Revised, Visually Striking “Company” Explores Commitment Issues from a New Perspective with a Strong Cast

Company
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, Book by George Furth
Directed by Marianne Elliott
Choreographed by Liam Steel
The Fox Theatre
February 27, 2024

For Stephen Sondheim fans, Company is generally regarded as a classic show, although since it debuted in 1970, the show has appeared more and more dated over the years, even though it has been revived several times. The current iteration, on tour at the Fox Theatre, is director Marianne Elliott’s effort to update the story even more than before. At the Fox, the show features some stylish visual elements as well as a strong cast, making for a compelling, entertaining production, for the most part.

As opposed to previous revivals that made a few setting updates but still kept the casting similar to the original, this production makes some major changes. Most notably, here the protagonist is not the male Robert/Bobby, but the female Bobbie (Beth Stafford Laird), who is approaching her 35th birthday amid the well-meaning pressures and worries of her married friends to consider marriage herself. It’s a concept show, so there isn’t really a linear plot. The story instead consists of a series of vignettes and reflections on the concept of marriage and relationships, as her friends demonstrate wildly different experiences of wedlock while still insisting that Bobbie give marriage a try. We also meet three contrasting men she dates–the handsome but not-too-bright Andy (Kenneth Quinney Francoeur), the edgy PJ (Tyler Hardwick), and the family-minded Theo (David Socolar). Through the course of the story, Bobbie is driven to personal reflection and forced to reckon with her own fears of commitment in trying to decide what she really wants in a relationship. 

Elliott’s Company revival originated in London in 2018 before opening on Broadway in 2021. I was thrilled to have been able to see it in London, and I remember enjoying it immensely, as well as thinking that the gender-switched lead casting worked better in a modern setting, considering that today, it’s more believable that a 35-year-old woman would be pressured by society to marry than a 35-year-old man. The other adjustments also worked well in fitting with that premise. Seeing the touring production now, I still think it works better with a woman in the lead, unless it’s done as a period piece set in the early 1970’s. Some of the subject matter can be difficult no matter what the setting, in that this seems like an especially cynical view of marriage and relationships, and I also find myself wondering why Bobbie is friends with some of these characters–but with vivid characterizations and performances, energetic and thoughtful staging, and a succession of classic Sondheim songs like “Side by Side by Side”, “Another Hundred People”, “The Ladies Who Lunch”, and “Being Alive”, it’s a compelling, entertaining story that’s sure to be fodder for reflection and conversation. 

The production is excellent, reflecting strong casting not just in the principals but also in the understudies, as several were on for the performance I saw, and I wouldn’t have been able to guess they were understudies if I hadn’t been informed by the cast board in the lobby. One of these memorable understudies is Laird, in the lead role of Bobbie, standing in for principal Britney Coleman. Laird gives a convincing, relatable performance, displaying strong stage presence and movement, as well as a fine voice. Other notable understudies include Francoeur in a convincing comic performance as Andy, as well as Christopher DeAngelis and Elysia Jordan as the bickering couple Peter and Susan. Also standing out in this cast include Judy McLane as the snarky Joanne, who does an excellent job emphasizing the self-sabotaging loneliness of the character as well as her assertiveness.  Matt Rodin is a delight as anxious groom-to-be Jamie (changed from nervous bride “Amy” in the original), who delivers an energetic rendition of “Getting Married Today” and displays strong friendship chemistry with Laird’s Bobbie. Also, Kathryn Allison and James Earl Jones II are memorable as the competitive couple Sarah and Harry. The whole ensemble is strong, with cohesive chemistry and a good deal of energy and presence, handling the upbeat numbers and the more reflective moments well. 

In terms of staging, this show does a great job of portraying the pressure Bobbie experiences through its scenery, with a clever modular set by Bunny Christie that works well in portraying a claustrophobic, boxed-in atmosphere for Bobbie as her birthday approaches and her friends plan a party and assert their influence. Christie’s costumes also suit the characters well, as does the hair, wig, and make-up design by Campbell Young Associates. Neil Austin’s lighting also works well to set the mood and New York City vibe of the show. The band, led by music director Charlie Alterman, brings suitable energy to the classic Sondheim score, as well.

If you’re used to the classic staging of Company, you’re in for a surprise, and to my mind, it’s a pleasant one. While it’s to individual viewers to decide whether or not the “updating” makes sense, this is a stylish, well thought-out revisal that serves as a showcase for the notable score as well as some first-rate performances. It’s a new spin on a Broadway classic, and a thoroughly entertaining spin, at that. 

The North American tour of Company is playing at the Fox Theatre until March 10, 2024