Pro-shot reel from the first Broadway revival of "Company." Among this company are Boyd Gaines, Deborah Monk, LaChanze, Charlotte d'Amboise, Jane Krakowski, Veanne Cox, Kate Burton, and Danny Burstein.
I think Veanne Cox is underrated as an actress and comedian. From one of the step-sisters in Cinderella to her spot-on turn with Danny Burnstein in "Follies", and her Amy in this production, she is always quite wonderful.
I don't think there has been anyone who has been able to pull off Getting Married Today as flawlessly as Veanne Cox has in this production, truly flawless in both acting and singing ❤️
So that's what the actress playing Marta looks like -- gorgeous! Whenever I listen to the cast album, I can't resist listening to "Another Hundred People" twice in a row, because she sounds so amazing!
I've always loved Tick Tock, and it's a shame that it's not talked about enough when discussing company. Charlotte's dancing is pristine during that sequence and she pulled it off perfectly. It takes a special performer for that song to work in the context of the show.
The way they do the ending of 'Side By Side' is absolutely perfect. That moment should absolutely be a serious one when Bobby passes his dance moves to ... no one. Everytime I see it played for laughs it annoys me. Ending it with everyone leaving the stage and leaving Bobby completely alone is also perfect
This is so odd, I was a student studying theatre and worked weekends @ The Longhwharf Theater in New Haven, Ct. and can remember this lead male actor ( Bobby) being quite a competent, calm and energizing actor to watch each night. I didn't know he could sing & dance. I have to say, I was very green to the history of anything about Broadway and acting but quickly learned a lot and this Sondheim dude......was just amazing, lol. The original ( seen on video) is outstanding. The original cast......I don't have words. I didn't know a human being could be that good and how difficult it was to make it look so easy. Elaine Stritch, I didn't even know she was alive untill I saw her show at the Public in New York. And thank God for her documentary..❤❤❤ The director/ direction/ choreography is quite busy. I was a bit distracted from the music and lyrics from all the movement. I was very impressed but also lost as to why so much moving about. The theater was obviously capacious The up, the down. Or at least it looks that way from the footage. It's 2023 and Sweeney Todd is on Broadway and I really haven't been on top of my game to revel in the Sondheim magic. I learned of this work very, very late in life... but I just adore it. I even purchased the movie with Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter. Thank you so very much for posting.
this was my admittedly my first company cast because this recording was all they had at my local library. i have a fondness for everyone in this cast for that reason. i was so delighted to find this cast in *your* library, especially after hearing of sondheim's passing today. thank you endlessly
I really like this cast/revival. Robert Westenberg is always a treat. The band sounds magnificent too. Would like to get my hands on the whole soundtrack. No one has uploaded it to RU-vid.
Even though it got a CD, this production is somewhat forgotten, perhaps because John Doyle's Broadway revival (Raul Esparza), Neil Patrick Harris' concert, and Sam Mendes' London/Donmar Warehouse production (Adrian Lester) were all televised, with the first two released on Blu-ray.
How am I the first person to comment on Charlotte d'Amboise?!? I cannot imagine a more convincing case to be made for the inclusion of "Tick Tock" in subsequent productions!
Tick Tock needs a special kind of performer to work. It is an odd moment in the show, and without the right person, the moment feels out of place and silly.
@@seanmccambridge7122 To add to that, it also needs to be staged well. Like, the Neil Patrick Harris one did it as a group number with a bunch of dancers, and it landed like a lead balloon. So...... definitely needs to be a solo dance.😂
I didn't know the fantastic miss Charlotte was ever in Company ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ (I've been obsessed with her since 2017 when i discovered the 1988 Carrie footage)
I like this comment. You know, I had actually forgotten about this reel until this production became a subject for discussion on a prominent message board.
Thank you for uploading this. And what a strange performance this is - every actor, singer, and dancer in perfection - but every number just feels like it tanks. Whoever directed this will be leaving a legacy that will be ridiculed by teachers of high school performers everywhere for decades. Unmentioned in post is the conductor here - the orchestra is pretty much without flaw - but whoever the conductor is here might be the only person to be giving notes to Sondheim...so crisp and forward.
Saw the original. This revival doesn't compare. I usually enjoy Deborah Monk but her Ladies Who Lunch is too abrasive. Boyd Gaines really messes up at "not alive"(27:16).
No revival of "Company" will ever compare with the original--brilliantly written, cast, designed, and staged. No revival will even come close. But this one has a few interesting folk among the cast and did not play very long.
It was meant to extend but according to a few sources the producers wanted to replace Gaines, and Sondheim and Furth stayed loyal to him. I like the revival--but yes, nothing will compare to the original (which I admit I've only "seen" thanks to the Lincoln Center Archive video of the original tour). And one negative is this revival started the use of the revised "updated" script which is no improvement, but is all that you cab license currently.
He had bad health problems at the time (Dan Cowles replaced him in the role in over half the performances)--Diana Casova has talked about how good she thought he was but how the cast just felt sorry for him trying to hit notes his throat infection no longer would let him.
Nice to hear from you Eric--I have enjoyed your postings on BW. The published revised script was derived from both the Roundabout and the Donmar revivals. As you can see here, the Roundabout version retained "Tick-Tock" for Charlotte d'Amboise. The Donmar cut it, and I doubt that it's done much anymore
Actually it was standby James Clow who substituted for Gaines. Clow ultimately played more performances of this revival than Gaines. Once the production opened, Clow officially did the matinees, although not billed as an alternate in the Playbill.
aurora spiderwoman - you have no idea how excited I get when I get the notification on my iPad that you have posted something new!!! Keep up the amazing work!!!
I think LaChanze is a great performer, but I don't care for her interpretation of Another Hundred People. She sings it in such a happy, smiling, upbeat way. I think that works against the intention of the song which has always struck me as bittersweet, cool, distant. Anything but warm. Perhaps it is the directors fault?
This is the first production where I noticed, in "You Could Drive a Person Crazy," the change in the line, "if a person is a fag" to, "if he happens to be gay." I was always curious about the original, considering that Sondheim was gay. I guess he was more concerned with authenticity of language than being polite. This production is more highly choreographed than any I have ever seen. The women playing Amy and Joanne have their work cut out for them in any production, since the performances of Beth Howland and Elaine Stritch were iconic benchmark roles. They did quite well here.
Sondheim later admitted he regretted using “fag” in a word. I think you’re right; he just needed a rhyme but i don’t think it was used maliciously. I also agree that there was a LOT of choreography compared to other productions I’ve seen. In my opinion it seems too much and takes away from Sondheims brilliant lyrics.
I'm sorry, I love Company but this looks cheesy. The 2006 revival blows this out of the water. Between the high school show choir choreography and the guy playing Bobby having the charm of a banana peel, the only person I'd swap over from this cast is Jane Krakowski. Bobby seems to be completely focused on opening his mouth as wide as he possibly can while simultaneously making no connection to the lyrics he's singing with his face.
I saw this revival and I really didn't care for it, especially bad was Boyd Gaines, who is just not a good singer. I also found the show extremely dated. The later Broadway revival with Raul Esparza was far better.
