Review: COMPANY at Kennedy Center

Phone rings, door chimes, in comes a dazzling reimagined production of Stephen Sondheim’s and George Furth’s classic, COMPANY, to the Kennedy Center stage. With a new take turning our beloved bachelor into a bachelorette, director Marianne Elliott breathes a new life into the staging of this beloved script, giving it its well-deserved 21st-century makeover. It’s Bobbie’s 35th birthday party and with that comes the barrage of probing from her friends: when will she finally settle down with a man and start a family? COMPANY takes you on Bobbie’s journey to find the answer, asking the audience to think about what it means to be married, to be single, and to be alive.

Elliott earns her flowers (and her merited 2022 Tony Award® win for direction of the Broadway production) for this much-needed update of the YEAR musical. The collaboration between her and Sondheim shines through the modern-day changes - Paul and Jamie as a gay couple with Jamie terrified to go through with getting married, Joanne and her third, younger husband, Larry, Jenny being a working mom with her stay-at-home husband, David, and the three men Bobbie struggles to juggle as she tries to figure it all out: Andy, Theo, and P.J.  

While George Furth’s book never stepped up to the way Sondheim’s score dazzled, this revival brings forth a new feminine perspective. New conversations arise when you’re talking about Bobbie, a 35-year-old bachelorette with a looming of her biological clock ticking if she wants to settle and start a family at all, instead of Bobby, a 35-year-old bachelor who’s scared of commitment. Moments in the show take on different meanings such as “Poor Baby”, having the men of the show pitying Bobbie in what almost feels condescending as if she doesn’t have any self-worth outside of needing a man in her life to keep her company. It’s a fascinating dichotomy that makes this revival so brilliant. 

Bunny Christie’s set design and Neil Austin’s lighting design work hand-in-hand to trap this ensemble into their little boxes - quite literally. Moving pieces that create rooms within these character’s lives makes you feel as if you’re peering into a dollhouse, voyeuristic in what these relationships hold for each individual. Elliott gorgeously employs these mechanics for Bobbie to smoothly transition from scene to scene while she takes in the relationships of her friends as case studies. 

Britney Coleman as Bobbie (center) and the North American Tour of COMPANY_ Photo by Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade.jpg" height="534" src="https://cloudimages.broadwayworld.com/upload13/2298088/0759%20-%20Britney%20Coleman%20as%20Bobbie%20(center)%20and%20the%20North%20American%20Tour%20of%20COMPANY_%20Photo%20by%20Matthew%20Murphy%20for%20MurphyMade.jpg" width="800" />

 

There is no show without Britney Coleman’s Bobbie and wow, she does not disappoint. Coleman perfectly encapsulates a woman who’s just trying to figure her life out while still meeting her own needs and those of her friends, while struggling with the reality of always being number three. I loved following her through Bobbie’s journey, being with her every step of the way, and feeling like I was being let in on the secret to life. Her rendition of the Sondheim beloved, “Being Alive”, was a stunning conclusion, feeling well-earned as Bobbie realizes what love is for all along. 

Coleman does not carry the show all on her own, though; the tight-knit ensemble cast of characters brings it all together and creates the world in which Bobbie lives. It would be remiss not to commend every single one of them for how strong and different each one of their characters was - they made each scene feel without a doubt like a real friend group from New York. Matt Rodin’s (Jamie) “Not Getting Married Today” brought down the house with help from Marina Kondo’s (Susan) hysterical priest and Jhardon DiShon Milton’s (Paul) lovesick melody. Judy McLane (Joanne) mesmerized the audience with her performance of “The Ladies Who Lunch”, giving the iconic ‘rise’ we all know and love. James Earl Jones II (Harry), Jed Resnick (David), and Derrick Davis (Larry) gave a stunning rendition of “Sorry-Grateful” that is still stuck in my head to this day. Tyler Hardwick (PJ) seamlessly transitioned in and out of each scene with a gorgeous version of “Another Hundred People”. Jacob Dickey (Andy) is hysterical in “Barcelona” with Bobbie, truly having not a thought (but also so many) behind his eyes. Kathryn Allison (Sarah), Javier Ignacio (Peter), David Socolar (Theo), and Emma Stratton (Jenny) all have stunning moments in the show from jiu-jitsu with Sarah, the divorce-but-not with Peter, a somber moment in the park of what-if’s with Theo, and one of our first poignant moments of jealousy from the other women to Bobbie with Jenny. 

As the lights dim on this spectacular ensemble cast, the audience leaves with a profound understanding: love, in all its complexities, is the true essence of being alive. You truly do not want to miss this production of COMPANY at the Kennedy Center. 

This show runs through March 31st at the Kennedy Center Opera House. The show is recommended for ages 12 and up.

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