Television Makes Decent CompanyDid you happen to tune in last evening to PBS' "
Great Performances" program featuring
John Doyle's recent Broadway revival of
Stephen Sondheim and
George Furth's
Company?
This was the very production that earned last year's Tony for Best Revival of a Musical shortly before closing. I have to say that I enjoyed reliving the experience I had last year -- additionally, I was a bit surprised in re-reading my
three-star SOB Review from almost exactly one year ago to see that I still completely agree with my initial assessment.
Watching the televised performance was an opportunity to see the show from all angles, including the back of the stage. While Doyle's production is good, it isn't quite great. It's rather uneven, and that's exemplified in the disparity between the unqualified thrill offered by
Raúl Esparza's smoldering Bobby and the overly flat performance by
Barbara Walsh as Joanne.
One plucky delight whom I had not previously mentioned is
Angel Desai as Marta. Seeing her shine once again has me hoping this spitfire will be treading Broadway's boards sometime soon.
If you caught the performance on television, please let me know what you thought.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
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TONYS: SPRING HAS SPRUNG WHILE COAST REALIZES UTOPIA (June 11, 2007)
The Tonys: If I Could Vote (June 6, 2007)
In The Company Of Underperforming Shows (March 27, 2007)
Company (The SOB Review) (March 2, 2007)
Is It Just Me, Or...(Part II) (February 21, 2007)
Did Critics Find Doyle's Latest Revival In Good Company? (November 30, 2006)
Another Company Opens For Business Tonight On Broadway (November 29, 2006)
Apple Tree In Good Company Among SOB Readers (November 6, 2006)
Labels: Barbara Walsh, Broadway, Company, George Furth, Great Performances, John Doyle, Musical, PBS, Raul Esparza, Revival, Stephen Sondheim, Television
Company (The SOB Review) - Ethel Barrymore Theatre, New York, NY*** (out of ****)Dear Mr.
John Doyle:
From the bottom of my heart, I apologize.
I'm truly sorry for
suggesting that your inventive theatrical device in which your actors double as musicians has already become excessive even
before I saw
Company, your latest Broadway revival of a
Stephen Sondheim musical.
Well, I finally saw your production, which, by the way, has some of my favorite Sondheim tunes, and I can tell you I was mesmerized. Your show deserves a much larger audience than it's currently attracting.
Bobby, of course, is
Company's pivotal player -- literally and figuratively -- in a series of vignettes with the people in his life. Some of the chapters focus on his inability to commit to any one of his trio of girlfriends. Others center on Bobby's coupled friends, each of whom is either married, about to be married or soon to be divorced. While everyone expresses their desire for Bobby to settle down,
George Furth's book explores how true emotions for Bobby actually range from envy by the men to personal lust from the women.
I was struck by the inventive and symbolic ways you isolate Bobby, played by a breathtakingly
real Raúl Esparza, who sings angelically. Even the elegant simplicity of
David Gallo's set design with its ingenious ice cube boxes underscores the cold reality of Bobby's isolation. Nowhere is the irony of that isolation emphasized better than in the "Side By Side By Side" number where you strike up your merry band of actor/musicians as they sing "What Would We Do Without You?" even though the beautiful music about Bobby specifically
excludes him.
While many of your actors are accomplished musicians first, as evidenced via
Mary Mitchell Campbell's plucky orchestrations, they create an astonishingly cohesive ensemble. Unfortunately, the one sour note comes from an unlikely source:
Barbara Walsh, who in her failed effort to channel
Elaine Stritch's landmark performance as Joanne, ends up just sounding flat. We know she's capable of more, but in this case, less is simply less.
Fortunately, before she can bring down the entire production, Esparza's Bobby comes to a cathartic realization empowering him to soar to spine-tingling new musical heights. While finally taking a seat at the piano, he's ready to join the human race in a way he's never before experienced. Ultimately, Esparza's finely calibrated performance helps melt his way into my heart.
What has lingered in the aftermath of seeing
Company is the gnawing question of whether we can ever really measure up in the relationship department. But even more importantly, how can we possibly know if we don't ever allow ourselves the chance to be loved in the first place.
So thank you, John Doyle. And here's to you, your
Company and the ladies who lunch -- I just hope that they at least take in a matinee of your show.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Is It Just Me, Or...(Part II) (February 21, 2007)
Did Critics Find Doyle's Latest Revival In Good Company? (November 30, 2006)
Another Company Opens For Business Tonight On Broadway (November 29, 2006)
Apple Tree In Good Company Among SOB Readers (November 6, 2006)
Labels: Barbara Walsh, Broadway, Company, Elaine Stritch, John Doyle, Musical, Raul Esparza, Revival, Stephen Sondheim, The SOB Review
