Company Reviews (and beyond)- Page 24

[Nolan LuPone]

Posted: 4/7/22 at 10:04am

I believe that I saw Matt Wall's debut as David, and you could tell he needed to get in the groove a little more. So glad to hear that he's doing great in the role now!

[ljay889]

Posted: 4/7/22 at 10:56am

Paige Faure will be on as Sarah this Saturday and Sunday, according to her IG. Looks like her contract was extended. 

[LucyEth2]

Posted: 4/7/22 at 11:05am

Saw Heath go on at the Wednesday matinee and he was terrific.  As were the five (!) other understudies for Bobbie, Theo, Harry, David & Sarah.  You would never have known that there were that many original cast members out, the show was incredibly tight, without a glitch in sight.  Hoping to go back and see who I missed, as I thought the production itself was magical.  BTW, TDF had me in the front row center orcestra!

[JasonC3]

Posted: 4/7/22 at 11:06am

lmao at a couple of All that Chat commenters today who are upset about the new names for some of the characters because of the gender swap

talk about your first world problems

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 4/7/22 at 11:11am

ljay889 said: "Paige Faure will be on as Sarah this Saturday and Sunday, according to her IG. Looks like her contract was extended."

I love Paige Faure! I would love for her to get a chance to go on as Bobbie at some point.

[TaffyDavenport]

Posted: 4/7/22 at 11:15am

FWIW, my friend who's visiting from California, and who previously saw the first show back on November 15th, texted me at intermission, "It's not the same, but it's pretty good. The songs sound okay." She also mentioned that the energy from the audience just wasn't there, and Patti didn't even get a full standing O. She did say that "Being Alive" was great. Granted, her expectations were high, but she did sound somewhat disappointed.

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 4/7/22 at 11:22am

ljay889 said: "Paige Faure will be on as Sarah this Saturday and Sunday, according to her IG. Looks like her contract was extended."

Considering how things are going these days, that's pretty smart. The understudies have been doing a brilliant job the past two weeks, but if they start getting infected, people may still be needed after the regulars return.

I love how supportive this cast is with one another. The fact that Jennifer Simard shared the news about Kathryn Allison going on, and now about Paige as Sarah (and her post praising all the Sarah and Harry covers); Katrina Lenk's post about Nikki and the understudies; Nikki posting about Britney when she went on. So nice to see. Maybe there's an additional reason they're believable as friends onstage :)

Updated On: 4/7/22 at 11:22 AM

[Navin Johnson]

Posted: 4/7/22 at 11:34am

Patti didn’t get a standing O last night because she was visibly sleepwalking through the show. The understudies all brought it (and what a joy it was to see a mostly age-appropriate cast who all seemed like actual friends as opposed to a group of Actors desperately trying to get applause breaks on every line reading). 
 

Coleman’s Someone Is Waiting was especially breathtaking, and as another poster mentioned, having a Bobbie who seems genuinely fun to be around is IMMENSELY helpful. The Esparza take on the character seems to have made people think it requires Hamlet pathos, but easy charm and buoyancy masking the loneliness and fear actually goes a long, long way — “folksy Doris Day” finally tracked as a real “read”.

[ljay889]

Posted: 4/7/22 at 12:00pm

I’m glad they’re getting this covid outbreak over with now.  I’m sure the full cast will be rested and giving 100% for the important upcoming Tony season. The best time to see the original cast will be coming soon. 
I don’t think Patti was sleep walking through the show, but the energy all around was definitely a little off for me this past Sunday. 
 

[GiantsInTheSky2]

Posted: 4/7/22 at 3:26pm

Just wanted to follow up after seeing Britney’s debut on Tuesday - being able to see three different versions of this cast has been so damn enjoyable. Truly the strongest cast of understudies (and principles). The only thing I discovered was that I much prefer Heath Saunders’ vocal performance of Another Hundred People. Javier is dreamy and I will leave it at that before I get banned from the Jacobs. Nikki was wonderful to watch and Britney absolutely nailed this part, would love her to get more performances in. Patti’s consistent character yet very different performances and line readings is so exciting to watch. The post-LWL scene is always fresh and the impact is always a little different because of this (and I agree with the poster who said the “folksy Doris Day” line finally hit with Britney). I hope the cast gets over this variant hump and continue to do well, but I must say, these understudies are such a joy.

[ljay889]

Posted: 4/7/22 at 4:15pm

Did Britney get on her knees during “Being Alive” or perform it all standing like Nikki? Also, could you tell if her key changed or stayed the same like Nikki? I believe the key change is tailored specially to Katrina’s voice. 
I did notice during “Barcelona”, Nikki used a lot of Katrina’s gestures and mannerisms. One of the few times I felt she borrowed from her. Did Britney do this as well?

Updated On: 4/7/22 at 04:15 PM

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 4/7/22 at 4:16pm

Agreed on Heath's Another Hundred People, though I thought the Doris Day line landed with Daniels (as I said last week). It just works better with a warmer, outwardly happier Bobbie, which she was.

So far the cast I saw last Wednesday is my favorite--Daniels as Bobbie, Sessions and Simard, Wall and Coleman, Ignacio and Benson, Saunders's PJ--though Saturday's was a close second (Saunders was an excellent Theo and Rodriguez an equally good Jamie). Tempted to try for tomorrow to see it one more time with the closest combination of this cast possible.

[ACL2006]

Posted: 4/7/22 at 5:01pm

Javier is back on as Jaime tonight. No word if Heath or Jeff are playing Theo.

[MadsonMelo]

Posted: 4/7/22 at 5:10pm

ljay889 said: "Did Britney get on her knees during “Being Alive” or perform it all standing like Nikki? Also, could you tell if her key changed or stayed the same like Nikki? I believe the key change is tailored specially to Katrina’s voice.
I did notice during “Barcelona”, Nikki used a lot of Katrina’s gestures and mannerisms. One of the few times I felt she borrowed from her. Did Britney do this as well?"

Britney get on her knees, didnt know Nikki didnt

[ljay889]

Posted: 4/7/22 at 5:27pm

MadsonMelo said: "ljay889 said: "Did Britney get on her knees during “Being Alive” or perform it all standing like Nikki? Also, could you tell if her key changed or stayed the same like Nikki? I believe the key change is tailored specially to Katrina’s voice.
I did notice during “Barcelona”, Nikki used a lot of Katrina’s gestures and mannerisms. One of the few times I felt she borrowed from her. Did Britney do this as well?"

Britney get on her knees, didnt know Nikki didnt"

Interesting. Nikki performed It all standing on Sunday. 

Updated On: 4/7/22 at 05:27 PM

[fosterfan2]

Posted: 4/7/22 at 6:35pm

JasonC3 said: "lmao at a couple of All that Chat commenters today who are upset about the new names for some of the characters because of the gender swap

talk about your first world problems"

I can't stand that site. So much bitching and complaining. I didn't have an account,but I used to read it daily. I try to avoid it now. They're really nasty about Katrina Lenk,too.

 

[joevitus]

Posted: 4/7/22 at 6:42pm

fosterfan2 said: "JasonC3 said: "lmao at a couple of All that Chat commenters today who are upset about the new names for some of the characters because of the gender swap

talk about your first world problems"

I can't stand that site. So much bitching and complaining. I didn't have an account,but I used to read it daily. I try to avoid it now. They're really nasty about Katrina Lenk,too.

"

I mean, any criticisms of a Broadway show are first world problems by definition...

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 4/7/22 at 7:05pm

I keep checking the Companybway tag on Instagram to catch the cast lists (Manu is back as Theo tonight, so his quarantine must be over). These photos from yesterday's curtain call are really nice (I don't know why it never occurs to me in the moment to take photos):

https://www.instagram.com/p/CcC5VXgumMU/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CcC-qQ-OLAg/

[ljay889]

Posted: 4/7/22 at 7:47pm

fosterfan2 said: "JasonC3 said: "lmao at a couple of All that Chat commenters today who are upset about the new names for some of the characters because of the gender swap

talk about your first world problems"

I can't stand that site. So much bitching and complaining. I didn't have an account,but I used to read it daily. I try to avoid it now. They're really nasty about Katrina Lenk,too.

"

Yes, they are awful to her on there. Very nasty and bitter people. 

[Rudy2]

Posted: 4/7/22 at 10:39pm

I saw the show tonight for the fifth time - three times with different friends, twice alone to catch understudies - and I was blissed out in the home stretch and laughed at places I never noticed were funny before. I also heard Sondheim genius droplets pop out at me I’ve never heard before!

When I’m 80 there will be still be lyrics of his that make me jump with excitement at something I only just notice.

I thought Ignacio was absolutely wonderful and deeply heartfelt. He’s not as physically adept or rapid-fire as Doyle, but I daresay he felt more vulnerable and, therefore, adorable. Different actors, different lovely colors. 

I already saw Allison on as Sarah before and she was even funnier this time. It was my first time seeing Sessions and I liked his comic timing even better than Sieber’s, but I like Sieber’s interpretation of the song more. I found it that much more deeply felt.

Simard was missed. She is so fiercely funny and original. She was a first-rate Joanne, too.

All the understudies were perfectly wonderful tonight. And I liked Conte tonight best of all.

LuPone was certainly *not* holding back tonight! It was the best I’ve seen her in the role yet. Each bite of comic delivery landed without an ounce of fat on it or anything lost, and the audience loved every drop of it. She wrung every drop out of the lemon that is TLWL, and the high note at the end felt like it lasted ninety damn seconds! I almost fell over! The audience whooped and hollered. It was probably twenty seconds. Not one quaver. She already had knocked them out of the park but then went ahead and casually hit another home run. The scene after the song was as heartbreaking as ever, with one line delivery I’d never heard before; I know I hadn’t, because I was smacked upside the head by it. Beautiful. 

NRD. Wow!!! I adore Katrina’s performance, but I was surprised to not miss her one bit thanks to NRD. I think Katrina mines the songs in a more actorly way, which I not only love but find vitally important to Sondheim. Her “Marry Me a Little” and “Being Alive” are definitive in my book. However, NRD is more *fun* to watch, is much more comedically gifted, and has that “Doris Day” quality Katrina doesn’t quite have. She is a Bobbie you can believe all these people would want to be friends with. Unlike with Katrina, I can picture getting hammered with NRD’s Bobbie until closing time - and I would *love* to.

I am *SO* glad I saw her.

If you get a chance to see the show with her, DO NOT MISS IT. See both amazing ladies in the role.

By the way, my recent tribute to Sondheim: 

https://outinjersey.net/stephen-sondheim-may-be-gone-but-his-legacy-will-endure/



 

 

 

Updated On: 4/8/22 at 10:39 PM

[kwoc91]

Posted: 4/8/22 at 7:50am

I was also at last night’s show and thought it was fantastic! It was my first time seeing it since the reopening performance and I’m so glad I nabbed a ticket this week.

I adored NRD as Bobbie and think she would do great things with the role if ever given the chance to perform it longer-term. 

I also agree wholeheartedly that Patti was on FIRE last night!! It was such a delight. 

I sat in Orch row E, seat 12. It’s marked as partial view for $59 but you hardly miss anything and it was great seeing the actors up close. Plus, on that side you get to watch Patti’s face the whole time she is seated at the night club table. I’d definitely sit there again. 

I admit I was fairly lukewarm about this production when I first saw it, but now I’m fully aboard the Company train and look forward to seeing it again in the near future. 
 

[MadsonMelo]

Posted: 4/8/22 at 10:36am

kwoc91 said: "I was also at last night’s show and thought it was fantastic! It was my first time seeing it since the reopening performance and I’m so glad I nabbed a ticket this week.

I adored NRD as Bobbie and think she would do great things with the role if ever given the chance to perform it longer-term.

I also agree wholeheartedly that Patti was on FIRE last night!! It was such a delight.

I sat in Orch row E, seat 12. It’s marked as partial view for $59 but you hardly miss anything and it was great seeing the actors up close. Plus, on that side you get to watch Patti’s face the whole time she is seated at the night club table. I’d definitely sit there again.

I admit I was fairly lukewarm about this production when I first saw it, but now I’m fully aboard the Company train and look forward to seeing it again in the near future.
"

Did you bought this ticket in advance or get at rush?

I wanna go to Company again on sunday as my Last show, I heard the rush is in the boxes (which are not good) and that they offer decent views seats for $59. So maybe I should try these seats instead of rush a not good one for only $10 less?

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 4/8/22 at 10:49am

Those partial view orchestra seats on the side are available in advance, though on the weekends they're $79 (they're $59 Tuesday-Thursday). It's usually the two on the end in rows A-E on each side. (And further back, but if you want to be close you wouldn't want to go much farther than E.) Probably better to aim for the inside one if possible. (It looks like E12 is currently available for Sunday.)

Updated On: 4/8/22 at 10:49 AM

[MadsonMelo]

Posted: 4/8/22 at 10:54am

Thanks!

$79 is kinda pricy for me now at the End of the trip haha

will have to see what I can do

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 4/8/22 at 11:06am

If you haven't been, you can always try the lottery. You have to enter the day before. Tickets are $47.

https://companylottery.com/

I got front mezzanine last weekend. In the rush/lottery thread, some people said they got orchestra.