By: Gwendolyne Chambers
Stephen Sondheim, a titan of Broadway, died recently on the 26th of November. He wrote many musicals, successes such as Into the Woods and flops like Merrily We Roll Along. Here is one of his musicals, about a man who simply did not want to get married, but his friends wanted him to.
Depending on the version you see, the musical will start in many different ways, however, a script is a script and the first song you hear will be “Company.” Fitting, right? This song is by Bobby and the rest of the cast where we get a chorus that follows us throughout the rest of the musical. This then sends us into the “plot” of the musical that will follow throughout a series of vignettes going through three years of Bobby’s life. His friends asking when he will get married and him not really wanting to and Bobby with one of his three girlfriends.
Sondheim wrote many musicals, some great successes and others failing once they hit the stage. “Company” was relatively successful, having 705 performances in its first run and several revivals after and a special starring Neil Patrick Harris. It was nominated for 14 Tony awards and won 6.
“Company,” along with Sondheim himself, should never be forgotten. Sondheim changed the lives of many theater kids, young and old. He gave Broadway a variety of musicals to listen to and watch and he will always hold a piece in people’s hearts.
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