AISLE SAY
Florida
COMPANY
Music
and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by George
Furth
Directed and Choreographed by Jared E. Walker
Starring Jason Kimble as Robert
The Players
838 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota,
(941)365-2494
Through Mid-October, 2008
Reviewed
by Marie J. Kilker
The
PlayersÕ production of Company
points
out the problem of presenting this
1970 musical in the new century.
Here the
costumes (e.g. mini-skirts, pastel pumps, flowery shirts) and the setÕs
main-room furnishings with lots of chrome say Òperiod pieceÓ while the
cagey
levels of set and mood-setting lettering on the backdrop behind an NYC
silhouette say Òmaybe today.Ó Company,
a ground-breaking ÒconceptÓ musical, seems stuck in old ideas of
marriages
that donÕt work--or do, but not pleasantly. TheyÕre all ÒSide by Side By SideÓ
watched by or watching anti-hero Robert on his 35th birthday. And
then some.
Robert
is genial (almost too much so in cute
Jason KimbleÕs version) but a vapid
bachelor who uses, sometimes thinks heÕs in love with, but ultimately
canÕt
commit to any woman. A sort of yuppy Peer Gynt, he travels among five
couples
who try to illustrate how happy they are, as well as among three very
different
types of women. A series of cynical vignettes presents their
interactions with
Robert, each marked by song. Probably the most memorable has Stephanie
CostelloÕs Amy pissed about ÒGetting
Married TodayÓ. After all, sheÕs been
living perfectly well with Paul (sympathy-winning David Abolafia) sans benefit
of clergy! (ThereÕs some pitiful stuff about being a Catholic having a
Jew
that may have once passed for funny. Or daring. Now itÕs neither.) Best
known
portrait features ÒThe Ladies Who
LunchÓ soliloquy. Sandra
Musicante, glamorous
in gold jumpsuit, distinguishes her version from the definitive one of
Elaine
Stritch, but itÕs too mild to stop the show. Cara Herman, a major local
musical talent, nearly goes to waste, as Southern belle Susan, whoÕs
most in
love with her husband after theyÕre divorced. The book doesnÕt
substantiate
why.
Marta,
played by lively Deniz Hakim,
directs attention to RobertÕs flings with
marriageable women, including herself. She, Erica WilkesÕ Kathy, and Katherine
V.Õs April tell Robert ÒYou
Could Drive a Person CrazyÓ but remain mad about
him. After a tryst with breathy stewardess (remember?) April, he asks
why she
has to leave for ÒBarcelonaÓ
and keeps asking her (with his fine voice at its
finest) to stay. What a surprise (and a shock to him) when she finally
agrees!
ItÕs Sondheim/Furth at their ironic and musical best.
Jared
E. WalkerÕs direction is as uneven as Matthew NitschÕs set. But Kaylene McCawÕs costumes are right
on. Jeffrey DillonÕs lighting
is all over the place, most
notably glaring downstage and in psychedelic colors for the backdrop.
Lights do
keep pace effectively with scene-setting demands. WalkerÕs choreography
shows
to better advantage in his blocking than in the sparse dancing.
SondheimÕs
scoreÕs challenges are well met by Emily
CroomeÕs musical direction. It may
seem as if Company breaks
ground on the
length of its first Act. However, ÒBeing
AliveÓ
and ÒAfter
Being AliveÓ are
celebrated at the mixed-blessing end of Act II for a total production
of 2
hours, 42 minutes.
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