/08 at 11:49pm

The whole thing was gorgeous in HD!

[Plexsis]

Posted: 2/20/08 at 11:50pm

To someone who taped it:
Can you get me the phone number and adress to order from the end? I would really appreciate it (I'd order it from the website, but I can't)

[snl89]

Posted: 2/20/08 at 11:50pm

SNL- I was just wondering...is this your first experience with the show? Have you heard any of the recordings or seen any other productions? The reason I ask is that most people I know find the score incredibly dynamic, especially in it's original incarnation.

nope, this is my first :) But I mean, this is a general thing I have with Sondheim (I'm sure there are probably a pretty good portion of people in here who are very well aquainted with my views in this regard lol). In pretty much every one of his shows that I know of, there are a couple of songs I really love, and the rest I just simply don't like. I don't know... but I just know I'll take Jonathan Larson, JRB, or Tom Kitt over Sondheim any day.

[BroadwayBound062]

Posted: 2/20/08 at 11:51pm

Wow, I mean I have been of fan of the score but wow I am blown away! I cried, laughed and sighed....it was an experience and a half. I know Kristin Huffman and so that personalized the whole experience...it was fantastic! I also know Pam Myers so it was great to hear Sondheim talk about her. I just loved it!

[Timmer]

Posted: 2/20/08 at 11:51pm

I din't et my pen and paper qckly enough to catch teh address and phone number for the DVD. Did anyone get that?

[SNLMedia]

Posted: 2/20/08 at 11:52pm

Thanks MrBundles, I'm sure it is just stunning in HD. It's all about the details, not to mention the audio will be oodles better.

[BustopherPhantom]

Posted: 2/20/08 at 11:56pm

A while ago, someone posted a thread asking what shows you would want to see if you could go back in time. I answered "The two Doyle Revivals".

Well, now I've seen one of them, and I'm shaken.

This was such a wonderful, poetic staging of the show, and one that really brought out what the show could be. All that frustrated me is that it didn't go all the way and bring out all the potential.

As I was watching, I kept thinking that Doyle had staged the show according to Hal Prince's original quote on the show: "I wanted a show where people would scream in laughter for two hours, and then go home and not be able to sleep".

Unfortunately, this leads to some bits being far too comic for their own good (especially the "Not Getting Married" scene, including dialogue). Of course, half the blame should be given to George Furth, but the comedy didn't need to be amplified as much as it was.

Other notes:
-The company, save for Heather Laws at certain moments, was exceptional. Joanne's husband was the best for me: his speech about how Bobby should find someone just like Joanne made me choke up.
-The taping was great, but someone should have held Mr. Price off on all those damn soap-opera zoom-ins.
-The staging was so poetic that I literally felt I was inside the world with everyone else.
-Raul... is the shizzle...

FINALLY: For a show described as "cold", I was amazed at how cathartic an experience the whole thing was.

Well done, Mr. Doyle. Well done, cast. Well done, Raul. And well done, Mr. Price.

Updated On: 2/20/08 at 11:56 PM

[Chrysanthemum62001]

Posted: 2/20/08 at 11:57pm

*sighs* Heaven. Now the world knows Raul Esparza is indeed the 8th world wonder.

[MrBundles]

Posted: 2/20/08 at 11:59pm

hehe yeah it was fun in HD and surround sound!

Ah, what would I do without you my beautiful Samsung?

[SNLMedia]

Posted: 2/20/08 at 11:59pm

I have a Samsung TV too! I'm almost tempted to stay up past 3 AM just to watch it in all its beautiful glory.

[thinggoes]

Posted: 2/20/08 at 11:59pm

okay that's what I was wondering. I think you should take a look at the Original Broadway Cast Recording. While I do love the revival, I can understand how the orchestrations for this particular production can make it seem "boring". I think you'll be surprised by the OBCR. Just compare the title song in both productions. My friend first heard Company listening to this production, and then listened to the OBC, called me and yelled,"What the F*ck?!?!" I almost peed myself driving down the 405.

[snl89]

Posted: 2/21/08 at 12:03am

sorry, I don't mean to get all defensive and annoying here, but I just feel the need to respond to this and then I promise I'm done haha:

snl, do you not realize that without the score (especially in relation to Bobby's character), there would be close to zero character development? People complain about him being a cold character to begin with. Without Someone is Waiting, Marry Me a Little and Being Alive, not only would we not understand Bobby, but we wouldn't care about him either. This discussion has nothing to do with this production of Company in particular; we're talking about the material itself, so really, you can stop reiterating your obsession over Esparza. We know.


First off, my comment on Raul was completely seperate from the discussion of the material. People had been bringing up the Tony's, and yes, becuase Raul was a big part of why I DID enjoy the show, I made a comment about it. But just clarifying: that had NOTHING to do with the previous discussion of the material, and if it seemed like it did then I apologize.


Now, continuing with the other discussion: I'm not so much saying that I think all the music could be cut out just like that and the show would still be able to hold up. I do get that a lot of the songs, lyrically, are very important to the story and the character developement. I simply mean that, unlike in most musicals I see where the music itself tends to strengthen the piece, with Company it was almost like I personally had to look PAST the music in order to enjoy the show. So that's really all I meant- that I felt the straight acting scenes were much stronger than the music itself. Not so much that I actually would expect that the music could be taken out, without any re-writing whatsoever, and it would be perfect.



and thinggoes, thank you- I may actually do that! I'm kind of interested to see if I do like the other orchestrations better :)

Updated On: 2/21/08 at 12:03 AM

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 2/21/08 at 12:10am

What I don't understand is why you couldn't just say you didn't like the score and leave it at that. You felt the need to back it up with something, but the claim you tried to back it up with just shows a complete lack of understanding of the structure of a musical. If you don't like it, fine, that's your opinion. And you're entitled to that. But why not just say that? It doesn't make you look any smarter to back an opinion up with something that's totally false. You're leaving room for people to refute you all over the place.

Being Alive doesn't work without Someone is Waiting, or nearly as well without Marry Me a Little. Obviously it CAN work without Marry Me a Little, but having it there makes the ending payoff all that much stronger. You need him to be in that state of denial first. People always say that the key to musicals is that the characters sing because they can no longer express themselves simply with the spoken word. If these songs take place in his head, Bobby is a perfect example of that. And it's not hokey or contrived to hear him say these really intimate things because it's sung. You suspend your disbelief.

[Pianist3912]

Posted: 2/21/08 at 12:14am

I was left with a lukewarm impression after watching this. There were many things that really worked for me, and some that didn't. Having been very familiar with the score, that's all I had to go by, and that aspect for me was disappointing. The Doyle-style orchestrations really took the kick out of songs like Company, Another Hundred People, and You Could Drive A Person Crazy, for me. The music as well as the overall design of the piece made it seem less dynamic, and sometimes a little boring.

However, the cast and book made up for that. I loved pretty much every bit of dialogue throughout. The book is magnificent. I also LOVED Raúl, Barbara, and Heather. Raúl's nuances that were especially noticeable on TV were great additions to his character.

I feel as though I'd like the original production more than this one, just because the problems I have with this version stem from Doyle's direction. Too bad the original Company was way before my time...I'd love to have seen it though!
Updated On: 2/21/08 at 12:14 AM