‘Company’ loses its soul in the restructuring

Volume Number 1 Issue Number 11 / December 6 - 12, 2006

Theater

COMPANY
Music & lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by George Furth
Directed by John Doyle
The Ethel Barrymore Theatre
243 W. 47th St.
(212-239-6200, companyonbroadway.com)

Photo by Paul Kolnik

Raúl Esparza (center) and the cast of John Doyle’s symphonic revival of “Company”

‘Company’ loses its soul in the restructuring

By Scott Harrah

There’s a phenomenon in the world of musical theater known as the “triple threat,” those multitalented performers that can sing, dance and act. British director John Doyle — whose much-anticipated revival of the Stephen Sondheim-George Furth musical “Company” recently opened on Broadway — will go down in show-business history as the man who introduced the “quadruple threat” to the American theater. A decade ago, theater purists would never have believed that in the early 21st century, actors would be expected to not only sing, dance and act but play a musical instrument as well. Earlier this year, Doyle won a Tony for Best Director for his dark retooling of Sondheim’s “Sweeney Todd.” The gimmick? The actors all doubled as musicians, playing their own instruments, meaning there was no need for an offstage orchestra. Broadway diva Patti LuPone even schlepped a tuba on stage and literally blew her own horn. Many loved that unorthodox production, and showered Doyle with accolades, while others were outraged that he had had tampered with a cherished classic.

Once again Doyle puts his symphonic spin on another Sondheim gem, “Company,” a 1970 musical comedy about a handsome bachelor named Bobby (Raúl Esparza) and his relationship with his upscale Manhattan friends. Those who first saw “Company” 36 years ago say it was one of the truly groundbreaking musicals of the 1970s. They always mention the phenomenal cast, most notably the magnificent Elaine Stritch, who brought down the house with the song “Ladies Who Lunch.” What was so brilliant about the original? “Company” was a series of George Furth’s simple, funny yet poignant vignettes about love, marriage and relationships set to Sondheim’s fantastic score.

There was also innovative choreography, but unfortunately much of it has been cut for this scaled-down version, including the character Kathy’s legendary “Tick Tock” dance that mesmerized audiences when Donna McKechnie performed it in the original. Kelly Jeanne Grant does a good job of playing Kathy, but true Sondheim fans might argue that her scene with Bobby just isn’t the same without the sexy dance that is supposed to intrigue him.

In Doyle’s revival, the score is still seamless, but that’s about the only similarity. It is difficult to pinpoint exactly what Doyle is trying to convey in this elegant but ultimately soulless reinterpretation of “Company.” The actors, carrying their instruments, are all dressed in black, and the whole show seems more like a surreal concert than a musical. The story is supposed to take place on the Upper East Side, but — unlike the original — the set features no city skyline, so the setting could be anywhere. This production originally played in Cincinnati this past summer, so that might explain the more generic set. The set is strictly utilitarian and primarily black, with a Greek column that rises from an odd circular white radiator in the middle of the stage.

The set is stripped of its original New York identity, and the characters have also undergone an odd transformation. Often, they do not look at each other as they speak, so the whole show is almost devoid of feeling. Emotional intensity is usually the driving force behind any narrative in musical theater, but the actors spend so much time fiddling with their instruments that it’s hard to tell when they’re even acting. This simply becomes frustrating and distracting for audience members, especially for people who never saw the 1970 production and aren’t familiar with the show. The story is supposed to be about five married couples as seen through the eyes of Bobby, but unless one knows the show, it’s difficult to determine the differences amongst the characters. Anyone that attends this production of “Company” with no previous knowledge of the plot should bring along a friend who is well versed in the intricacies of the musical. Otherwise, one may simply get lost watching all the black-clad “quadruple threats” onstage while trying to figure out which character each is supposed to be.

Still, this cast of actor-musicians is certainly talented. Raúl Esparza, playing Bobby as he reluctantly acknowledges his 35th birthday, has never been better, and portrays the character with a deadpan sense of humor. Elizabeth Stanley is cute in the role of the stereotypical dumb blonde flight attendant April, and she’s quite effective in her solo number “Barcelona.” Barbara Walsh, as the married, cocktail-swilling Joanne, is certainly no match for Elaine Stritch, but she’s still powerful in her version of “Ladies Who Lunch.”

And the revival does have its amusing moments, such as the song “You Could Drive a Person Crazy,” in which three of Bobby’s lady friends serenade him on saxophones, but much of the show’s imagery is simply schtick. Doyle’s gimmick of actors doubling as musicians may have seemed original to some in “Sweeney Todd,” but whether it truly works here is debatable. This revamped version of “Company” is entertaining enough to have a decent run, but it’s doubtful that Doyle would have much success retooling other Sondheim musicals. The thought of actors in a revival of “A Little Night Music” playing the Javanese tam-tam is enough to give any bona fide Sondheim fan pause.