REVIEW: Company (Kennedy Center)
Phone rings, door chimes, in comes Kennedy (Center)!
The much-acclaimed national tour of the Sondheim-Furth masterpiece finally reaches the shores of the Potomac in grand fashion this week, kicking off a run through the end of the month. This revival, famously, is the first production of Company 2.0 (as I call it): Robert, and a few of the supporting cast, have been gender-flipped in its first major revision since the early ‘90s. This was Steve’s final project he saw through to completion before his death in 2021 (unless you count his cameo in Knives Out 2). This huge update first took to the stage in London in 2018 under the auspices of Marianne Elliot, arguably one of the best theatre directors on the planet right now. It opened to raves and cleaned up at the Oliviers before it finally arrived in New York in 2022 after being delayed for some reason, starring Patti LuPone and Katrina Lenk. I saw this version in April of that year and left…underwhelmed. Patti was clearly entering her apathy era (“retiring” from Equity productions shortly after), not giving “Ladies Who Lunch” the chutzpah it deserves, and I really did not enjoy how the production leaned more onto the “comedy” of its comedy-drama genre. I decided to stick with the tried-and-true 2007 version.
But I heard the touring lead, Britney Coleman, was quite something. The hearsay turned into confirmation when I saw her in Beetlejuice last year; I loved her snappy, fun presence and surprisingly rich voice. If anyone could save this revival in my eyes, it would be her.
Book/Music
Company is a bit of a funny one because it’s more like a series of vignettes with no consistent timeline. Usually, a concept musical will be reserved for something larger than life, an indescribable vibe, but Furth and Sondheim opted to apply this practice to “marriage”, a seemingly normal concept (especially among the nuclear families of the 1970s). In essence, Company’s book spends two acts debating with itself what it’s good for, and for the bulk of its history, did this via a masculine lens in Robert. The gender swap to a woman’s is frankly seismic, invigorating the show to meet modern contexts. Bobbie’s exploration of marriage and relationships is introspective and poignant, relevant as can be under fourth wave feminism. (I honestly can’t believe it was written from straight man’s point of view from the beginning.) This isn’t to discredit a man’s ability to analyze relationships, either; men are perfectly capable of the emotions and pathos required of the character. My praise is directed at how the swap effectively blows Company’s interpretation wide open, allowing anyone of any gender or sexuality to take up the mantle. For a musical with such an incredible approach to a mundane topic — and oops, I haven’t even mentioned the all-time great songs — it has become an uber-pliable critique on modern relationships in a way that far surpasses its prior incarnations. Classics like “Getting Married Today”, and “You Could Drive A Person Crazy” go from incredible to titanic, and “Being Alive” somehow gets an extra dose of umph. I’m looking forward to every production of this show hereafter. 10/10
Acting
The thing I hated the most from the Broadway production was Katrina Lenk — and before you clutch your pearls, I loved her in The Band’s Visit. I was excited to see her on Broadway again! But her, drunken, bimbo-y take on this remix, plus her lower-voltage voice, left a bad taste in my mouth. My excitement for the piece hinged on the protagonist evolving from a muddled man who has everything else going for him to a smart, driven woman who (along with everything else) has to grapple with the gendered expectation of marriage. (I have heard that she was much better after a bout with COVID, so I could have just seen the beta version). Britney Coleman, who understudied Lenk on Broadway, takes the reins for the tour and blows the entire thing out of the water. In fact, save for a few instances I felt were over-acted, this entire touring cast explodes with talent. Rarely — if ever — have I seen a touring cast that surpasses the Broadway production. Just for a few examples: Marina Kondo as both Susan and the Priest is magnetic and commanding as either, and Matt Rodin’s pattering as the cold-footed groom-to-be is unforgettable. Coleman herself is inviting, present, and compelling, and not once did I feel like she sold herself short on the kind of life Bobbie deserves. After two great touring roles and some understudying in New York, I think it’s time for her to take center stage soon. 8/10
Production
The Marianne Elliot Industrial Complex strikes again. The Briton known for her electrifying productions of Angels in America, War Horse, and Curious Incident is back to take on Company 2.0 and guess what? There’s nobody who could have done it better. By assembling who I presume to be an Avengers-level of theatrical talent, she’s made the show just as enthralling to experience as to witness. Bunny Christie’s fluorescent set design complements her bright costuming like a 2004-era Shaq and Kobe, and the illusionary set pieces by Chris Fisher (involving some frantically fun choreo by Liam Steel) are a total joy. Though I prefer the tighter orchestrations of the 2007 production over the bubbly sound fostered by Charlie Alterman, has its moments. (If someone knows where I can get the tiny model of Bobbie’s apartment with the balloons and stuff, let me know.) 9/10
Viz
The marketing is plastered with the saturated neon of Kristie’s production design. It’s great! I love how bright and exciting it is, and its use on the program art with Coleman front-and-center tunes the viewer into the kind of quirky, uneven mindset experienced by Bobbie. Even the merch is great: a hat reading “Does Anyone Still Wear a Hat?” is exactly my kind of humor. It reads to someone unfamiliar with the show Company that, “no, we’re not about ‘businesses’, but we are about the business.” 10/10
Verdict
Company is reborn under Marianne Elliot, whose engaging gender-swapped production led by Britney Coleman is definitive and astute. 37/40
