Favorite Company Cast Recording? — Page 2

I love, and have a great deal of respect for the original, but my heart will always lie with the '06 revival, because that production was how I came to know (and love) Company. It was my first full exposure; my first real exposure to the show was the original recording, but I didn't get it until I saw it for myself.

I also have a soft spot for the 2001 Brazilian recording.

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Updated On: 7/1/08 at 11:39 PM

OBC. I listened to it in anticipation for the revival and it stuck with me.

I hate the dialogue on the '06 revival.

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But Raul is SOOO self indulgent. Dean Jones and (even if he sings it a little bith like a lounge singer) Larry Kert are so much better. I don't get this Raul-love. Jones makes me weap. Esparza makes me cringe.

I have many different preferences when it comes to "Company." If I had to listen to a Company recording in its entirety, there is no doubt that the Original Broadway Cast Recording is the only one I would choose. For me, there is nothing, NOTHING redeemable about the Roundabout Revival cast. I find Ms. Cox to be boring (I do usually enjoy her) and Boyd Gaines is just OK. As for the Doyle revival, I was in awe with Raul Esparza’s interpretation of Bobby at the theater, but on the recording it is on the cold side (though his rendition of "Being Alive" does rank up there with the best). The rest of the cast, with the exception of Ms. Walsh, is absolutely dreadful (even more so than the Roundabout's company).

I thouroughly enjoy Sam Mendes's London Revival Recording and find the title song on that CD to be the best. Adrian Lester's voice is on the "Kermit" side, but his sympathetic, vulnerable, and somewhat foolish version of "Marry Me A Little" is just brilliant! But, the best part about the London recording is Sophie Thompson's "Not Getting Married Today." Yes, the New York accent is too heavy, but the mental unstabibility she brought to the manic Amy comes through well on the recording (without being over-the-top).

Now honestly, does anything really compare to the McKechnie, Browning, Myers trio? Or, the original "Sorry-Grateful" trio for that matter? And how about the perfect combination of orchestration and voice in Pamela Myers "Another Hundred People"? I do agree with others about the raw and emotional quality Jones brings to his numbers (his "Barcelona" duet with Browning is just unmatched). His “Someone Is Waiting” and “Being Alive” truly have not been surpassed (well I might make an exception for LuPone’s version of “Being Alive”).

Alright I'll be the first, and only, person to say it... I like Barbara Walsh's "The Ladies Who Lunch" over Strich's. So sue me.

Updated On: 7/2/08 at 01:54 AM

The bombastic, dynamic 70s orchestrations will always be ingrained in the soul of Company for me. The OBC is one of my top five favorite cast recordings of all time; I get so excited listening all the way through the cd and rarely skip a song which is a rarity for me. I think Dean Jones is the best Bobby I've ever heard, but nothing can beat the rendition Boyd gives on "Marry Me A Little." I wish Dean got to perform that on disc at some point down the line, I'm sure he would've lent his special quality to it.

When not talking about the original cast, I think that Veanne gives the most panic-induced, yet collected take on it similar to Madeleine Kahn. The clarity of her wording is also rather unmatched in my opinion which I'm sure Sondheim must have been pleased about. The 95 cast also does have the vocal parts distinctly stand out while making up the whole as somebody pointed out already, each line comes through much more clean than the original does.

I enjoy that dialogue from the show is preserved on the newer recording, but just for the sake of having it rather than what I'd intend on listening to. It's also probably got my favorite "Poor Baby" on it, the female voices are killer and I'm not fond of the song normally so the orchestration doesn't bother me much.

Updated On: 7/6/08 at 03:13 AM

I have the OBC and London, but the one I keep coming back to is the London

I don't think Lester is perfect as Bobby (I prefer Esparza really), but he's fine, and I think the rest of the London cast is flawless

I wonder if it depends on which one you listen to (repeatedly) FIRST?

The London was the first one I bought and listened to, so maybe that is why

Otherwise, I'm in the minority here....

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I think it's a tie between the original recording and the Doyle revival. Mary Mitchell Campbell's orchestrations are superb and intricate, and my only criticism is the dialog that interrupts it.

And as for the original, there are just defining moments, like the opening to "Another Hundred People."

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Here's another vote for the OBC.

I saw Company in London in the 1970's starring Larry Kert. It featured the majority of the Broadway Cast and it was an evening of theater I will never forget. Kert was fantastic as Bobby and my favorite recording is the Original Cast Recording with Kert's vocals instead of Dean Jones that was released by CBS as the London Cast recording in the 1970's. I have heard every recording of Company since and none even come close to the level of brilliance Larry Kert brings to the role. He is simply the best Bobby ever as far as I am concerned. This recording is the hardest to find but the most rewarding of all Company cast albums and even if you personally prefer other recordings it is still worth hearing.

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I really like the one with Esparza.