In Comes Company February 20, 2008
EDITED TO ADD: Was it not brilliant?? I was left exhausted (well, also literally since it was late), but feeling very satisfied. I had forgotten how great of a show it is, and the TV translated the show very well, with crystal clarity. You know it’s a great recording if its most avid fans are mollified; there are 11 pages of live commentary as it was showing, with most of its fans loving every minute of it. And pleasing its avid fans are the hardest part, I think!
“I meant to, does that count?”
There were many chill-inducing moments. Some of my favorite moments were way more poignant and piercing that I had remembered. After Bobby asks Kathy “Did you just fall in love?” and she doesn’t respond, the pause was much longer that I had remembered. The pause was so pregnant with her regret, her obvious answer that she’s not in love, and a determination to become a wife and to have real things. I hated her for it, and yet you can’t blame her for wanting to live her life. I also didn’t realize how sad the ending to “Side by Side” is – Raul’s expression after no one returns his kazoo attempt was heartbreaking. Another favorite moment was a shot from the back of the stage, you got a peek at stuff that was going on upstage. Harry (Keith Buterbaugh) is playing his trumpet as a part of the ensemble, and he plays directly at his wife, Sarah (Kristin Huffman), who waves him away. I love how they incorporate the instrumental playing with their characters.
“The problem is, you want too little.”
I was also impressed with the marketing of this PBS recording, which was worlds better than the marketing and PR for the actual Broadway musical. I’ve heard more about this than the Broadway musical, and I liked the summary that they released (shown at the bottom of this entry). Kudos to showing a high quality show on PBS, I just wish they were airing it again. They’re re-airing it in my neighborhood super early in the morning (from 1 AM til 3:30 AM) next week, which makes it impossible for me to watch again.
“Stop looking at my charisma. “
I have a question for you Company-lovers out there. I realized why I didn’t get the musical the first time that I saw it; I was completely confused on the chronology of the show. Can someone help me? Does it occur within minutes, during his birthday party? Is he looking back at his life, or is it happening in real time? Sondheim, in the post-Company interview (don’t turn off the TV after Company is over!) talks about the “metaphysical” birthday party. At that point, I realized that I had no idea on what the time scale of the show was.
“Mock me with praise.”
I realized I can’t talk about this musical without gushing, and so I’ll take a back seat in explaining it in vague terms which of course doesn’t do it justice. Matt did a much better job of explaining the details of this show and the staging much better than me, so click here to read about his take. How do you write about something that you think is so wonderful?
“It’s better living it than looking at it.”
You can also buy the DVD!
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I’m a bit torn; there are three fantastic things going on tomorrow night – Yuan Yuan Tan and Tiit Helimets in Giselle at San Francisco Ballet, the PBS airing of Broadway’s Company, or the pre-finale to Project Runway. So Project Runway will continue to re-air into eternity, so that’s out. I just can’t miss seeing Company again. This musical spoke to me and so many of my friends, even thought it took a viewing for me to understand it. But sometime after the second time that I saw it, it clicked with me, and I couldn’t get it out of my head for weeks. Also, watching Raul Esparza sing “Being Alive” literally inches away from me from the front row is a powerful theater experience I’ll never forget.
What is it about? It’s about Bobby, a bachelor on his 35th birthday, looking at his life and the life of his married friends. It’s a story of searching for love, life, and a sense of self. It’s filled with humor that makes you laugh, but reverberates in a bittersweet pang of reality. I’m really not doing it justice. I’m really curious what newbies will think of this show, so feel free to comment if you saw/are planning on seeing it (Matt? Tonya? Art?).
An interesting fact – Bobby is based on Warren Beatty, pre-Annette Bening. Some other characters are based on real people as well.
There are preview video clips that PBS has released, here is their opening song, “Company”. Notice how the actors are playing their own instruments, and all the music you hear is what you see onstage. Watching this clip again, I’m amazed at how the actors are able to act while they’re playing their instruments. I also love how the instruments serve as a metaphor for being involved, for playing the game. Director John Doyle is a genius.
The PBS website version:
“Company, the 2007 Tony Award winner for Best Musical Revival, airs February 20 on PBS’ GREAT PERFORMANCES series.
Long before Sex and the City, the Stephen Sondheim/George Furth musical Company took an unconventional look at love and commitment in complex modern New York. The 1970 era-defining classic was – and is – an honest, funny and sophisticated portrayal of five married couples as seen through the eyes of their mutual friend Robert, a waffling, 35-year-old bachelor evaluating the pros and cons of wedded life. Raúl Esparza, who won Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards for his portrayal of leading man Robert, heads the cast of actor-musicians. John Doyle (Sweeney Todd) directs.”
Be sure to watch it!
Great Performances presents “Company”
I’m DEFINITELY watching tonight, as it was one of my favorite Broadway performances ever. The brilliance of Sondheim in general is that no matter how many times you’ve seen or heard it, there are new things to discover. Paired with Doyle’s direction, it was if I was discovering it for the first time. GOD HOW I LOVE BRILLIANT SONDHEIM PRODUCTIONS. I haven’t seen it since about this time last year so I am eagerly awaiting tonight.
M, make sure it’s playing in your local PBS station…there are rumors on Broadwayworld (people are *seriously* freaking out) that in some areas (in California) are not showing it until February 23.
LA is not getting it until Feb 23 on KCET. But at least we’re getting it, so I’m not worried.
That isn’t Yuan Yuan Tan’s only Giselle this run isnt it? SHe’s doing Saturday afternoon also I thought… so you could go then, or tape Company and watch it “time delayed” as they say in the entertainment industry now. Then you could watch it over and over and over and over
man, where is a vcr or tivo when you need it???
I know, I really wish I had DVR right now. I’ll have to wait until the DVD comes out.
Yuan Yuan is performing again on Saturday – yay, we’re going to try to catch her then, despite a lukewarm review in the SF Chronicle.
Its not showing in the Northwest either, are you positive it’s showing tonight? Because Most PBS stations aren’t showing it due to the American Broadway Challenge going on till the 27th of February. Unless it starts at 8pm
Yep, I’m sure that it’s showing tonight – check out the frenzy that’s on BroadwayWorld: http://www.broadwayworld.com/board/readmessage.cfm?thread=956531&dt=39&boardid=1
It seems like in NY it’s playing at 8 pm.
I was reminded of a line from the show: “Stop looking at my charisma.” Katrina, I hope you get to watch it and let us know what you thought!
Hmmm weird. It’s playing in Missoula. I would assume that if we are getting it in Montana (on two different stations, no less!) that it would be everywhere. Hooray for Montana pulling through on SOMETHING!
haha – it’s odd because it seems to be playing everywhere except for LA. At least they’re playing it – but I still can’t believe LA never aired Morris’ “Mozart Dances”. Who knew LA was that… um, culture-less? It reminds me of a line in Sex and the City, where one woman says about LA, “Frozen yogurt is not culture”.
Also, I found the PBS website to be wrong on which shows air in which area, so if I were you, I would check tvguide.com or Yahoo TV or something to double check.
art, any way you can pull your special connections in getting us a dvd copy of the pbs broadcast ??
Um, well, I could just send you a copy from when I watch it…
But I so did not say that, all you watchdogs from the Feds.
Sorry Jolene I won’t be watching. I can’t stand Sondheim. The only thing I think decent he did was West side story.
That’s ok – I love Sondheim, but to each their own. If it helps, I didn’t like this show the first time that I saw it!
If you can, try to catch the last few minutes – the last song is amazingly well sung by Raul Esparza.
West Side Story IS Sondheim! I didn’t know that he did the lyrics.
God it was brilliant. They did a very nice job translating it to TV, and I noticed some different things than when I saw it in the theater.
Doyle has a tendency to just keep people (the ensemble at least) whirling around Bobby the whole time which I enjoy for the most part, but seemed a LITTLE busy to me at moments. Of course having Esparza as the rock of Bobby makes the whole thing work so well.
Barbara Walsh continues to amaze me. It’s a shame that she and the actress playing Amy didn’t get Tony nominations (or wins). Walsh’s voice is such a powerhouse, and her dry take on the character works wonderfully. I loved watching her on the periphery more during the telecast than I did in the theater.
It’s funny that you bring up the chronology of the show because that is something that I had a bit of an a-ha! moment with last night.
People have always stressed the importance of Company as a “landmark” show. I always just assumed it was for the brilliant music, but last night I realized how much it has to do with the structuring. I don’t think we are supposed to know exactly when it takes place . The scattered chronology mirrors the disorder in Bobby’s life, and it really is a hybrid of a song-cycle and an actual book musical. Doyle does all of this staging so well, because using the device of actors playing instruments already takes the literalness of the show out of play, so instead we are left with a sort of “abstract” book musical. Does that make any sense?
RAMBLING!
I love your rambling!
Hm, that makes sense. Oddly.
I know that the songs are inserted, as he put it, not as an organic ascension from the dialogue, but inserted as “nuts into a fruitcake” as Sondheim put it. You’re right, although I’ve never even thought about it before as an abstract song and book musical (??). I think this is why I didn’t “get” it the first time, I was left confused. Is it weird that neither of us noticed this until now? I love how multi-layered it is, on so many different levels, and I feel like I discover it for the first time.
I didn’t find the layering and segments confusing at all – in fact, I felt like I was watching Seinfeld, or Sex & the City, all rolled up in some really enjoyable music (and that’s from someone who also didn’t like any Sondheim after West Side Story). I found also the motif of the long blown breath – making a wish – and how that wish changed and formed over the course of the play to be fascinating.
Raul Azara deserves every Tony he can get. The simple pain and irony he put into “Marry me…a little” made me want to laugh and cry at the same time.
Thanks for inviting me over here to your blog from Fameorfamine.com . Good stuff!