Following five couples and their friend Robert (Neil Patrick Harris), the perpetual bachelor, Company explores the true meaning of being in a relationship.
Director: Lonny Price
Stars: Neil Patrick Harris, Patti LuPone, Martha Plimpton, Christina Hendricks.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1942831/
Watched online, ok print.
First B'way performance: 1970
No songs in the Soundtracks, but this is mostly songs sung.
I don't like the show. It's about being single vs. being married/attached. And both sides come off badly. No character has any depth, not even the focal point, Bobby. The other men are little more than props, and the women only have songs to sing, all supporting the case against marriage. But the dialog is often pro-marriage.
I've seen this show (or songs from it) often enough that several songs are familiar, and the most likeable thing might be the cleverness of the songs. But they don't make me happy, nor were they intended to.
This feels like it was written by people (Sondheim and the writer of the book) who had been dogged by friends to get married. Interesting that it's been so well received (IBDb). It was Sondheim's 3rd show where he wrote both music & lyrics, preceded by 3 where he did lyrics only. Per Wikipedia, he's written 23 musicals.
I wonder if there's a way to stage this, a different interpretation perhaps, that would make me like it. I've certainly warmed to others of his shows, and adored a few from my first viewing.
Rated 7.7 (962)
indie, dir. Price; 6-
