review: company

Bobby.  Bobby.  Bobby, baby, Bobby.

Sorry, it's just that's the catchiest part of Company.  If you've seen it, you'll have it in your head already and know what I'm talking about.  If you haven't, well, you probably won't.

It's a good musical -- one of the most true-to-life ones I've ever seen -- but not great on the community theatre stage.  It's not exactly fun, but it is a bit on the thought-provoking side.  It's Stephen Sondheim, which should really just say it all.  Nobody was expecting a happy ending.

Not that it's all doom and gloom.  Sure, it's a bit bleak, but the songs are catchy.  You Could Drive a Person Crazy, Company and Another Hundred People Just Got Off of the Train are my favorites.  At least that's what I'm guessing they're called.  Sorry, I didn't feel it that necessary to look up their official titles, but I think I might be right.  It's been known to happen.

The Willoughby Theatre Company presented this production at Zenith Theatre in Chatswood.  It was reasonably well done, though a bit scarce on the audience end of things.  I'm not a musically inclined sort myself, but while the pit seemed okay, I thought some of the singers might have been a bit off key from time to time.  Others, though, were really great.

And I was struck again by how normal looking Australian actors are -- though perhaps that really works better with the plot anyway.  It's more real life.

Their 70s clothes were quite 70s -- a bit over the top, but I suppose that's to be expected on stage.  Their American accents were surprisingly good -- not the usual Valley Girl/hick most Australians get, nor the usual lapsing back into Australian accents you tend to get on stage.  One Southern drawl might have been a bit overdone, but really, I don't think there is any other way to do a Southern drawl.  I certainly spare no expense when I attempt it.

The set was good -- simple, but more would have been overkill.  Props were mimed perhaps a smidge more than necessary, but all in all that department was alright.

All in all the whole show was alright actually.  Nothing spectacular, nothing terrible.  Probably not worth the $40 they want for it, but how are you to know that before you go?

The bottom line?  For me, the best part of the night was the company.