PBS to record COMPANY this Saturday? — Page 5

I would love to see a tour of this show, and I'm one of those people who lives in the middle of nowhere. I'm lucky in that I can travel to NYC to see the shows I want to see, but most folks around here only see theatre when it comes to us. People here, from all walks of life, go crazy for tours, regardless of the show. The current non-eq AIDA tour, for example, got a lengthy and rwody standing ovation. We only wished they could have stayed for more than one night and that was for a not great production. Company will never make it to a 15th tier city like this but it will get closer than NYC, hopefully Minneapolis or Chicago, and many of us country folk from around here will go see it.

I'm happy that this seems to be going through - whenever it ends up airing, and on whatever channel, hehe.

I also hope that they have a good editor who doesnt chop this up. I'm not even that crazy about the video preview on bww, to be honest.

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As far as the audience issue, I remember a significant amount of the buzz surrounding the transfer being about this issue. Some of the jokes didn't fly in Cincinnati because they were so VERY New York. Cast members have said they could tell when there were New Yorkers in the audience because on those nights, people got the jokes. But aside from that, this particular production has such a cynical sensibility, and I guess that's something people pretty often associate with our city, too. Some of that can definitely be put on other big cities, too, I think, but the difference in the audience reaction between the runs has been really interesting.

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I'm wary of how they would advertise a national tour for this production given the poor job they did getting the word out IN NY.

I agree that its a production that is very reliant on the audience's understanding of the sort of psyche of NY. But I mean, can't the same thing be said for Rent? Or Woody Allen's movies? Maybe not to the same extent, I guess

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I think Rent transcends that New York thing, though. You can make all kinds of arguments about the period and the place, some of which I'd agree with, but at the end of the day, what the show SAYS is not dependent on where and when it takes place. I wouldn't necessarily argue the same thing for this particular production of Company, because it's really dark and ambivalent. I think that what it's ABOUT (relationships, etc.) could obviously fly in any time or place, but this particular reading of it has a pretty modern metropolis thing going on.

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Yeah, that's what I was saying earlier. There are some shows that work with the reverse thinking, but this isn't one of them, IMO.

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There's something universal about the text, absolutely. You can certainly still GET the show even without the details, but I'm still stuck on how many of the jokes that get HUGE laughs here fell totally flat in Cincinnati. I think this is a hard discussion to have because people will be like, "well, I'm not a New Yorker and I got it!," but we also don't want to make generalizations. I don't really know; I do feel that this reading of the show may make it a little bit less relatable to people who aren't in New York in certain spots, but not on the whole -- because obviously I feel very strongly about how relatable and cathartic the show is. And is that just because I'm a born and bred New Yorker? Probably not.

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Updated On: 6/28/07 at 12:07 PM

in the same way, REALLY different lines in Jersey Boys get laughs in NY, SF, and LA. I'm not sure if that's such a "bad" thing just because everyone doesn't think that one specific line is funny. but each destination will find experience a show uniquely.

It's just a slight pet peeve of mine - like saying people aren't going to understand Les Mis b/c they're not French, or Wicked because we don't live in Oz, or Light in the Piazza b/c we're not Italian where full songs are sung in Italian.

^ We're not supposted to

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there is a universality in the show that anyone, regardless of destination, should appeal to. Just because some of the NY jokes fall "flat" doesn't mean that's necessarily bad. If anything, I feel that this show might perpetuate stereotypes of NY-ers; we are all blase, don't care about anything, wear black only...which are all things people think about New Yorkers anyways.

I think it's a bit insulting to think that the show should only be for NY audiences. If you think this way, you are giving far less credit to the understanding of the average theater goer :)

I've lived in New York for three years and have taken many out-of-towner friends to see this show and they have enjoyed it fully.

Don't get me wrong; I'm not trying to insult theater goers across the country or whatever. I'm just saying that certain parts of the show work best here. Not only does it use some of the stereotypes, but I think it taps into things we think about ourselves, too. As a WHOLE, it's not site-specific. Just in certain moments.

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Updated On: 6/28/07 at 12:39 PM

Company is, and has been, done all over the country every day in repertory and community theatre ever since rights became available some twenty-five years ago. The only Sondheim shows that are performed more often are Into the Woods and West Side Story.

Just in the last six months it's played/playing in the following places:


* Samford University, Birmingham, AL, Apr 19-23.
* Webb School of California, Claremont, CA, Feb 9-10.
* Poway Performing Arts Company, Poway, CA, Mar 8-Apr 1.
* Hancock College, Santa Maria, CA, Jun 14-Jul 15.
* Connecticut College, New London, CT, Apr 26-29.
* Miami Acting Company, Coral Gables, FL, Apr 20-29.
* Jacksonville University, Jacksonville, FL, Apr 5-14.
* Arts Alliance, Evanston, IL, Apr 12-14.
* Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, Apr 12-14.
* Triton College, River Grove, IL, May 4-13.
* Emmanuel College, Boston, MA, Apr 13-22.
* Southborough Players, Marlboro, MA, Mar 24-Apr 1.
* Tufts University, Medford, MA, Apr 19-28.
* Salem State College, Salem, MA, Apr 19-29.
* Little Theatre of Owatonna, Owatonna, MN, Feb 22-Mar 3.
* Saint Mary's University, Winona, MN, Apr 20-23.
* Lindenwood University, Saint Charles, MO, Mar 8-17.
* Nena Productions, New Brunswick, NJ, Mar 16-25.
* New York Philharmonic, New York, NY, Mar 7-10.
* Ethel Barrymore Theater, New York, NY, Oct 30, 2006-(open)
* Playhouse South, Miamisburg, OH, Feb 8-18.
* Oxford Area Community Theatre, Oxford, OH, Jan 19-27.
* University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, Apr 27-May 6.
* Providence College, Providence, RI, Mar 30-Apr 15.
* Rogersville Playhouse, Rogersville, TN, Feb 2-11.
* Southwestern University, Georgetown, TX, Feb 23-Mar 4.
* Four County Players, Barboursville, VA, Mar 9-25.
* Emory and Henry College, Emory, VA, Apr 19-22.


I love New Yorkers dearly, and yes, you are very "special" people. But the rest of us do "get it." Company is not THAT New York specific. And the few times that it is, most people are either familiar with the refernces or sophisticated enough to be able to get the gist of the reference.

Sondheim wants us to "get" everything. And that's how he writes. That's a big part of his genius.

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