By James V. Ruocco
There's nothing more exciting than looking at an established Broadway musical through an entirely different lens.
And that, in a nutshell, is what's happening to the Stephen Sondheim/George Furth musical "Company," when it opens this September in London's West End.
Bobby is now Bobbie.
April is now Andy.
The hit song "Have I Got a Girl for You? " has been reworked and renamed "Have I Got a Guy For You?"
And the soon-to-be-married couple, Amy and Paul, will still be tying the knot.
Only this time, they're a gay, same-sex couple, Jamie and Paul.
Color Sondheim intrigued.
Color London audiences intrigued.
Color every Broadway musical theater lover intrigued.
Color every fan of "Company" intrigued.
Color director Marianne Elliott intrigued.
Seriously, what's not to like?
The concept, the story, the musical, has "hit" written all over it.
When the project was first announced back in 2017, Stephen Sondheim, the composer and lyricist of the original 1970 Broadway musical, gave the green light immediately after he saw a workshop video of the two-act musical staged by Tony awarding-winning director Marianne Elliott. To hear him tell it, he was absolutely delighted by this alternate take on his Tony award-winning production.
"When you've got somebody as distinguished and inventive and good as Marianne Elliott and she says that she would like to do 'Company' with a female central character, what is there to lose?" he explains. "It can only make the play either interesting or, if you dislike it, dislikeable. So I'm always open.
"Secondly, the thing about theatre as opposed to movies and television is that it's malleable. Shows are performed and, more importantly, directed by different people. And that, keeps them alive."
The two-act musical is currently in rehearsal for a Sept. 26th start date at London's Gielgud Theatre. It stars Rosalie Craig as Bobbie (Bobby in the original production), Patti LuPone as Joanne, Mel Giedroyc as Sarah, Jonathan Bailey as Jamie (Amy in the original production), George Blagden as PJ (Marta in the original production), Ashley Campbell as Peter, Richard Fleeshman as Andy (April in the original production), Alex Gaumond as Paul, Richard Henders as David, Ben Lewis as Larry, Daisy Maywood as Susan, Jennifer Saayeng as Jenny, Matthew Seadon-Young as Theo (Kathy in the original production) and Gavin Spokes as Harry.
"Company" tells the musical story of Bobbie, a 35-year-old single business woman who enjoys dating several attractive men, but is unable to fully commit to a steady relationship despite round-the-clock interference from her closest friends, five married couples who insist she'd be better off if she finally found that "special someone."
Will it happen? Does it happen? Can it happen?
Maybe, yes. Maybe, no.
Originally titled "Threes" and billed as "a concept musical," because of its short vignette sequences, "Company" is classic Sondheim with a twist. It features the hit songs "Being Alive," "The Ladies Who Lunch," "Marry Me a Little," "Barcelona," "You Could Drive a Person Crazy," "Sorry-Grateful," "Getting Married Today," "Someone Is Waiting" and the show-stopping title tune.
Rosalie Craig who plays Bobbie in this new interpretation of "Company," has worked with Marianne Elliott before in "The Light Princess" at the National Theatre, for which she received the "Evening Standard Award" for Best Actress in a Musical. Her other theatre credits include Polly Peachum in "The Threepenny Opera," "Rosalind in "As You Like It," Gabby/Bobbi in "City of Angels," Sylvia in "Finding Neverland" and Miss Julie in "Miss Julie." Most recently, she appeared in "Becoming" at the Donmar Warehouse, which she co-wrote with Michelle Terry.
"I'm terrifically excited about doing 'Company' and I have been ever since Marianne and I started talking about it as an idea," says Craig. "The reaction to Bobbie being female has been heartwarming because everyone has really embraced it.
"Not just women, but many people who do love Sondheim and think it's a fabulous idea."
Craig said that telling the story of "Company" with a gender-twist is especially unique.
"Bobby was originally a man. It was written for a man. It was a male role. And now, I'm playing it as a woman. I'm not playing a man. It's being told from a female perspective. It's just as if you take a Shakespeare and make Hamlet a woman."
Marianne Elliott's directorial credits include "Angels in America," "War Horse," "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time," "Heisenberg," "The Light Princess," "Sweet Bird of Youth" and "Viva Forever."
"For me, 'Company' is a very specific story about a very specific person," she explains. "Very specific friends at a very particular time. The fact that it can translate to a different context shows how universal it is."
"Company" is being staged at the Gielgud Theatre (35-37 Shaftsbury Avenue, London, UK).
Previews begin September 26th. The official opening is scheduled for October 17th. The production runs through December 22.
Performances of "Company" are 7:30 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 2:30 p.m. Thursdays and Saturdays.
Tickets are £34.40, £59.40, £95.40, £119.40
For reservations or more information or reservations, call 0844 482 5130.
