COMPANY Opens at Pennsylvania Playhouse Tonight

The Tony-Award winning musical, Company is set to open at the Pennsylvania Playhouse this month.

Originally written as a vignette of scenes featuring married couples, book writer George Furth's story evolved with the collaboration of Stephen Sondheim. Company is set in New York City in the early 1970s, and focuses on bachelor Bobby and his interactions with his friends, most of which are married, or soon-to-be, and with the various women he dates.

Originally produced and directed by Hal Prince, Company won eight Drama Desk awards and seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical (1971) and Best Revival of a Musical (2007). This is an amazing feat because Company is not a "feel good" musical, rather, it's centered on what it means to be alone in a city filled with people, so it's a musical that makes one "feel."

"Nowadays it's fine to be 35 and unmarried, but for Robert there is this stigma or pressure. Bobby's friends are worried that he hasn't found anyone yet, the girls he dates worry that he might be gay, and he's worried that he might have let the right girl get away," says director Will Windsor Erwin.

"Another reason the critical acclaim is so wondrous is due to the fact that Company isn't a traditional musical," explains Erwin. "In traditional plays and musicals there is a start, middle, and end, but in Company, there is just life. We've been treating the musical as a 'memory play,' much like The Glass Menagerie, ' because Bobby shows the audience moments of his life, and even comments to us from the outside, much like Tom does in Williams' play. Company is a journey back and forth through time within Bobby's mind as he struggles to find purpose."

Erwin is happy to be working with music director Lucille Kincaid and choreographer Gwen Swanson Vigorito with whom he collaborated to create last year's Thoroughly Modern Millie. New to the production team are assistant director and costume designer Peter Sikalias, scenic and properties designer CJ Matz, lighting designer Nick Gackenbach, and stage manager Will West. The cast includes Joshua Neth, Wendy Borst, John Monahan, Brittani Doyen, Alan Mendez, Kimberly Tassinaro, Jason Zimmer, Nina Elias, Vince Rostkowski, Andrea Cartagena, Donald Swan Jr., Kendra O'Donnell, Cheryl Moritz, Valynn Turkovich, Rosemary Kumma, Andrew Schaffer, Janelle Taylor, Cindi Syrovi, Doug Ace, Tommy Walters and Peter Sikalias. Some of the performers are heard but never seen. "The original Broadway production featured a vocal minority which were basically human voices added to the orchestra. The music in the score is quite challenging and the 'VM' helps ad depth and power to the songs onstage," states Erwin.

Erwin has reached a new record for himself. When he directed Millie last year about 35 people came to audition. This year twice as many came out to the Pennsylvania Playhouse after all was said and done.

"It's not surprising," says Erwin. "Company is a show that many performers love but is never produced. I can see why so many came out. I mean, it's Sondheim, if I wasn't directing, I'd audition in a heartbeat!"

Company runs Friday & Saturday: tonight, April 12-13, 19-20 8pm; Thursday-Saturday: April 25-27 8pm; and Sunday: April 21 & 28 3pm.

Tickets are: $22.00, $19 for students and seniors except Saturday night and may be purchased by calling the box office at 610-865-6665 or on-line at www.paplayhouse.org.

Pictured: Top- Alan Mendez and Brittani Doyen; Front- Cherly Moritz, Valynn Turkovitch, Joshua Neth, and Kendra O'Donnell. Photo Credit: Nick Englesson.

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