Critical Review at Hennepin Arts

Amélie Tonoyan Company Harmony in Chaos: Company 2011 saw a radical revival of the ground-breaking musical Company , which followed the deep existential journey of its lead character Bobbie. Neil Patrick Harris and Patti LuPone led the revival. With unmatched vitality and modern resonance, this revival gave the 1970 original production a lively new lease on life, challenging social norms and narrative structures. A key component of the 2011 rebirth is its inventive directing style, which offers a novel interpretation of the traditional story. A unified and modern reworking of the musical is achieved through the captivating set design, finely tailored costumes, and creative lighting choices. Every one of these components is a brushstroke in a visual masterpiece that propels Company with renewed vigor into the present while still honoring the past. Characters are the foundation of any Company performance. It explores the complexities of performance and reveals how the director's in...

  Peyton Webb Here Comes Company ! It’s Back, and Better Than Ever Britney Coleman as Bobbie (center) and the North American Tour of COMPANY Grab a margarita and plug in the neon lights because Company has arrived in Minneapolis! The award-winning musical comedy, written by Steven Sondheim and George Furth and directed by Marianne Elliot, had a stunning opening at the Orpheum Tuesday. This modern version of the 1970 classic exceeded expectations and blew the audience away. Bobbie, who is still single on her 35th birthday, talks to and observes her coupled-up friends. She is told and shown in the most hilarious ways possible about how infuriating yet worthwhile marriage is, and how “you’re always sorry, you’re always grateful.” At the end, Bobbie realizes marriage may be the most difficult, incredible, pointless, and meaningful thing on the planet all at once. This gender-bent revival of Company changes Bobby to Bobbie, a woman, played by the phenomenal Britney Coleman. While ...

  Sofie Olhoft - Carried The Impact Home From pushing stereotypes to completely reversing typical ideas around marriage and gender roles, Marianne Elliot’s adaptation of Company brings to light the oftentimes crippling pressure to get married as a woman, and how one navigates romantic relationships with that in mind. I saw Company at the Orpheum on November 14th, and it’s safe to say I haven’t stopped thinking about it since.  Company follows Bobbie, played by Britney Coleman, who's haunted by her 35th birthday as she's still single, surrounded by her friends, all of whom are not. Told through a series of non-linear vignettes, Bobbie gets a glimpse into the imperfect lives of these couples and grapples with questions of her own. Is she ready to get married? Who should she marry? When? Should she marry at all? It’s a painfully honest portrayal of the crushing expectation on women to get married and more specifically get married young.  The real kicker, Bobbie was origin...