Being Alive - Raúl Esparza - Company

Raúl Esparza sings "Being Alive" from the 2006 revival of Stephen Sondheim's "Company."

This video is an excerpt from the highly recommended 2008 PBS DVD "Company." The DVD is Region 1 only (US/Canada DVD players or worldwide PC DVD players).

In 2007, "Company" won Tony Awards for "Best Revival of a Musical" and "Best Direction of a Musical (John Doyle)." Raúl was nominated for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical. The original 1970 production was nominated for 12 Tony awards and won 6 of them.

PBS and Image Media have affirmed their copyright of this material - but are allowing the posts on YouTube. We extend our warmest thanks to them.

Browse our website at http://www.theBestArts.com for more great dance, music and musical theatre performances.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Being
• Alive
• Raul
• Esparza
• Company
• PBS
• Raúl
• Sondheim
• Broadway
• Musical
• Theatre

[GiantPetRat]

God, this song. This performance.

I love the way that this begins- the way the "Bobby" chorus sounds almost menacing, rather than friendly this time, claustrophobic. Such subtle direction.

By the way, Esparza had to learn piano for this piece- but Sondheim had thought it was too easy for him, so he touched the song up to make it a bit more difficult to play. Talk about enforced method acting! lol

[alanbweaver]

George Clooney should've sung this song at the end of Up in the Air.....this is one of the best songs ever written for the stage and Esparza does a brilliant job. Never saw this show before...and although it is nearly 40 years old, it still has a raw and contemporary freshness that won't go away.

[amy274216]

@GiantPetRat wait, so he'd never played piano before this show? okay, that just makes him even more awesome.

[3w4v]

@jjarndyce This production was extremely effective for me. Personally, I find invisible orchestras and on-stage occupations distracting.

[Ahaynam]

I love this.

[ChristopherAllen93]

Playing the piano at the same time as singing this song shows just how talented he is. And Sondheim of course.

[edtracker47]

Have never seen this before! Absolutely gave me the chills! Incredible!

[jjarndyce]

In my eyes, the themes you mention are very well expressed by lines and performance. Adding literal instruments to emphasize roles we play is overkill. It defeats the point by ramming it down your throat, and indicates insecurity in the play and the actors. Plainly, Medea does not need to bang on a drum to express the character's passion.

[daubergoat]

@jjarndyce The show is very much about how we play roles for one another. Constantly performing is kind of what this show is about. The Actor/Muso just reinforces that. Maybe being a trombonist and a singer influences my opinion or perspective, but it didn't feel forced at all to me.

[misskat354]

I Love this show, and this is such a beautiful performance.

[jjarndyce]

Dumb. Saw this on DVD. YES, I know live theater is different. Yes, some fine performances and truly excellent voices. Thanks for posting this.

But this garbage of the instruments...I do not see the point of putting up another 'fourth wall', as this does. It presents the cast as consciously performing, rather than occupying, the roles. It's bloody stupid.