PROJECT #3 PRODUCING THE PLAY

The musical Company isn't a very complicated piece of work and as far as heavy technical wonder and physically demanding corography goes this one takes it fairly simple. the concept of the show is a spectacular one, it is only meant to enlighten and the biggest thing on that stage should be the characters lving on it as opposed to a massive moving set peice of overly eccentric costumes. The only thing I can see being any kind of a distraction is the way a certain fight scene is handled. Either the director decides to go for it or he takes a more out of the box approach when showing this specific comic violence.

In the scene between Harry and Sarah, which is followed by Little Thing You Do Together there is a physical fight between the husband and wife. Sarah is asked by Harry to show him some of her karate moves, she eventually gives in and what follows is a power struggle of comic proportions. The different versions I have seen of this have either legitimate wrestling with carefully choreographed actions or the action is pantomimed, as it was in the 2007 revival. Standing across the stage from one another Harry and Sarah simultaneously wrestled with the air as one managed to get the other one to give up. The intended effect of this physical action is not to make the audience, or Robert, feel as if either one is in danger, it is only meant to be a comical diversion showing how many ways a couple can struggle for the top hand. The revival version really brings out the comedy in this scene giving us a different side of a usually physical undertaking.

It isn't something landmark or necessary that this couple be in the grips of a wrestling match during Joanne's ode to marrige but it does bring a interesting perspective to the song if we see the two married characters onstage showing us all just how important are The Little Things You Do Together.

As far as the critical appeal and opinion of Company is concerned it was a wonderfully refreshing show. The reviews I read from Baltimore, Boston and Variety magazine all had only positive things to say about the Kennedy Center version, the 2007 Revival and the original production. It was acclaimed as a "deceptive review" with a cold and cynical analysis at the upper middle class married New Yorker.