“Phone rings, door chimes,” in comes the national tour of Company to Philadelphia. The classic Stephen Sondheim musical is playing at the Forrest Theatre through December 10th. This production, winner of the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical, is a gem.
Reimagined by director Marianne Elliott with the support of Stephen Sondheim before his passing, this production gender-swaps a couple roles, notably the lead character. In the original, Bobby is a bachelor turning 35 and surrounded by his married friends, but in this production, Bobbie is a bachelorette. The other major change is swapping Amy into Jamie, now one half of a gay couple getting married. Neither swap was done just for the sake of it, but with the intention of highlighting differences we’ve come to appreciate over the years. Jamie saying the line “just because we can get married, doesn’t mean we should” takes on an entirely different meaning amongst a gay couple. While some things are lost in the transition from Bobby to Bobbie, there’s also quite a bit gained with this new interpretation.
The one weakness of the Broadway production was the performance of Katrina Lenk as Bobbie, but this tour does not have that problem. Britney Coleman is a rising star; her acting of how it feels to be the one single friend surrounded by married people feels deeply earnest. It’s a tough role to pull off since so much of it is reacting to the other characters and their show-stealing scenes, but Coleman truly makes you focus on Bobbie’s emotions. Other standouts from this production include Matt Rodin as Jamie (“Getting Married Today” stops the show), Judy McLane as Joanne, James Earl Jones II as Harry, and Will Blum as David.
Company is a show that could feel dated in the wrong hands, but this exquisite production makes it feel incredibly timely and grounded. The loneliness epidemic allows everyone to empathize with Bobbie’s situation, being alone even amongst friends. Company strikes a stellar balance between hilarious comedy and intense emotions. Everyone should see this production of one of Sondheim’s best.