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REVIEW: Company: A Refreshing Twist on a 70s Hit (Orpheum/HTT)

by Boo Segersin -

The ensemble of Company gathers around Bobbie (Rosalie Craig, center). This new twist on the classic Sondheim musical plays at the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis through November 19. Photo by Brinkhoff Mogenburg.

Stephen Sondheim may be best known for some of his show stopping musicals such as Into the Woods and Sweeney Todd, but in the early 1970s, he penned a simpler musical about dating, marriage, and divorce took Broadway by storm. This nonlinear musical was nominated for 14 Tony Awards and took home the title of Best Musical. In 2021, Company won Best Musical yet again with its modernized and gender-swapped revival. The touring version of the 2021 revival is here for a brief time at the Orpheum, and this is a show you don’t want to miss. 

Long-time readers will already know my opinion on fluffy musicals with lots of spectacle. I feel that if spectacle is too front and center, it is usually because the story and characters cannot stand on their own without it. Company is one of those that proves my point: with a relatively simple set, basic costumes, and minimal glitz and glamor, it is the characters of this show whom are front and center. 

Of course we all care about the main character of Bobby, beautifully portrayed by Britney Coleman, and her journey of self understanding, but she is just the tip of the iceberg. The musical is full of fun and interesting characters that we slowly get to know through a series of vignettes throughout the piece. The cast is up for the task of representing these three-dimensional characters, and I ended up loving each one of Bobby’s crazy married friends. 

Rosalie Craig (left) as Bobbie and George Blagden (right) as PJ in the national tour of Company. Photo by Brinkhoff Mogenburg.

The music of Company is, of course, complex and beautiful, the way Sondheim musicals always are. There were clear crowd favorites including the extremely popular “The Ladies Who Lunch” (sung by Judy McLane) and the iconic “Being Alive” sung at the end by Britney Coleman as Bobby. However the song that got the largest reaction and the most belly laughs was “Getting Married Today”, hilariously performed by Matt Rodin and the rest of the ensemble. This song was so absurd and showed the audience how complex the seemingly simple set truly was. 

All in all, I very much enjoyed this production and the gender-swapped aspects of it were very well done. I enjoyed seeing a female Bobby grapple with the pros and cons of marriage, wondering if it is worth  tying oneself down to someone else while still desiring freedom and independence. So often the stereotype is that women are all ready and eager to marry and that iit is only men who face such struggles. It was refreshing to see a female version represented on stage. 

Rosalie Craig stars as Bobbie in the national tour of Company. Photo by Brinkhoff Mogenburg.

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Company plays at the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis through November 19th. Tickets are priced $40 – $149, with student/educator rush available for every performance. 



Boo Segersin
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