Company Premieres in Cincinnati with Esparza, Walsh

It's "the little things they do together" that have made composer/lyricist Stephen Sondheim and director John Doyle a recognizable new force on stage. With his successful minimalist Broadway production of Sondheim's Sweeney Todd comes Doyle's next project – Sondheim's Company – which begins public previews today at Cincinnati's Playhouse in the Park in the Robert S. Marx Theatre. Performances play from March 14 to April 14.

Doyle's Company adopts the same new staging he used in Sweeney Todd with the actors doubling as the on-stage orchestra, both playing instruments and performing scenes, sometimes simultaneously. 

Tony Award nominee Raul Esparza, recently seen in Broadway's Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, plays the bachelor Bobby alongside Tony Award nominee Barbara Walsh (Big, Blood Brothers, Falsettos) as the alcoholic Joanne. The Company cast also includes Keith Buterbaugh as Harry, Matt Castle as Peter, Robert Cunningham as Paul, Angel Desai as Marta, Kelly Jeanne Grant as Kathy, Kristin Huffman as Sarah, Amy Justman as Susan, Heather Laws as Amy, Leenya Rideout as Jenny, Fred Rose as David, Bruce Sabath as Larry, and Elizabeth Stanley as April.

Doyle's creative team includes Mary-Mitchell Campbell as the production's music supervisor and orchestrator with David Gallo (set design), Ann Hould-Ward (costume design), Thomas C. Hase (lighting design), and Andrew Keister (sound design).

The Cincinnati Playhouse describes Company as a "revolutionary, unconventional look at love and commitment in a complex modern world. The show is a remarkably honest, clever, and sophisticated portrayal of five married couples as seen through the eyes of their mutual friend Bobby, a bachelor…weighing the pros and cons of wedded life."

Doyle says the action is set in 2006 with simplistic sets and characters dressed in upscale and trendy black costumes. The partnership between Doyle and the Marx Theatre's 46th season began last January when Edward Stern, producing artistic director, saw the London production of Doyle's Sweeney Todd and offered him a fresh opportunity. The Cincinnati Playhouse reports "Doyle's approach focuses on imagination and he's not interested in gimmicks or in telling audiences how to think or feel about a production. Rather he's concerned simply in telling a story, and collaborating with others who enjoy finding new ways to do that."

Company won six Tonys in 1970 – including Sondheim's first awards for best music and lyrics – as well as best book, scenic design, director, and best musical. Recognizable songs from the score include "The Ladies Who Lunch," "Another Hundred People," "Barcelona," "Getting Married Today," and "Being Alive." Doyle's production features a once-cut song, "Marry Me a Little," and nixes the "Tick Tock" dance sequence; musical choices Sondheim had been consulted on.

Tickets range from $36.50 to $52.50. For more information call 513-421-3888 or 800-582-3208 or visit www.cincyplay.com.