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| Cast of Company. Photo courtesy of CenterStage. |
Company
Book by George Furth
Music & lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Directed by John R. Leffert
Reviewed by Carlos-Manuel
Copyright © 2013 Carlos-Manuel. All rights
reserved.
Stephen Sondheim is,
without a doubt, one of the finest composer/lyricists currently writing for the
American musical theatre. Each of his works has become a staple of the American
musical, praised by most theatre professionals as the highest artistry in musical
theatre. There is a reason for this.
Not only does Sondheim
write clever, witty, sophisticated lyrics, but he also places such lyrics on the
musical scale with a purpose. Sondheim doesn’t just create music, but arranges the
musical notes in a way that such notes have a meaning that directly affect the
character’s state of mind, thus showing to the audience how the character feels
at any given moment. The results are, for any musical theatre actor, that singing
Sondheim’s songs aren’t a walk in the park.
This is the challenge
every theatre company faces when producing any Sondheim musical. And such was
the case for CenterStage at The Jewish Community Center who opened its fourth
show of the season this past Thursday, January 10.
With a very slick and
very modern white set design by John R. Leffert and a very beautiful and
colorful lighting design by Theresa Bagan, an ensemble of 14 actors entered the
stage to demand our attention and deliver the well-known yet very difficult
score. And as the story develops and the songs are sung, we are presented the
story of Bobby, a single man who is celebrating his 35th birthday
with his “good and crazy married friends.”
Bobby (played with
much charisma here by Mike Fryman) lives by himself and has not been able to
connect in a long-term relationship. He isn’t alone, though, for he knows five
married couples who are all friends, and he also has three different
girlfriends. Through Bobby’s eyes, and a series of vignettes, we have the
opportunity to see the dynamics of these characters. We not only see the “happy
and perfect lives” of such couples and single people but also the challenges
they face, thus giving Bobby the chance to figure out that while no
relationship is perfect, having a relationship of any kind is necessary to be a
happy person and as part of being alive.
CenterStage’s
ensemble, under the direction of Mr. Leffert, for the most part do a wonderful
job with the series of vignettes and the many single, duets and ensemble
songs. And while there were a few sound glitches, lighting mistakes and line
delivery mishaps, I will attribute these minor inconsistencies to the infamous
“opening night jitters.”
I must say, though, that
the one thing I did not enjoy about the production was the fact that the musical
score was presented slower than originally intended. And whether this was
intentional or not, it contributed to the lack of energy on stage, especially
in the first act. I, personally, would not have been bothered by the slower tempo
if it wasn’t for the fact that Sondheim’s music is written in a certain way for
a certain reason, which to me meant that the insecurity, turbulence and
confusion Bobby is experiencing while trying to figure out his single life is a
little lost. After all, Company is
Sondheim’s first non-linear “concept” musical, and the force that drives such
concept is the music.
The biggest travesty in
this production, however, is the song “Another Hundred People,” which is a song
about the hustle and bustle of New York City. This song epitomizes the
challenges of finding companionship in a big city like New York because one is
always in a rush, always coming and going, living a fast life, and hardly
stopping to take a moment to breathe. The song is written with a fast tempo, an
almost overlapping staccato, and with a settled yet noticeable crescendo that
symbolizes New York City’s fast life. Yet, as performed by Kate Nuss as Martha,
the song loses its purpose and the entire sequence, unfortunately, loses its
meaning.
And yet, the show seemed
to entertain many of those who attended the opening night performance,
especially when Lauren McCombs as Amy – once again doing a wonderful job as a
neurotic character – sings “Getting Married Today,” and when Jason Button as
David and Margot Wooldridge as Jenny play the married couple who get stoned
with Bobby.
The energy picks up in
the second act, and to see Mera Kathryn Corlett as April playing opposite of
Mike Fryman is a delight. She is sweet and innocence, yet funny and mature. Yet
it isn’t until “The Ladies Who Lunch,” sung by Jill Higginbotham as Joanne, where we finally get to see some of what Sondheim intended. Ms. Higginbotham
delivers the song with the bitterness and comfort that life has to offer. This
is the “eleven o’clock” song of the musical, and Ms. Higginbotham does not
disappoint.
Overall, CenterStage’s production of Company is a
delight with moments of entertainment and charm, mainly because the fourteen-member
ensemble commits itself to the task. The ensemble is mostly filled with talent,
and the casting of the show is almost perfect, presenting us with actors who
have perfect chemistry, especially as couples.
Besides being a
musical theatre genius, Sondheim is also a music and lyricist sadist, taking
pleasure in challenging singers, actors and audiences. It takes a theatre
company willing to serve Sondheim’s sadism themselves to tackle the challenges
of such a great composer. This is not easily accomplished, but it is always fun to
see artists try.
CenterStage does its
best, and for that I applaud them. Their production of Company is worth seeing because each actor truly delivers, even
against the slow musical tempo. And to me, that is what it's all about, because
despite the minor flaws, this company of actors works hard at making us part of
“Being Alive.”
Company
January 10-20
CenterStage at The
Jewish Community Center
3600 Dutchmans Lane
Louisville, KY 40205
502-499-0660
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