Company Previews Thread- Page 33
Company Previews Thread
Company Previews Thread#800
Posted: 12/12/21 at 12:16pm
binau said: "I agree that I don’t think she struggled when I saw her but does she vary night to night? Ie are we actually all comparing the same performance? Hopefully the cast recording if it happens will help settle."
but that isnt the "debate." When I saw Kimberly Akimbo, Bonnie Milligan was hoarse and some of her big belts weren't through the roof like I know she can/does normally. Would I say "she cant sing the score" or would I say "Milligan struggled the night I saw her"
i don't doubt Lenk has had her off nights, and I know some of our most beloved voices are prone to rough patches. The accusation that Lenk "Cant Sing The Score" is not that. Its a suggestion (and it was in the major papers' reviews!) that she was hired despite her inability to objectively do the job. Its topsy turvy, upside down. I find it hard to believe that I happened to see the one random Friday matinee where she sounded perfect.
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/29/05
Company Previews Thread#801
Posted: 12/12/21 at 1:18pm
Perhaps Lenk was having an offnight last night when I saw the show. But it wasn't just her vocals. It was the strange quality she brought to the role, particularly to many of her harsh and just odd phrasings of the songs. And has there ever been a Bobby(ie) who has been so repetitiously drunk?
Company Previews Thread#802
Posted: 12/12/21 at 1:27pm
Bobbie’s excessive drinking and possible alcoholism is part of Elliot’s vision. It was done in London as well.
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/29/05
Company Previews Thread#804
Posted: 12/12/21 at 2:53pm
I guess both for comedic & character development purposes. Personally I feel excessive drinking is reasonably common in this age range right now, especially if single. At least in London, not sure about NYC. So I found it completely believable and in touch with today.
Company Previews Thread#805
Posted: 12/12/21 at 3:45pm
I saw COMPANY last night. Run to see it. It's every bit as good as everyone says it is and--as a major fan of the material--this was by far the best production I've seen.
First things first, Bobbie is so much more interesting when she's a biological female. Director Marianne Eliot raises the stakes by focusing on the biological clock and the primal and societal need to reproduce. The cast is sensational from top to bottom.
Patti got a 2 minute standing ovation after "Ladies Who Lunch" and Matt Doyle just won his Tony for "Not Getting Married Today."
Katrina Lenk is the definition of an actor who can sing, and I like that they cast someone who could interpret and act the hell out of these numbers instead of belting sky high. She's an intelligent, calculating actor and I'm in the camp of people who loved her performance.
My big issue: Bobbie should be queer. It only makes sense that she should be. I don't know why she isn't bi or pan. Kudos to the same sex couple though because it makes that scene resonate more. When the gay couple says those lines re: marriage, "just because we can doesn't mean we should" it hits you like a ton of bricks.
All in all, one of my top five experiences in the theatre. The house was standing room only and the audience was on fire. This is one for the history books. Go see it.
Also, we need a cast recording. I need this cast and these new arrangements recorded.
Broadway Legend Joined: 1/3/05
Company Previews Thread#806
Posted: 12/12/21 at 5:59pm
I would have loved if they made her queer. It was definitely something I thought about while watching, even though I loved every minute of it otherwise.
Company Previews Thread#807
Posted: 12/12/21 at 7:31pm
ashley0139 said: "I would have loved if they made her queer. It was definitely something I thought about while watching, even though I loved every minute of it otherwise."
^ That''s the thing; it never detracted from my overall enjoyment but it was certainly a thought.
Company Previews Thread#808
Posted: 12/12/21 at 7:46pm
I agree. Company always had a queer subtext, I wish they explored that.
Company Previews Thread#809
Posted: 12/12/21 at 7:46pm
^I'm on the same page as you,BarnabyTucker and ashley0139. I wish they had made her queer,or at least bi. Jenn Colella claims they were going to,and they were going to make P.J. a woman and she wanted the part,but the creatives changed their minds. I love Bobby Conte,but Jenn would've been great too.
Updated On: 12/12/21 at 07:46 PMCompany Previews Thread#810
Posted: 12/12/21 at 8:14pm
Bobbie does flirt with a woman in “Another Hundred People” but rejects her. It’s a small moment though.
Sondheim has said many times Bobby isn’t gay, and he stopped the plans for the all gay Company.
I do think the character exploring bisexuality would make sense. The revised 90s script does have an act two scene between Bobby and Peter where they discuss homosexual experiences, but this version cut it. They also removed Marta/PJ from the scene, as Marta appeared in the 90s script. You can see this scene in the Raul version.
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/2/05
Company Previews Thread#811
Posted: 12/12/21 at 11:13pm
BroadwayNYC2 said: "I agree. Company always had a queer subtext, I wish they explored that."
No it didn’t. That was added in the 1990s and is not in every production.
Company Previews Thread#812
Posted: 12/12/21 at 11:29pm
I wonder if this production will run long enough for us to see replacements. Seeing Donna Murphy on the opening night red carpet made me wanna see her Joanne.
Company Previews Thread#813
Posted: 12/12/21 at 11:31pm
I get what you’re saying but making Bobbie queer is just a totally different show. The stakes are different. But keeping her a cis-female I think it’s more interesting because her clock is ticking and will She be a mother etc.
Company Previews Thread#814
Posted: 12/13/21 at 4:28am
SouthernCakes said: "I get what you’re saying but making Bobbie queer is just a totally different show. The stakes are different. But keeping her a cis-female I think it’s more interesting because her clock is ticking and will She be a mother etc."
I don’t believe I’ve seen anyone suggesting making Bobbie non-cis/trans/non-binary. My apologies if I missed that. I finally get to see this in 3 weeks! So I can’t say how it would change the script if Bobbie were trans or non-binary though. But the desire/pressure to be a parent (or not) isn’t exclusive to cis people. But it does sound like Sondheim was resistant to changing Bobby’s sexual orientation (which ii have seen people discussing) so I’m guessing the changes made were all he was comfortable with. And I would imagine the estate will honor that.
Speaking of seeing this in three weeks, I seem to recall that at the latest revival of WSS, the merch booths were selling at least one of Sondheim’s books (Finishing the Hat and Look, I Made a Hat). Any one know if they’re selling either book or both at Company or maybe at Assassins?
Company Previews Thread#815
Posted: 12/13/21 at 5:19am
So, I have a partial view orchestra seat. K 23. Left side.
Will I be ok, or should I try to exchange for better. Keep in mind I'm mostly going to see Patti.
Broadway Star Joined: 2/20/20
Company Previews Thread#816
Posted: 12/13/21 at 9:41am
I think Bobbie should be bi and I think (forgot the character's name) the boyfriend that sings Another Hundred People should remain a woman. The song works better with a woman's voice.
I think April/Andy could remain a woman too. (I missed the "tall enough to be your mother").
Company Previews Thread#817
Posted: 12/13/21 at 10:45am
Cape Twirl of Doom said: "BroadwayNYC2 said: "I agree. Company always had a queer subtext, I wish they explored that."
No it didn’t. That was added in the 1990s and is not in every production."
No, it was always there. Subtext was made text in the 1990's, when a scene that had been cut during rehearsals for the original production was reinstated. But from the beginning of the show's history, any number of people have opined--in person and in print--that Bobby seems to be gay, or at least a man whose aversion to commitment to any woman doesn't make a lot of sense, and perhaps this indicates the character is growing towards a realization of his true sexuality. People have argued this back and forth from Day One.
Company Previews Thread#818
Posted: 12/13/21 at 11:13am
Exactly. Subtext isn’t spelled out for us, but it would be naive to say that it was never there when it’s been discussed to death from the show’s premiere.
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/2/05
Company Previews Thread#819
Posted: 12/13/21 at 1:22pm
I disagree that that is subtext. That certain audience members want to believe Bobby is gay because they can’t fathom any other reason for him not to want to be married doesn’t mean that is actually there in the text. You can make up whatever you want, but Sondheim has been very clear that was not what he intended for the character. IMO if it were simply that Bobby was gay that would remove all the complexity of the plot.
Company Previews Thread#820
Posted: 12/13/21 at 1:39pm
lovebwy said: "So, I have a partial view orchestra seat. K 23. Left side.
Will I be ok, or should I try to exchange for better. Keep in mind I'm mostly going to see Patti."
You may want to exchange. According to this thread, you want to be in orchestra right/house right (or center orchestra). That's the direction she faces for LWL.
https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.php?thread=1126947
Company Previews Thread#821
Posted: 12/13/21 at 1:58pm
joevitus said: "Cape Twirl of Doom said: "BroadwayNYC2 said: "I agree. Company always had a queer subtext, I wish they explored that."
No it didn’t. That was added in the 1990s and is not in every production."
No, it was always there. Subtext was made text in the 1990's, when a scene that had been cut during rehearsals for the original production was reinstated. But from the beginning of the show's history, any number of people have opined--in person and in print--that Bobby seems to be gay, or at least a man whose aversion to commitment to any woman doesn't make a lot of sense, and perhaps this indicates the character is growing towards a realization of his true sexuality. People have argued this back and forth from Day One."
Fascinating. I had no idea that scene from the '90s was part of the original book but had been cut.
Bobby turns him down of course. Maybe the intent of the scene was to quash the idea of him being gay. Like they knew some in the audience would wonder about that.
Broadway Legend Joined: 1/3/05
Company Previews Thread#823
Posted: 12/13/21 at 4:14pm
Miles2Go2 said: "SouthernCakes said: "I get what you’re saying but making Bobbie queer is just a totally different show. The stakes are different. But keeping her a cis-female I think it’s more interesting because her clock is ticking and will She be a mother etc."
I don’t believe I’ve seen anyone suggesting making Bobbie non-cis/trans/non-binary. My apologies if I missed that. I finally get to see this in 3 weeks! So I can’t say how it would change the script if Bobbie were trans or non-binary though. But the desire/pressure to be a parent (or not) isn’t exclusive to cis people. But it does sound like Sondheim was resistant to changing Bobby’s sexual orientation (which ii have seen people discussing) so I’m guessing the changes made were all he was comfortable with. And I would imagine the estate will honor that.
Speaking of seeing this in three weeks, I seem to recall that at the latest revival of WSS, the merch booths were selling at least one of Sondheim’s books (Finishing the HatandLook, I Made a Hat). Anyone know if they’re selling either book or both at Company or maybe at Assassins?"
They didn't really have much merch-wise at Company. A couple shirts, a mug, a tote bag, maybe a hat. I didn't see either of the Sondheim books.
Company Previews Thread#824
Posted: 12/13/21 at 5:36pm
I wish they had souvenir programs. I have 2,one form Wicked and one from Anything Goes (with Sutton Foster).
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