This weekend, you can catch the final three performances of a great community theater production of Stephen Sondheim’s Tony Award-winning musical Company at St. George’s Players in Glenn Dale, MD.
Company, with a score and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by George Furth, is about 35-year-old Bobby (who is celebrating his birthday as the show begins) trying to discover if he wants to settle down or continue be a ‘player.’ Bobby’s married friends – mostly the women – try to find him the right woman, while his male friends try to ‘set him up’ and at the same time encourage him to keep playing the field and have fun, and at the same time they are relishing and remembering their bachelor days. Although the men claim that they are happily married – some of them are really not. In fact Bobby’s friend Peter tries to get him in the sack. Even though they are happy that Robert is part of their lives, and that he has having some fun with his many ‘flings,’ they all yearn for the day when Bobby settles down.
(l-r) Front row: Joy Gerst, Heather Davis, Heather Harris, and Katy Lawley. (l-r) Back Row: Laura Kavinski, Lee Rowe, Dejeannette Horn, Michael Mangiapane, and Ed Neuschler singing “Side by Side by Side/What Would We Do Without You?” Photo by Roy Peterson.
Director dr. emma hadley (spelled in lower case) utilizes the performing space and moves her cast around the stage – very well.
The opening number – which is the title song – sets the tone for an exciting evening – with the entire cast on the stage singing Sondheim’s ‘not-so-easy-to-sing’ music and lyrics. Director hadley and Musical Director Owen Adams and the high-energy cast grabs the audience in the palms of their hands and never let go. The harmonies are gorgeous.
Emma Klemt, Chelsey Megli, Christa Krosner, Heather Harris, and Joy Gerst – are lively, believable, and have great voices. Heather Davis, who plays Marta, one of Bobby’s ‘friends’, sings a fabulous rendition of the very powerful and emotional – and one of the show’s better known songs – “Another Hundred People,” a pessimistic view of The Big Apple and how moving to NYC may be exciting, but it can be a very lonely town.
Heather and the other two girlfriends, played by Laura Kavinsky (April) and Katy Lawley (Kathy), are charming when they sing the funny and fast-moving trio “You Could Drive A Person Crazy,” where they lament about Bobby’s inability to return their affections and their love for him. Their bubbly harmonies are lots of fun. Just ask ‘Bobby-baby-Bobby-bubbi-Bobby!”
Joy Gerst plays Joanne, the role that Broadway legend Elaine Stritch created in the original Broadway production. It’s difficult for any actress to play this role because most audiences associate the role of Joanne – a tough, drunk, and mostly unhappy housewife – and her big number – the acerbic “Ladies Who Lunch” – with Ms. Stritch. I’m happy to report that Joy Gerst brings her own interpretation to the role – and fortunately does not attempt to impersonate or imitate Ms. Stritch. Her rendition of “Ladies Who Lunch” is powerful and she makes it her own.
Christa Krosner and Jim Adams, who play Jenny and David, are both a very believable couple, and are especially funny in a scene where they and Bobby all try to get high, and Jenny attempts to swear and curse – something she has never done before. But DAMN she’s really good at it when she’s stoned!
The orchestra of five musicians consists of electric keyboards, bass guitar, trombone, drums, and trumpet, who unfortunately had some pitch problems.
I asked Director emma hadley to talk about DeJeannette Horne’s performance as Bobby, and to describe the design of the production:
“DeJeannett Horne, (Robert) was directed to show confusion and perplexity around the human condition of relationships. He observes his friends who on the surface seem miserable, yet happy within the dysfunction of their marriages. Even the girlfriends, played by Lauren Kavinski (April), Katy Lawley (Kathy), and Heather Davis (Marta), have unusual views of relationships. Robert is trying to figure this all out until he realizes that being alive is not about everything being perfect, rather, it’s about not being alone – it’s about having someone who will stay the course, even when it is imperfect.” This understanding is reflected in the final scene, when DeJeannett (as he did earlier in the show with his powerful and vocally beautiful renditions of “Someone is Waiting” and “Marry Me a Little,”) passionately sings the emotional and life-affirming “Being Alive.”
The set, conceptualized by emma hadley and Roy Peterson was designed as five disconnected levels to give the couples and Robert independent space symbolizing the disconnect of living in a big city. Each was decorated in a 70’s style matching their personalities but then connected by the moving bar – the common denominator. Pulling from the colors of the 70’s, a backdrop of harvest gold and avocado green with the original Company logo in the center, surrounded by black pipe and drape giving the venue a black box feel. The simplicity of the set is also a reflection of the unique worship space for St. George’s Church with entirely movable seating.”
If you are a Stephen Sondheim fan and love Company, make the visit to St. George’s Players’ excellent production this final weekend – before ‘Another Hundred People’ scoop up the remaining tickets.
Company continues through this weekend with the following performances: Friday, August 12th at 8 PM; Saturday, August 13th at 8 PM, and Sunday, August 14th at 3 PM – at St. George’s Episcopal/Anglican Church – 7010 Glenn Dale Road, in Glenn Dale, MD. Purchase your tickets online or at the door.
