by Preston Sinclair
Everyone assumes that Stephen Sondheim's Company is about relationships, but that's not necessarily so. It could be about loneliness, better yet the fear of being alone. Why are every single one of the couples together? Precisely because none of them wants to be alone.
"But alone is alone, not alive." Robert
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| Photo courtesy Broadway.com |
I saw the 2011 filmed concert of Company at the Clayton Opera House during a TIPAF (Thousand Islands
Performing Arts Fund) Big Screen Event. The Clayton Opera House is a
beautifully renovated performance art venue located in the beautiful Thousand Islands in New York State. I watched it with friends as
we sat at a round table covered in a white linen tablecloth and snacked on popcorn and
sodas.
Originally filmed before a live audience at Avery Fisher Hall at the Lincoln Center with The New York Philharmonic, the movie was captivating to see in HD on a big screen which covered the entire area of the original theater stage. It was an amazing viewing experience using the Digital Theater Network of Specticast. I felt like I was watching live theater at a movie theater. Sometimes, it appeared a little too up close and personal as I could see every detail including a microphone sticking out of an actor's hair, which took me out of the moment.
Neil Patrick Harris' Robert reacts to his friends opinion of him as if to say, 'Wait, what?' He's sincerely befuddled by their attitude, as any naturally single guy would be. His friends are jealous of him, and he's jealous of his friends. Yet, it's not that simple. I think Greta Garbo once explained it best when she said, 'I never said I vant to be alone, I said I vant to be left alone. There is a world of difference.' It is a fine line to tippy-toe and Neil plays the balancing act to perfection.
Patti LuPone's Joanne was, well, Patti Lupone being Joanne. She played Joanne with a certain class and elegance that implied that she was one of the 'ladies who lunch'. Patti's Joanne was on the inside looking out.
I must digress when I say that I saw Elaine Stritch's one woman show 'At Liberty' at the Adirondack Theater Festival in Glens Falls NY in 2004. Elaine Stritch's Joanne showed a certain disdain for 'the ladies who lunch'. Elaine's Joanne was on the outside looking in. Watching her reign in her anger sends a chill up my spine. Both ladies needed the vodka stingers to ease the pain, but for different reasons. Neither of which were wrong.
Originally filmed before a live audience at Avery Fisher Hall at the Lincoln Center with The New York Philharmonic, the movie was captivating to see in HD on a big screen which covered the entire area of the original theater stage. It was an amazing viewing experience using the Digital Theater Network of Specticast. I felt like I was watching live theater at a movie theater. Sometimes, it appeared a little too up close and personal as I could see every detail including a microphone sticking out of an actor's hair, which took me out of the moment.
Patti LuPone's Joanne was, well, Patti Lupone being Joanne. She played Joanne with a certain class and elegance that implied that she was one of the 'ladies who lunch'. Patti's Joanne was on the inside looking out.
I must digress when I say that I saw Elaine Stritch's one woman show 'At Liberty' at the Adirondack Theater Festival in Glens Falls NY in 2004. Elaine Stritch's Joanne showed a certain disdain for 'the ladies who lunch'. Elaine's Joanne was on the outside looking in. Watching her reign in her anger sends a chill up my spine. Both ladies needed the vodka stingers to ease the pain, but for different reasons. Neither of which were wrong.
One of the funniest performances was Katie Finneran's Amy as she sang Not Getting Married Today. She had us all rolling on the floor laughing in stitches. Talk about an anxiety attack, she nailed it. Stephen Colbert (Harry), Martha Plimpton (Sarah), and Jon Cryer (David) were fun to watch, as always.
The three girlfriends were great. Anika Noni Rose (Marta), Christina Hendricks (April), and Chryssie Whitehead (Kathy)formed the composite of Robert's ideal woman, vivacious, sexy, smart. The sad irony is that each of these women were all three of these things, and Robert was unable to see that until it was too late.
The biggest star of the show was Stephen Sondheim's music. I remember growing up during the seventies as a teenager seeing and hearing songs like 'Side by Side by Side' and 'Another Hundred People' being performed on variety shows like The Carol Burnett Show. I didn't really understand that they were from a Broadway musical called Company. It was more like they were part of the background music in my life at the time. It's nice to be able to put them in the proper perspective now that I'm older and can say 'aha! I get that song now'.
The ending of Company begs many questions. Would Robert's friends still be there for his fortieth birthday? Would Robert survive to see his fiftieth birthday? If so, did he do it alone, or did he finally find a partner? Company is like a time capsule from 1970. In some ways, the social mores of the time still exist, in other ways they have been changed forever.
Resource links:
Just Jared -A nice picture gallery.
Broadway.com
IMDB.com
PostStar.com Elaine Stritch article
The biggest star of the show was Stephen Sondheim's music. I remember growing up during the seventies as a teenager seeing and hearing songs like 'Side by Side by Side' and 'Another Hundred People' being performed on variety shows like The Carol Burnett Show. I didn't really understand that they were from a Broadway musical called Company. It was more like they were part of the background music in my life at the time. It's nice to be able to put them in the proper perspective now that I'm older and can say 'aha! I get that song now'.
The ending of Company begs many questions. Would Robert's friends still be there for his fortieth birthday? Would Robert survive to see his fiftieth birthday? If so, did he do it alone, or did he finally find a partner? Company is like a time capsule from 1970. In some ways, the social mores of the time still exist, in other ways they have been changed forever.
Resource links:
Just Jared -A nice picture gallery.
Broadway.com
IMDB.com
PostStar.com Elaine Stritch article
