Company

No reports from the matinee?

I wish I was there too tonight, but I look forward to the full reports later from everyone! I saw it last weekend and fell in love with it more than I did the first time - that was my 2nd and last visit and in fairness, I’ve seen two perfect performances at both ends of the run so I’m happy.

Well I can’t hear anything or feel my hands. What an atmosphere! Felt very privileged to be there tonight, even moreso for being on the front row.

Multiple standing ovations throughout, everyone on top form, and pretty much the whole cast in tears at the end.

For those that missed him, Sondheim was at the end of (around) row D of the dress circle.

Thank you for this comment! I wasn’t sure if she’d actually said that or it was just me hearing things! Such a special moment - you could really feel the cast felt like a family.

It was heartbreaking watching how emotional everyone was, especially Rosalie. It really felt like she didn’t want the show to end.

Was Stephen Sondheim there tonight?

Mmmmmmmmm

Heads = Company
Tales = Follies

I would be shouting Tales.

I remember Miss Saigon 25 and thinking I’d never experience a night like that again... how wrong I was.

One of the best nights I’ve ever had in the theatre. From the applause as the lights went down, to the well deserved mid show standing ovations for Jonathan, Patti and Rosalie (and for GOD sake can we just give them the Oliviers now), I’ll never be as connected to a show as I was to Company. It just came for me at the right time, and I saw myself on stage (in a mixture of Jamie and Bobbie)
Rosalie’s performance in this will stay with me till the end of time, and I will never forget that final Being Alive tonight. Instantaneous standing ovation, as the poor girl just cried (and a heck of a lot of people including me cried with her).
Oh, and the ‘I Love You’ to the cast stood behind the door at the end (where Patti was audibly crying) literally broke my heart.

I’ve been able to thank Marianne for Angels in America already, so I wonder how long it will take before I can thank her for Company. Because she is the best god damn director and the best god damn woman in theatre right now and I LOVE everything about her and everything she stands for.

(Also, if any of you follow me on social media - thanks for letting me completely lose my mind over this production - I promise I’ll shut up soon xx)

And a revival starting on Monday

Things I noticed compared to other performances:

* Craig was really emotional and (in a good way) finding it hard to keep 100% in character at points. When she walked in that room and everyone was applauding she had a big smile and had a face of kind of “this is it guys. We’re here, it’s heen great - let’s all strap in”
* During the title number again I swear Craig’s face was very nostalgic and enjoying every moment of being together for that song.
* Craig was really crying during Being Alive and again I don’t think it was just a character choice
* At the end she was stamping on the 35 balloons for aggggges. She also took extra time with the fire extinguisher blowing out those candles and took an extra long pause before finally bowing out the last candle
* Jonathan broke character before his wedding letting out a big smile
* In general, all the performances felt a little larger and broader. I especially thought Rosalie’s three songs (Someone is Waiting, Marry Me a Little and Being Alive) were the best I’ve ever seen her act and sing them. I only saw her early into the run just before she went off for the first time and soon after she got back but the difference is striking. Her “someone is waiting” was emotional and reflective. Her “marry me a little” was so desperate and frantic to just get with somebody. Her “Being Alive” had a strong arc from frustration to finally ‘getting’ the point of relationships. In the past, it felt like her interpretation of the three songs were more similar compared to now.
* The biggest applauses I think were: Ladies Who Lunch, Being Alive, Getting Married Today

I haven’t seen a show before where everyone just looked like they were having the time of their lives. I moved to the West End recently and although sometimes I lament at the state of musicals here compared to Broadway, everything about this production from the direction, cast, staging, lighting is among the best I’ve ever seen anywhere. Everything really came together and I honestly think this might be a perfect production. The best Sondheim I’ve ever seen - and Sondheim is my fav/I’ve seen basically all his shows and Broadway revivals recently.

This is just one of those shows where the pay off for being a theatre fan is truly great and I hate to say it but a bit life changing.

Did anyone hear what the response they have when someone shouted go to Broadway? They did actually say something back from the stage but it was drowned out by people clapping/screaming to that comment lol.

It’s so annoying something this good only gets 6 months and some crap loiters for years. Just give them all 9 Oliviers already. It’s only a week away... one final performance? DVD announcement the same day? The aforementioned documentary as a nice bonus? Every time I listen to this cast album I just want to go see it again.

We still have Pattie the musical to look forward to. Errr I mean Follies