re: In comes COMPANY....- Page 7

[Pippin]

Posted: 10/31/06 at 2:17pm

great point!

[smartpenguin78]

Posted: 10/31/06 at 2:31pm

That may be the concept, and I suppose it works. It doesn't really add much for me, and since at times the instruments are distracting I personally would have liked a lot more.

[SorryGrateful]

Posted: 10/31/06 at 2:36pm

Shut up, penguin! *smacks* Your opionions, unless they're positive, are not allowed here!

[smartpenguin78]

Posted: 10/31/06 at 2:43pm

Just because you hate me will never shut me up SG.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 10/31/06 at 2:45pm

For what it's worth, SG, I feel the same way as you do about Company and I totally agree with what you posted, having seen Sweeney. That's why when people have been like "fie, actor-musician concept! One trick pony," I've been saying that you have to be ready to know that it's the same IDEA, but it behaves very differently from one show to the other. It's a big, fat, glaring conceit more than it is a characterization tool. It was also a conceit in Sweeney, but again, I don't think that was its primary function. It's much more of a tool for group symbolism in Company.

[smartpenguin78]

Posted: 10/31/06 at 2:51pm

What I am saying is, I understand that but don't think it works as well for me.
I don't hate it, or thing there is anything wrong with using the actor/musicians in that way, but the only time it really worked for me was when Bobby finally bought into it, that made the whole concept come together, but in many ways it was too late.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 10/31/06 at 2:54pm

No, of course. That's the other part of my point. Because they're so different, it's going to very quickly become a bit silly to try to find a definitive answer to which one works "better," because (though this is going to look like a bit of a cop-out to answering the question) I think when you're dealing with something like this... in a way, there's "working" and "not working" in a very basic, objective sense -- but more than that, this is about what works "for you" and "for" someone else.

[SorryGrateful]

Posted: 10/31/06 at 2:55pm

I don't hate you, penguin. I hate your opinions when they're different from mine. That's only natural.

[smartpenguin78]

Posted: 10/31/06 at 3:03pm

I agree Emcee, to say that it should always be better to use the instruments as characterization would be like saying that we should always have shows staged in a minimalist manner. There always should be room to grow within the concept.

It seemed as though individual moments in the show really connected, but never the entire thing. Which is part of the show's concept, but even on that level it was less than perfect at times.

And yes, I was expecting perfection, which I admit is probably the reason for my disappointment. Which was slight anyway, I still loved the show.
I even enjoyed this use of the actor/musician concept, it just didn't feel fully utilized.

SG, my opinions are all the worse since I am not one to ever shut about them.

Updated On: 10/31/06 at 03:03 PM

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 10/31/06 at 3:05pm

I'm so afraid I've lifted my expectations too high, or created some sort of false memory. I know it's going to be beautiful, and that I'm just psyching myself out, though.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 10/31/06 at 3:07pm

I didn't realize how much the actor/musician thing would bother me - or that it would at all - until I saw SWEENEY and realized I was resentful that we weren't getting 100% of either acting nor playing - it's impossible to do both and not have focus drained from one or the other, or both. I hope this doesn't become common.

[smartpenguin78]

Posted: 10/31/06 at 3:09pm

BEING ALIVE may wash out any potential low moments completely.

The one big difference, and I do think it is key, is that this is not on a thrust stage. I remember your posts about how essential that seemed in OH. That intimacy would have helped with all these ideas, making the rest of the cast actually seem like one group, and keeping them more centralized. As it was, most of the time the musicians were in the background, I liked it better when they were playing out in the open. It gave that, "they are all together, and he is apart" feel much more depth.

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 10/31/06 at 3:17pm

In many ways the show seems more like it has an on stage band than characters with instruments, I would like to have been able to "see and hear" more of the connection between character and instrument.

Since the comparison is inevitable, there was no intended connection between the characters and instruments in Sweeney Todd. Any evidence of this was interpreted after the fact by audiences; there was no effort on the part of the direction to cast the show with actors whose instrument talents "fit" the characters. Patti LuPone just happened to play the tuba back in high school- there was nothing symbolic about that. If Doyle *were* so concerned about making it the instruments and characters fit, he would have only cast understudies and standbys that played the exact same instruments as the leads, which was not the case.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 10/31/06 at 3:20pm

Unfortunately, I think that no matter how much I end up loving the Broadway version, and no matter how thoroughly convinced I've been that it will WORK on a proscenium, I'll resent the fact that it's not on a thrust stage. I think where I stand now is that... if sharing this show and this performance with the greater community meant taking it off of a thrust and it still works even half as well as it did in Cincinnati, then it was the right thing to do, especially if the other option was not to bring it here at all, but it's still a shame there wasn't a thrust stage theater here for it to go into.

Updated On: 10/31/06 at 03:20 PM

[ken8631]

Posted: 10/31/06 at 3:23pm

I agree, and don't think it matters who plays what instrument. I think they did a much better job with this than they did with Sweeney, and I also liked Sweeney.

Anyone going tonight?

[Ciaron McCarthy]

Posted: 10/31/06 at 3:31pm

Sondheim usually goes to the first preview performance of his shows (especially if in NYC). He doesn't sit though. He usually stands in the back and hides right before the intermission. So he may have been there. I saw him at Sweeneys, Follies, Woods and Follies.

[smartpenguin78]

Posted: 10/31/06 at 3:33pm

Orangeskittles, in a conceptual mood piece I think the aspects that the audience adds are many times just as important as those the director adds. And while some of the instruments were not meant to portray character in Sweeney, others quite obviously were and the orchestrations represented that. (ie. Johanna and Anthony on Cello, the Judge and Beadle on Trumpet)
Also the show lost a LOT of impact when understudies who played different instruments were on stage.
Maybe none of that is right, but without it SWEENEY loses much of its impact on me.

Emcee, I think it works on this stage. Maybe 3/4 as well.

[ljay889]

Posted: 10/31/06 at 6:19pm

Yeah, I posted this earlier in this thread.

Sondheim was there. He darted out of the stage door quickly, refusing to sign an autograph for someone. I didn't even get to look at him though. urgggh. I was in the same theatre as Sondheim. That excites me.

I did walk right past Doyle in a stairwell, and made eye contact.

[jv92]

Posted: 10/31/06 at 7:14pm

Usually he's polite about not signing autographs. I'm surprised he refused so tersely. I'm glad to hear that Company for the most part was enjoyable.

[C is for Company]

Posted: 10/31/06 at 7:15pm

I saw Sondheim at the stagedoor for Sweeney. I was too embarassed to walk up to him and ask him for anything. I'd also have nothing to say to him in such a short time that would satisfy me coming out of it. How do you tell someone how important their music is to you when you listen to it everyday?

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 10/31/06 at 7:21pm

I literally bumped into him at the last Sweeney. He politely declined an autograph, more or less saying "please don't do that to me, buddy." Then he gave me a reassuring pat on the back.

One of the highlights of my life....can't really explain why....I don't think it needs an explanation, though.

[ljay889]

Posted: 10/31/06 at 7:25pm

It seems Sondheim only signs and take pics at official signings. Which is understandable.

I am still on a mission to see him in person, just to catch a glimpse of him in person. Hopefully I can at the closing night of FOLLIES at Encores. I got tickets for that yesterday. I assume he will be there. I can't wait for that event!!

[nicole neumann2]

Posted: 10/31/06 at 7:27pm

I can't to see Company.my aunt & i are going DEC.5th. i Missed Raul alot. i am so glad he is comming back to broadway....Nicole

[morosco]

Posted: 10/31/06 at 10:06pm

BLAIR: George. Chromolume Number Seven? I was hoping it would be a series of three, four at the most. I have touted your work from the beginning, you were really on to something with these light machines...once. Now they're just becoming more and more about less and less. Don't get me wrong. You're a talented guy. If you weren't, I wouldn't waste our time with my opinions. I think you're capable of far more. Not that you couldn't succeed by doing Chromolume after Chromolume...but there are new discoveries to be made, George.

[Caroline-Q-or-TBoo]

Posted: 10/31/06 at 10:08pm

reading this thread gets me SO excited