Sondheim Working On A Revised (Gay) Version Of COMPANY — Page 3

"Very basic issues, like Bobby seeing turning 35 as such a big deal"

Surely making the musical gay will make this issue more relevant than ever. Likewise about the whole theme of being ready for commitment. This sounds awesome!!

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I was just watching Bobby Steggert's interview on Seth's Chatterbox. I'm not sure if all of these names have been mentioned, but he said the following people will be involved in the workshop next week: Daniel Evans, Annaleigh Ashford, Kate Baldwin (Peter), Celia Keenan-Bolger, Bobby Steggert (Donna), Michael Urie, Andrew Rannells and Jose Llana. He heard that Nathan Lane is playing Joanne, but he's not sure. He said Sondheim is really interested to see if it will work.

The way Steggert explained, all the genders are flipped except Bobby.

So the straight couples are still straight, but bobby has a trio of girlfriends, etc.

Broadway has become the gay ghetto - which is okay if you want to alienate 90 percent of your total audience.

A sad state of affairs.

So Bobby, with his multiple boyfriends, secretly wishes he could maybe commit to a combination of his friends' husbands?

While I am definitely intrigued, I agree with PalJoey. I think the ripple effect of changing the characters might just, in the end, make “Company” an almost completely different show. Not to say that the end product couldn’t be good, but I almost think that, by the time the book/music/lyrics are adjusted to reflect the new characters’ characteristics, there is nearly no point in having derived from “Company” in the first place.

I think I might prefer to see Bobby remain straight, but perhaps one or two of the couples be gay (or lesbian). I think that would be just enough change to see what new things it may bring out in the script, but without opening that Pandora’s box that PalJoey mentioned. And, if this revised version is set in present day, having at least one of the couples be a gay couple would also more accurately reflect the friends that Bobby would likely have living in NYC.

However, my hesitations do not stop me from wanting to see where this goes!

I suspect some of this is Sondheim wanting to control what happens to COMPANY after he passes on and after it slips into public domain. As has been stated, many companies have wanted to try a 'gay' company. And it will only be a matter of time before it's done. Perhaps he simply wants to try his hand at it. Perhaps the landscape of gay relationships has changed so much that he wishes to look at the show in a fresh way and create something new, like the female ODD COUPLE (not a hopeful comparison, true...). I suspect all of Pal Joe's questions are being asked and addressed. I do know that a lot of work is being done on the show. I, for one, am excited to see what can be accomplished.

^ You're right...it didn't seem like it!



Let's go together and be girls who just watch!

Let's go together and be girls who just watch!

Just like Margo and Karen: "like girlfriends--with hats on!"

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Updated On: 10/16/13 at 02:28 PM

Celia's photo: http://instagram.com/p/fiT-VCMD-W/

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Shame about Daniel Evans, the prissy British Georges from a few years back, being allowed to screw up even more Sondheim leads, with apparently Mr. Sondheim's approval. And that goddamn Alan Cumming, god, isn't there anyone else available?

An intriguing idea, of course, but cast this way? How bout Norbert Leo Butz as Gay Bobby? He'll probably be looking for work before too long...

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Neither does the Evans creature.

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Thanks for the picture, Celia!

Which one in that picture do people think is Max Von Essen?

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