Opening Oct. 30 in the Tempest Theatre, “Company,” a musical by Stephen Sondheim, features a vibrant student cast, a plot of both laugh-out-loud and heartwarmingly contemplative moments and spectacular ballads, and the cast and crew anticipates it will delight and inspire the community over the next few weeks. Performances are scheduled for Oct. 30 and 31 and Nov. 1, 6 and 7 at 8 p.m. and Nov. 9 at 2 p.m.
“Company” is the Tony-Award-winning story of Bobby, a single man who contemplates the pros and cons of marriage while hosting his married and unmarried friends on his thirty-fifth birthday. The musical is a forthright, humorous, and surprisingly emotionally-charged look at relationships and their ups and downs, all from the varied and sometimes conflicting perspectives of Bobby’s guests. Over the course of dinner, drinks, and even a wedding, Bobby is forced to confront his singleness, what it means for his future, and what he truly desires in life.
Christine Mrozek, an ensemble member, says she has been hard at work the past few months with rigorous rehearsals, which have included extensive work in choreography and voice training. “There’s a lot of energy in the show, and it’s been fun to work in it,” she said. “We’ve been practicing songs, choreography and more since September. I really hope audiences will enjoy themselves, laugh, and think a little bit about relationships.”
First-year cast member Erica Buckley has worked extensively with voice training in preparation for her role of Marta. “I’ve never had voice training, so it was a daunting task to find out I had a feature song. Beyond that, I have just been pushing myself further and further in making the characterization of Marta out of the box, but strong.”
Senior Theresa Forcellini also recognizes the difficulty of the show’s vocal numbers. “For most of the cast, this is our first time doing a musical by Stephen Sondheim, a celebrated theatrical composer. His works are often considered to be quite challenging vocally, so the cast has been hard at work in music rehearsals with learning the songs and using our voices properly,” she said.
it’s a fun comedy with some great music!”
At the core of “Company,” Forcellini says, is a heartfelt exploration of relationships, from committed to non-committed, from marriage to friendship and much more. Bobby’s journey throughout the musical evolves from a comedic observation of these relationship benefits and faux pas to a deeper appreciation for all kinds of relationships, and also a more mature and clarified understanding of himself as a person and his views and goals for his own relationships, whether he chooses to be married or not.
“I think there are lots of examples of relationships that the audience can relate to or share similar experiences with,” Forcellini said. “When in doubt, it’s a fun comedy with some great music!”
Cast members of “Company” haven’t failed to express their love of the musical’s vocal numbers, which, they say, while proven difficult to learn, are also incredibly entertaining, well-written, and inspiring.
“I think the thing which resonates most strongly with me is Bobby’s song ‘Being Alive,’” Buckley said. “It really drives home the point that, no matter what, love will always help you feel alive. It sounds cheesy and all, but I think it’s really important to acknowledge things like the fact that love provides ‘someone who’ll always be there as frightened as you of being alive.’ It’s really beautiful.”
Audience members can see “Being Alive” and many other numbers in “Company” in live performances over the next few weeks in the Tempest Theatre.
TICKET DETAILS: Call 717-361-1170 or email boxoffice@etown.edu for reservations. Tickets are $7 or $6 for students.