Stephen Sondheim's award-winning 1970 outing Company, like most of
Sondheim's work, is highly acclaimed by theater-goers, critics, and
Sondheim's peers. Essentially a musical about nothing, Company chronicles the thoughts and remembrances one man has about his friends (five married couples) as he hesitates outside the door, about to walk in on his own "surprise" birthday party. The only single member in their group, he spends the entire musical wavering between adoring his bachelorhood and trying to locate his dream woman -- the perfect merging of his female friends' best qualities -- so he too can settle down. Company truly exemplifies that less can be more, at least in terms of story line. Heralded by some as instigating the reconstruction of the concept of musical theater, the score of Company is completely modern and completely charming in every way. Among its many highlights are the amusing "Getting Married Today" and the lovely yet quirky "Barcelona." The cast is delightful as well, including most notably Elaine Stritch,
Dean Jones,
Donna McKechnie (who later went on to star in A Chorus Line), and
Charles Kimbrough (Jim Dial from Murphy Brown). Also included on this issuing of the recording is a reworking of the climactic song "Being Alive" with
Dean Jones' replacement,
Larry Kert (who portrayed Tony in
Sondheim's West Side Story), as a bonus track. ~ Sarah Erlewine