Review: COMPANY at Peace Center

Sometimes art imitates life, and such was the case when both Britney Coleman (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Beetlejuice, Sunset Boulevard) and her character both celebrated their 35th birthdays at Tuesday night’s performance of Stephen Sondheim's Company at the Peace Center. In this fresh new production, the classic score shines in its full glory. That alone makes seeing this national tour of Company worth it, even without a meta-theatrical serenade of “Happy Birthday” at the curtain call.

Most fans of the American musical theatre are necessarily fans of the late Sondheim, but for the layman, the story is simple enough. Company depicts the reflections on marriage and commitment that flood the mind of one perpetually single New Yorker, on the occasion of their surprise 35th birthday party thrown by a close circle of friends. Elliot however, cleverly envisions ‘70s bachelor Bobby as a modern bachelorette (Coleman). It couldn’t be easy to tell a story centers around an emotionally closed-off character, much less one this beloved, but Coleman shows her skill in finding the moments where Bobbie’s heart and mind can peek through the cracks. This is especially true for the character’s big solos that finish each of the two acts, “Marry Me A Little” and the seminal “Being Alive”. In these moments, Coleman is truly storytelling through song, her voice conveying all of Bobbie’s melancholy about the confusing the pros and cons of settling down. It’s a performance worthy of captaining such a major production.

That is not to say that the friend group who throws Bobbie the surprise party have small parts. Au contraire. In fact, the highlight of the evening comes in the key scene for another character—the only other one who, like Bobbie, is genderbent, but also shares the extent of her matrimonial anxieties. One friend Paul’s (Tina's Jhardon DiShon Milton, in a wonderful opening night) indecisive bride Amy is now his panic-stricken partner Jamie. Of course, this version of the character earned Olivier winner Jonathan Bailey (Bridgerton, the Wicked movie) and Tony winner Matt Doyle (Spring Awakening, War Horse) their exceedingly well-deserved trophies. As played by Matt Rodin on this tour, you will not be disappointed. The dynamic between Jamie, who hates himself, and Paul, who refuses to let him, is deeper than ever, and will surely melt your heart. Also, keep an eye out for Marina Kondo (Frozen). In the rest of the show she’s Susan, another of Bobbie’s friends, but in Rodin’s showstopping solo “Getting Married Today,” she makes a side-splittingly hilarious appearance as Jamie and Paul’s wedding officiant…if the wedding doesn’t get called of first, that is.

One of the pleasures of this production is that the one thing that would’ve drawn in most audience members, is flawlessly executed. Stephen Sondheim (West Side Story, Sweeney Todd, Into the Woods, and all the others we know and love), called by many the “Shakespeare” of Broadway, has, of course, written songs that are timeless. Moreover though, every note sounded simply pristine under the music supervision of Joel Fram, who did vocal arrangements, and music director Charlie Alterman, who lead the orchestra on keys. “Side by Side” was a particularly good example of the freshness infused into the sound of these Broadway classics.

For those who love a classic Broadway musical, Company is a treat for the eyes and ears. Elements such as the set and costumes by Bunny Christie supporting performances like those of Jacob Dickey—an alum of the Broadway company like Coleman—and Judy McLane (Mamma Mia) complete the picture. You know a director is talented when she can create aesthetic parallels between her different productions that seem to comprise a signature artistic style, as the acclaimed multiple Tony and Olivier winning director Marianne Elliot (Angels in America, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, War Horse) does here. And Elliot has indeed delivered a very good production of a great musical. Now that’s something we can celebrate.

Company runs through January 28th at the Peace Center.

Photo Credit: Matthew Murphy

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