Company Previews Thread- Page 33

[PipingHotPiccolo]

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.

[henrikegerman]

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?  
 

[ljay889]

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. 

 

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 12/12/21 at 2:19pm

Thanks. 

But why? 
 

[binau]

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. 

[BarnabyTucker]

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. 

[ashley0139]

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.

[BarnabyTucker]

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.  

 

[BroadwayNYC2]

Posted: 12/12/21 at 7:46pm

I agree. Company always had a queer subtext, I wish they explored that. 

[fosterfan2]

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 PM

[ljay889]

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.  

[Cape Twirl of Doom]

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.

[NOWaWarning]

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.

[SouthernCakes]

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.

[Miles2Go2]

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? 

[lovebwy]

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.

Updated On: 12/13/21 at 05:19 AM

[Georgeanddot2]

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").

[joevitus]

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. 

[BroadwayNYC2]

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. 

[Cape Twirl of Doom]

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.

[MemorableUserName]

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

 

[carnzee]

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. 

[lovebwy]

Posted: 12/13/21 at 2:20pm

Thank you, memorable.

[ashley0139]

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.

[fosterfan2]

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).