Company Previews Thread — Page 6

A number of people have commented on the poor book,

I saw Company 3 times when it first opened in 1970. I have seen it at least 8-10 times times since then. There has never been a single time when I didn't cringe multiple times during the book scenes, sometimes uncomfortably because some of them were just so forced or, eventually, forced AND dated. IMO George Furth was a hack, and every production I have seen would have been much better if the book had been thrown out and redone from scratch. I have always wondered why Hal Prince didn't try to make it seem less episodic, e.g., now is the scene with the pot smokers, now is the scene with the scared bride-to-be, etc.

That said, I have always felt the best way to view Company is simply to endure the book scenes and wait for the next musical number, since they are all so damned entertaining. By preparing myself for the fact that the book sucks, I find that I enjoy it more. Based on what I have read here, I am expecting that I will have to cringe more during some of the scenes, are pot smokers in 2000 remotely funny?

Two last points: I am among the group people who hated Raul Esparza in the role. I thought that he was so cold that no-one would want to be his friend. His Being Alive was sung beautifully, however. I saw Boyd Gaines twice, once when he was having vocal issues early in the run (just as BP had early in the run of Gypsy), and once when his voice was better. I thought his performance was excellent, especially his Being Alive. He had a likability that made his aloneness all the more hard to observe.

In either version, the book still kept (and has always kept) Company from being a truly great musical, even though I have loved most versionsI have seen to date.

Just came back to say that Bobby Conte looks very sexy with a man-bun. That is all.

I can't imagine anyone looking sexy with a man-bun. Ever. They have the same effect on me as a mullet.

Raul is literally the only major Bobby that was a powerhouse singer.

Really? I think both Dean Cain and Larry Kert sound better. And from what I heard, John Barrowman absolutely nailed it vocally in the Kennedy Center Festival production.

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This is the view from mezzanine B 27, posted on A View From My Seat:

Seating Q: I'm trying to find seats I'm happy with for my visit in April - would love front center mezz, but there are none available as of now, and what's left of the center orchestra seems to be entirely premium priced tickets. I do like being close - would I miss much sitting in the very front row of Orchestra L? The seat on the aisle is full price, but both the seat next to it and the third seat are marked partial view, and I was thinking about snagging the aisle + the one next to it. Or maybe just waiting to see if better options become available closer to the date, because I've seen that happen a lot and regretted buying early.

What I would give to see the new staging of Another Hundred People!

qolbinau said: "If I recall in London ‘have I got a guy for you’ might have had smartphones. Can anyone that has seen both London and NYC confirm that Patti is new to Tick Tock? I’m sure I would have remembered her in the scene but yes I guess there is a lot going on there."

I saw it in London four times and I'm pretty sure Patti wasn't in Tick Tock. I can only remember four alternate Bobbies in the nightmare - unless there were more and I blocked them out because of the horror!

I'd love to hear what Patti does in the scene now.

Ok, now that I’ve had some time to process last night. Wow! For a first preview, that was wonderful. I haven’t enjoyed a production of “Company” this much ever. Marianne’s direction is the star here. This production felt so fresh and fun. I haven’t seen a production that really embraced the comedy as this one did. Loved the set and transitions. Use of letters was well done. Wish the key idea followed through more throughout the show. Seemed to get abandoned.

First, Patti was terrific as usual. Very well deserved standing ovation. Her costume on broadway is perfect. Beyond her number, I actually really enjoyed watching her in the ensemble numbers. She’s hysterical.

SIMARD!!!! Show-stealer. I haven’t laughed this much in some time. She was everything! She got every laugh and then some. Depending on the rest of the season shapes up I cannot imagine not wanting to recognize her with a Tony nomination.

Matt and Etai were both adorable. Had issues hearing lyrics in “Not Getting Married”. I kinda felt like sound was an issue but clearly something that can be worked throughout the preview period. I didn’t have quite the reaction to “Hundred People” as it seems everyone else did. It was good but for some reason the structure and stop/start nature of the song just always kills the momentum and drive for me. Claybourne, first, my goodness that bod. But then get over that because his performance is excellent. Gentle, sweet and innocent.

Ok, Katrina Lenk. It’s a good performance. It’s first preview. I feel like she’s really into the spine of this character and her physical work for is impressive. She’s very relaxed. Her acting is spot on. I so want to ignore that she’s not the strongest singer because of how great her acting is. But watching her navigate her way through the score felt uncomfortable. I felt like I was watching her, be aware, that she’s trying to figure how to work her voice right in front of us. This is something I imagine she’ll navigate through the preview process. But it might not be a bad idea to try different keys so she doesn’t always have to flip up for higher notes. Her physical self also seemed to change awkwardly each time came to sing the higher stuff.

I look forward to seeing this again. Can’t wait to see how this production continues to grow over time.



oh, also was nice to randomly run into Sondheim on the street leaving the show

Updated On: 3/3/20 at 06:09 PM

Lenk has the perfect voice for this. I prefer a voice with character over a bland beltress. Bobbi has always been for an actor who sings.

CatastrophicDay said: "I didn't see the first preview, I'm going in a month. However, I can echo the reports of hesitation in Katrina Lenk's singing for this show. I noticed it first when I watched the NYE Philharmonic Concert where she was the guest singer. She sang two Sondheim numbers (Could I Leave You and Losing My Mind) and she sounded fine, butuncertain in a way. I was also at the Guggenheim preview where there were some context clues that she was not feeling fully confident - originally the program listed Marry Me a Little, but was updated when we arrived to Someone is Waiting, when Katrina got up from the panel to sing she seemed a tad nervous, and Patti was very supportive afterward; she mouthed something along the lines of 'you sang beautifully'.

Count me in the group that wants her to knock this out of the park, and I can definitely see her getting stronger and more confident as previews go on. I know she's a pro so I am optimistic about being impressed in a month :)"

Yeah you summed this up well for me. It was more that I felt she was uncomfortable and it made it so for me. I think time will help.

For those who saw this is in London and already caught a preview on Broadway I have a question...has the set design changed at all? And also, I saw the second preview in London, and Patti sat through the entirety of Ladies Who Lunch...that's how it was staged and I thought it was bizarre. Has that changed?

I’m so glad to see Etai Benson getting so many compliments on here. Paul isn’t much of a showcase, but it sounds like he’s really milking the role for all of its potential. He really took my eye in The Band’s Visit and I hope he continues to deliver great performances. I wouldn’t be surprised if he was able to pick up something off of his pal Ari’el Stachel’s turn as a reassuring and comforting figure who helped his character during his own panic attack and transferred that energy into his portrayal of Paul.
I’m also happy to hear that Lenk and Doyle are better tonight, although most of what o read on here was pretty positive.

Kad said: "I am kind of surprised by all this “Katrina Lenk isn’t the strongest singer...” stuff. She has done a lot of musical theatre. A lot. No, she’s not a screlt-for-the-gawds, bring-down-the-house vocalist, the kind that seems to get fetishized these days. But she is a very good and very capable singer and she is- and this important- an exemplary musical theatre performer."

Yes, you are right. Which is why we want them to change the keys for her so it’s right for her voice

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ljay889 said: "The show ended at 10:58 tonight due to the technical difficulty and the orchestra didn’t finish playing the exit music. I am assuming because of overtime purposes?"

Yes that is a safe assumption

Updated On: 3/3/20 at 11:28 PM

Most of my thoughts would just be echos of what has already been said, so I'll keep things brief and just highlight what I loved:

- The set, lighting, and direction work perfectly in tandem to create one of the most exciting visual experiences I've had in a theater. I truly was captivated, but not distracted, by what they have created here, and I'm itching to go back just so I can see it again.

- I thought Katrina was phenomenal. While I agree her voice is still finding its way through the score, and I trust it will soon enough, she acts the **** out of this role and brought me to tears on more than one occasion. A not-so-confident note here and there can be forgiven when she is pulling out emotion like this.

- Another Hundred People is when I really decided I was sold on this production. Such a fantastic execution of an excellent concept, and a great shining moment for Bobby Conte Thornton.

Overall, I think this has been my favorite offering so far this season, and I can't wait to find myself back at the Jacobs soon enough. What a fabulous beast they have here.