Company: Part 12

This is part twelve of my absolute favorite musical of all time, "Company" by Stephen Sondheim. This is the PBS "Great Performances" recording of the 2006 Revival of "Company" directed by John Doyle, the director of the 2005 Revival of "Sweeney Todd" also by Stephen Sondheim. In both of these revivals there are no musicians, the actors play all of the instruments, very challenging, yet very effective. The star of this production of "Company" is Raul Esparza who plays Bobby, a seemingly happy Manhattan bachelor with a deep hidden sadness. The cast of this production shows extreme strength in the area of ensemble work. This production has one of the best interpretations of the song "Getting Married Today" I have ever heard, Heather Laws does an amazing job with it. The cast is as follows Bobby: Raul Esparza, Joanne: Barbara Walsh, Larry: Bruce Sabath, Amy: Heather Laws, Paul: Robert Cunningham, Sarah: Kristin Huffman, Harry: Keith Butterbaugh, Jenny: Leenya Rideout, David: Fred Rose, Susan: Amy Justman, Peter: Matt Castle, April: Elizabeth Stanley, Marta: Angel Desai, Kathy: Kelly Jeane Grant. This section includes the song "The Ladies Who Lunch".

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• 2006
• barrymore
• broadway
• comedy
• company
• dating
• ethel
• genius
• life
• marriage
• musical
• play
• revival
• sondheim
• stephen
• theater

[kylebank]

god, i LOVE the disdain in her voice, the barely-veiled self-loathing.

[bluebettle]

"I hate people that are weak"

*lights cigarette*

Great writing.

[RhysWhitfield]

@DassMorris Wicked is fun, it's a musical made by the songs, and people go for the spectacle. Company is much more intellectually engaging, you leave with the message - if you don't want to be lonely, don't marry. Wicked wasn't written with that kind of specific message in mind, it's more of a 'pop' musical. Wicked isn't a bad musical, and neither is Company, they're written to achieve different things, and it depends what you want from a musical as an audience member.

[ViennaForever]

I've acted in a number of plays years after majoring in theater. I have always LOVED Sondheim. This performance of Barbara Walsh's is astonishing. WHAT and ACT! I wish I had seen this live. One of those experiences where you rise up in a daze and exclaim to yourself and those around you that you have finally seen true Brilliance.

[MsLazyllama101]

I love Joanne's husband. He's so good as a person.

[Robertogee]

Yes, Elaine Stritch has "owned" The Ladies Who Lunch for nearly 40 years. I love watching her do it too.

But here is the enormous difference.

Elaine Stritch "plays" Joanne. Elaine Stritch.

Joanne "is played" by Barbara Walsh. Joanne.

Joanne revealing all her terrifying voracious neediness and desperate, deadly, haunted and haunting insecurity.

Watch this again and look at the layers. The truly remarkable variety of layers, vocally and physically, of JOANNE . . . played by Barbara Walsh.

[Eyllek2]

She was freakin' brilliant when I saw the show.

[BoredTomboy]

I absolutely LOVE that no one clapped. It shows the command that Joanne holds over the audience. Barbara Walsh is amazing at making this feel so tense. The way the song ends leaves you leaning in and waiting for the next note. No one could bring themselves to interrupt the silence. Usually actors relax and acknowledge that the song is over, and THEN people clap. Barbara didn't, and it could be seen as Joanne's character recognizes that she has an audience and is refusing to let them pity her.

[DassMorris]

@TRwalnut Excuse me, but Wicked is freaking incredible. Sondheim is a genius, but Wicked is the sort of play that, if you haven't seen it, you have not seen a certain sort of wonderful that life has provided. (Although I will agree with you about Shrek; it wasn't all that impressive. Though the songs and everything was okay.)

Diss Shrek, diss whatever you like, but lay off Wicked.

[TRwalnut]

tears rolling down my face...this makes me love musical theatre....how could you go see fuckin Wicked or Shrek or whatever after this! sondhiem's best!!!!

[hottieho13]

@Necromasty  i was just thinking the same exact thing!i said to my self that i could totally see jane doing this

[Necromasty]

This is my opinion, I understand you probably won't agree, but Joann in this, she reminds me SO MUCH of Jane Lynch. I actually had to check to see if she was. I think she looks and sounds like her