metrospective

In Good Company

Metro's student production of Sondheim classic poses questions even as it entertains

By Jessica Kowal
kowalj@mscd.edu

Metro's newest student production not only entertains, but also challenges its audience with social issues and psychological quandaries.

On Thursday, Oct. 6, Metro's Theater and Music departments collaborated to present Stephen Sondheim's musical, "Company." Sondheim is well known for his unique use of lyrics and for his ability to beautifully blend melodies throughout his works. He is extremely notable among music historians for his innovations in American musicals. Sondheim was the first lyricist to tackle serious societal issues and apply them in a musical setting. His lyrical contributions include "West Side Story" (1957), and "Gypsy" (1959).

The musical setting creates a conceptual problem for a modern audience. Written in 1970 and based on of several short stories written by George Furth, "Company" was the first musical to be presented as a concept show rather than a well developed story line with a defined plot. Specific scenes in this musical have lost their initial effect in that they deal with issues like casual sex, drugs, homosexuality and divorce from a '70s perspective. The play's original purpose was to leave the audience thinking about, and discussing, modern-day issues. With the "generation gap," the audience might struggle to leave with the intended effect.

The cast of this production did an impressive job of creating a generational disconnection as well as convincingly conveying the main element of the plot: namely, the unbreakable bonds of friendship.

The story revolves around Robert, a single, 35-year-old, and his interactions with five married couples. The setting is Robert's gray, cold apartment in New York City. As the lights dim, footsteps sound. Robert, played by Kevin Hindley, enters his dreary apartment. He sits in a chair with his back facing the audience as he listens to and returns phone messages. It is at this point in the musical that the audience learns of a surprise party for Robert that all his friends will attend.

The first song in the musical, titled "Company," introduces the cast of characters as couples and shows that Robert's friends hold him in high regard. The vocal lines in the first number are staggered, creating the effect of a round, in the style of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat." This performance style helps the audience identify with the individual couples as well as see the entire cast as cohesive ensemble.

As the musical progresses, Robert goes from viewing marriage as a sort of trap to pining for it as a missing necessity in his life. After visiting his friends, Sarah (Maggie Cochran) and Harry (Sean Cochran), Robert realizes he might be missing out. In the second scene, Joanne (Erin Schneider) sings, "Little Things You Do Together." The personality and energy she brings to the stage is incredibly engaging. Her vocal lines are precise and her ability to involve the audience is superb.

For the performance, the innovation of Sondeim's music mixed well with the talent of the cast. For example, in the fourth scene, Robert's three girlfriends, April (Courtney Capek), Kathy (Melissa Morris) and Marta (Nancy S. Evans) sang the trio, "You Could Drive A Person Crazy." Their harmonies were accurate and, even as their choreography was entertaining and sexy, it didn't interfere with the music. The melodies found in "Have I Got A Girl For You" can also be heard in the opening number. This repetition is another way Sondheim blends his melodies creatively.

Toward the end of the first act, Amy (Bekah Lancaster), Paul (Jared Ming) and Susan (Anna Maria High) sang, "Getting Married Today." As many women on their wedding day, Amy suffers from cold feet. Indeed, she told the audience that she was not getting married. Her solo required many words to be sung extremely quickly, a musical method that helped convey the neurosis and frantic nature of the character. Amy sang her part with impeccable attack and clear diction, which helped her characterization of a nervous and dysfunctional bride-to-be.

"Marry Me A Little" was cut from the original performance because it was deemed as too depressing. Its inclusion in this production adds to the depth of the characters and the gravity of the musical's central theme. Robert's sudden desire to wed entails a massive psychological shift. The second act involves Robert coming to terms with being unmarried, and this psychological process is not always pretty.

Despite the morose lyrics of this song, hope for Robert comes when he shares a night in bed with April. Unfortunately, nothing comes of the relationship. In Metro's production, the scene where the characters make love was uniquely choreographed with bed sheets and the voiced dialogue of the characters' inner thoughts. After the night they share, Robert and April sing "Barcelona." The two parts are completely different; however they meet on certain words like "fly," creating a conceptual unity for the character and for the song.

In the end, Robert no longer wants to be on the "outside looking in." The final song, "Being Alive," tells the audience that even though Robert was living as a single man, he was utterly alone. To him, that was not really living.

Although the psychological impact of the play is not as timely as it was in 1970, this musical still left the audience with many issues to contemplate and discuss. The conflicts and conundrums Robert has to face are still haunting many single people in 2005. Even as the themes remain pertinent, the musical treatment of the songs pays respect to Sondheim's original vision. All the students involved in this performance should be proud of their accomplishment; it was a very challenging task. I encourage all people to attend this musical and try to find the many hidden messages for our intellectual consideration that the cast and director have placed throughout this performance.