Review - Company (2.16.07)

Company - Friday, 2.16.07
Barrymore Theatre, New York City

By: Stephen Sondheim (music, lyrics), George Furth (book), John Doyle (direction)

Starring: Raul Esparza (Robert), Barbara Walsh (Joanne), Keith Buterbaugh (Harry), Matt Castle (Peter), Robert Cunningham (Paul), Katrina Yaukey (u, Marta), Kelly Jeanne Grant (Kathy), Kristin Huffman (Sarah, Act I), Renee Bang Allen (u, Sarah, Act II), Amy Justman (Susan), Heather Laws (Amy), Leenya Rideout (Jenny), Fred Rose (David), Bruce Sabath (Larry), Elizabeth Stanley (April)

Fresh off my third viewing of Spring Awakening, I got my second viewing of the new Broadway production of Company. Though some 30 years older, Company still comes across as fresh and inviting as does Broadway’s latest Spring darling. Thanks to John Doyle’s brilliant direction and one of the most talented casts ever assembled, this show does not disappoint.

At the center of this remarkable production is Raul Esparza, who, as ever, is a charismatic and likeable presence. It is Esparza’s remarkable journey of sorts which makes Company so satisfying. His wonderful delivery of the classic songs, his wry delivery of the comic lines, and his likability make Bobby come to life. He is a character you root for, and he is the reason why “Being Alive” ends up being such a powerful number.

But the show is not just about Bobby, it is also about his friends, and in this cast it is a remarkable group. Critics who complain that the cast is unmemorable have missed the point – if there is nothing “memorable” about individual characters, this is by design. It is also because there is not a single weak link in the cast. I was especially impressed by Heather Laws’ wonderful turn as Amy – before she utters a single word of her fast-mouthed diatribe, one can simply sense the panic from the look on her face. She is, throughout, an absolute delight. Barbara Walsh is, of course, very memorable as Joanne, and her rendition of “The Ladies Who Lunch” is truly astounding. Kristin Huffman and Keith Buterbaugh have some great moments in “The Little Things You Do Together,” and Fred Rose and Leenya Rideout are fun when they are getting stoned, and Matt Castle and Amy Justman are memorable as the couple who strengthens their relationship by getting a divorce. Both the men and women sing terrifically well, and they play their instruments even better. Katrina Yaukey delivers a terrific version of “Another Hundred People,” while Elizabeth Stanley is wonderfully vacuous as April.

If it is the inventiveness of the staging and design that make this Company glitter and glisten, it is also the quality of its cast that makes it sing. Number after number, the production celebrates and honors its creators. Boasting one of the best of Sondheim’s career, this show is one that deserves to sound fresh and innovative. Company was innovative when it first premiered in the 70s – there is nothing less innovative about its appearance on Broadway more than 30 years later.