Review: COMPANY National Tour at the Denver Center

The breadth of Sondheim's work all have one thing in common: the thumbprint of the musical artist that is Stephen Sondheim. Once you see enough of his shows, however, you start to notice the diversity in the stories. West Side Story, A Funny Thing Happens on the Way to the Forum, and Sweeney Todd, just to name a few, are all vastly different tales. Add to the list another Sondheim classic, but told in a whole new way, and you have the revival of Company currently on its national tour and the latest show to make a stop at the Buell Theatre.

It's always fun when revivals have an extra twist compared to their original counterparts. Having not ever seen it before outside of YouTube clips - I know, sue me - it was nice to come in with fresh eyes for a fresh take on this Sondheim classic. With 5 characters that swapped genders, including a woman in the leading roll of Bobbie, the dynamic in so many scenes shift and take on a different conotation. Some I would say enhance the scene in some way while others paint a misogonistic picture of what it means to tell a woman she needs to get married. Truly, with Bobb-ie and not Bobb-y, the show takes on a new personality.

Generally speaking, I'm a sucker for an smaller cast. It's mostly because I love when a tight-knit ensemble sings and the blend is masterful. More so, when excellent singers sing Sondeheim excellently it warms my heart and gives me goosebumps. Let's just say this cast did not dissapoint. The players also crafted unique portrayals for each of their characters that remained relatble to the audience. Among the talented ensemble are a couple of standout performances. In one of the handful of roles that have been gender-bent for this revival is Matt Rodin as Jamie, formerly "Amy". Rodin offers a just as chaotic and neurotic rendition of "Getting Married Today" as you would expect for the role that is balanced only by the calm nature of his betrothed, Paul played so gently by Jhardon DiShon Milton. The iconic Judy McLane as Joanne also made a notable impression on the performance from start to finish. Joanne acts as a sort of narrator throughout the show and McLane brought with it just the right amount of comedy and contempt. Her take on the 11-o-clock number, "The Ladies Who Lunch" was delivered with a sense of controlled madness.

In the leading role of Bobbie, Britney Coleman delivers. Having no benchmark to compare to this version, I now find it difficult to imagine Bobbie as "Bobby". Coleman lends her rather lyrical tone to the role in a way that remains soft, yet confident. I think the only thing I was really missing from her performance was the believability that Bobbie is walking a path toward finding a marital partner. The finale songs of act one and act two suggest that Bobbie is open to the idea of marriage but the actions of the character throughout the rest of the show paint a different picture. Even after it was over, I still left the theatre thinking, "Does she REALLY want to get married?" Nonetheless, I chalk that up more to the idea of genderbending the role than I do her personal take on the character.

Overall, the show exhibits a prominent stage of life for 30-somethings: the proverbial quarter-life crisis. The pressure of the cookie-cutter life makes it seem so desirable that it makes you feel like you have to act fast or risk never having it at all. Bobbie is constantly surrounded by subliminal messages of marriage and children, not to mention the deliberate coercion from her circle of friends. It is a reminder to the audience that although this is a new take on the show, the source remains the same and at times dated. Though, perhaps the argument could be made that in reality people haven't changed at all.

Company runs at DCPA through June 2, 2024.

To post a comment, you must register and login.