Company, the musical comedy masterpiece about the search for love and cocktails in New York, is turned on its head in Elliott's revelatory staging, in which musical theatre's most iconic bachelor is now a bachelorette. At Bobbie's 35th birthday party, all her friends are wondering why isn't she married? Why can't she find the right man? And, why can't she settle down and have a family? This whip smart musical comedy, given a game-changing makeover for a modern-day Manhattan, features some of Sondheim's best loved songs, including "Company," "You Could Drive a Person Crazy," "The Ladies Who Lunch," "Side by Side," and the iconic "Being Alive."
Coleman is now the lead of the national tour that opened last Wednesday night at the Cadillac Palace Theatre. But her portrayal then and now couldn’t be more different. There was confidence and swagger on Broadway. This Bobbie is more tentative, more nuanced. An interpretive choice to suggest Bobbie is having none of the propaganda her friends are handing her and is remaining her own person?
This reimagined version of “Company” switches the genders of its lead character, from Bobby the man to Bobbie the woman, with some other corresponding moves as well. That concept works well enough in this new version, which still relies on the magical Sondheim touch with witty, engaging lyrics and easily likable music. George Furth wrote the original book, and both Sondheim and Furth won Tony Awards in 1971.
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