Company!

[jenn_unplugged]

Doug and I are major Sondheim geeks, so about a week and a half ago we trekked up to Cincinnati from Austin to see the Playhouse in the Park's production of Company. It was directed by John Doyle of Sweeney Todd fame, which was one of the main reasons we were excited to see it. We'd stumbled upon his version of Sweeney in a tiny off-West End theatre a couple of years ago, and saw it in NYC in previews last fall, and both of us LOVED it. We had high hopes for Company, another show we really adore.


It was actually the first time either of us had seen Company on stage at all, so we didn't have another version to compare it with. In general, we really liked it, though we both thought it was still rough around the edges. The integration of the musical instruments in to the staging didn't seem to be as smooth as it is in Sweeney, and the use of the space itself didn't seem as original.

Perhaps this is because Company is an abstract show to begin with. The restaging of Sweeney produced something abstract, dark, and raw, and the starkness of the set and the fluidity with which the performers moved and used their instruments added a dreamlike quality that really worked for me. The darkness of the subject matter was only enhanced by the minimized score. But Company is just a different sort of show. It's about relationships and its staging is already nontraditional, so it didn't have a lot of wiggle room. I'm sure many of these kinks will be ironed out before it gets to Broadway, and I look forward to seeing it again.

The cast was fantastic, and all of them gave very strong performances. Particular standouts for me were Raúl Esparza as Robert and Elizabeth Stanley as April (she played it perfectly, and that isn't an easy role). I was a little disappointed in Barbara Walsh's Joanne, I have to say. It seemed like she was doing an impersonation of Elaine Stritch rather than interpreting the role in any fresh way. "Ladies Who Lunch", one of my favorite songs in the show, ought to be a showstopper, but it wasn't. It was underplayed and de-emphasized, and I really think it made the ending of the show not work. Joanne reveals so much about her own bitterness in that song, and when she propositions Robert in the next scene, it should be clear that she isn't really serious but is making a point to him. But without the strength of the song, that bit falls flat and we are left wondering why Joanne would do such a thing at all and why Robert responds the way he does.

Despite my disappointment in the ending, it was a great production, and I am really looking forward to seeing it on Broadway!

Crossposted to broadway

Comments

[sweetestsiren.livejournal.com]

Hi! Sorry to be randomly commenting on an entry from a month ago, but I was looking around for reviews of Doyle's Company and happened to stumble onto yours. I saw (and loved) the production, too, and had many of the same thoughts on the strengths/weaknesses as you did. Anyway, it was cool to read another review! I can't wait to see the show again on Broadway.