From Bobby to Bobbie: Stephen Sondheim Agrees to Changing the Gender of Beloved COMPANY Character in Latest Production

Musicals are known to be timeless, especially those written by Stephen Sondheim. But one brave director has convinced Sondheim of the unthinkable - changing the gender of a beloved main character.

That director is Olivier and Tony award-winning Marianne Elliot, along with producer Chris Harper, who have formed a new theatre troupe, Elliot Harper Productions, in the UK. And the actress they've found to play the now heroine? Rosalie Craig.

In an interview with the Daily Mail, both Elliot and Harper agreed that they wanted to "introduce a 'jolt of danger' into the West End mix."

Elliot has always wanted to revive COMPANY, but was always afraid it too much about the time it was written. Then Harper suggested changing Bobby into Bobbie.

She explains that, 'If it's a 35-year-old woman, and set now, then 35-year-old women are starting to think about settling down. They are thinking about the body clock and they think: Should they be with someone permanent?' 'Suddenly, it became much more now.'

The main person they had to convince was a reluctant Stephen Sondheim. After taping a reading, featuring Craig in the role, Sondheim grew to love the concept.

Elliot and Harper also sent Sondheim text revisions, including changing "Have I Got a Girl for You?" to "Have I Got a Guy for You?"

Photo Credit: BWW-Staff

To post a comment, you must register and login.