Company

I left the hotel around 7:40 for Company. The theatre was only a few blocks away and I figured by leaving that late I wouldn't have to stand in line in the cold and risk my cold getting worse, especially after I had walked around outside all afternoon. It paid off, I got there, got my tickets, found my seat, and it started just a few minutes later. I was in the balcony, first row of the mid-section, just off of center, with an aisle seat. It was a good view but I felt a little removed from the action, and Raul Esparza's uber-detached performance didn't help with that feeling. I did enjoy the show, although I thought John Doyle's production of Sweeney Todd last season was superior. Sweeney lended itself better to the actor-musician concept than Company did. It really only worked at the end when Bobby for the first time plays an instrument and it symbolizes him finally taking control of his life. It's ironic that Doyle won best director last year but his show lost best revival even though it deserved it, and this year he probably won't win director (my current bet is Michael Mayer for Spring Awakening, but that could change. This is going to be a very competitive year at the Tony's and there's a lot of potential for spoilers), but his show has a very real chance of winning best revival even though it's of a lesser quality than Sweeney. I loved the look of the show much more than I did the show itself. I would love to see it win best costumes (for which it has a good chance) and best set design (which it will probably lose to the gaudier Mary Poppins). They really nailed the visual part of the show. Everyone was good with their singing and playing musical instruments, but I just didn't feel as much of a connection with the show as I do listening to the original 1971 cast. There seemed to be a touch of self-awareness to the production that didn't work too well, and Raul's performance really threw me off. I expected Bobby to be more involved in his life, just confused, and he played Bobby as going through the motions without really caring. However, given that that's how they decided to play it, they went for broke and it did work in that context, I'm just not sure it's the best context for the show. Apparently a lot of people agreed with me, no one around me came back after intermission. The balcony was almost totally deserted for the second act. I can't imagine paying all that money and then walking out no matter how awful a show is. So, in the final analysis, I'm glad I saw it, but I'm glad I used the playbill.com discount. It's one of those shows that's easy to appreciate on a cognitive level but still not fully enjoy on an emotional level. My head loved it, my heart not so much. So, after a long, cold day, it was once again time to head back to the hotel and get some rest.