JANE a theater company / BrunDog ProductionsSeptember 24 - November 8, 2009
Tickets
Summary:
Company follows the odyssey of Bobby, a turning-35-year-old bachelor who has been unable – or more to the point, unwilling - to walk down the aisle…until now. A series of quirky, hilarious, random vignettes follow the five of Bobby’s best couple friends and his relationship with his three current squeezes.
21 comments:
Just saw it tonight--fine production. Bobby is really sexy.
Enjoyed this production. Strong & Funny performances.
positive things to say about this show:
Kelly Stewart.
period.
She delivered like a pro.
Everything else from pacing to acting to ensemble singing. Was not well done. It felt like I was watching a highschool production at best. Stephanie Heuston's over-acted, over made-up (how can you get too much makeup in that lighting, I dont know) acting was uncomfortable to watch, Andrew Foster - though a lovely voice - just didnt convince me that he was feeling lost or wanting. He always had a smirk that made his character not believable. No one else - really not one - is worth mentioning. Boring delivery, uninspired movement,no real chemistry between the couples, costuming inappropriate, no angst, no passion,and frankly, it could drive a person - me - crazy.
I was so disappointed in this show - since it won best ensemble PAMTA.Costumes were mostly awful except Kelly Stewart's dress and "Bobby's" tux. Then I looked at the program and couldn't find a costume designer. I think they just brought "whatever" from home. I envision these characters as somehwat sophisticated New Yorkers but the cast, except for a couple, didn't come close to this. I know this is just my "vision" but few cast members were even attractive and the costumes just accentuated what was lacking. Even the ages seemed odd for a few of them. A beard doesn't make you look that much older sweetie! Then there was Bobby supposedly coming on to one of his three "squeezes" and it was hard to imagine him being attracted to 2 out of 3 of them. Stephanie did look more like a hooker than a stewardess but she is at least pretty (even very pretty)so it wasn't too mismatched. Overall the acting was self conscious - I wondered if they were having an "off" night but probably all nights are about the same. I couldn't wait to get out as the second act was about to end. This is a somewhat dated plot, but some of the music and lyrics are so good it might be a very good show with a different cast. Few redeeming moments and too few laughs. Would not recommend and I think Cory is a talented guy but .... sorry!
From what I hear costuming was up to James Peppers. As far as the comment about acting more self consious... I sat in the audience one night when the director was taking notes! Maybe they need them, maybe they don't - but sure would explain the self consiousness. Ms.Stewart pulls off a fun character. Mr. Foster = Cabaret singer. Joann's costume should be more "rich" . I did enjoy the Pot smoking scene but the connection is not there for that couple. Not a bad show, but could be better.
Followspot would not let this through earlier, perhaps he/she will reconsider now that some others have chimed in about this show's problems, but the reason this show is as haggard as it is is that it ia a vanity production, pure and simple. This is not a personal attack, simply an acknowledgement of fact. There's nothing wrong with that, and hat's off to Corey for wanting to produce musical theater, but there has to be something more. Everyone should read William Goldman's "The Season", especially the chapter about "the power" behind any show and how that determines the show's ultimate artistic success.
Don't directors in this town understand that once the show is open, they're done?
No notes after opening, people! That's industry standard. Heck, Equity forbids it, and for good reason.
I came to this forum to post my support for another show. Came to COMPANY page to see what was being said. I am not an actor, I am an out of town parent of a actor in another show in town. Seems to me that the newspapers do enough critizing and that this site should be more of support of fellow performers. I saw Company on Sunday and the audience, myself included had some very good laughs and it wasn't just in one scene. There is no one character that stands out more than the other, other than Bobby. Each character and scene is something different and someone that anyone from the audience is going to be able to relate with.
Thank you.
You put us to shame.
It really is too bad we can't be a supportive community of artists rather than a vicious mob.
I found this show to be bland. Bland staging, bland acting. The only number I found to be well staged was "Side by Side". I was sitting in the back row of the theatre and also witnessed the director taking notes. I agree with the poster that said this is a vanity piece--it seems that the director got his friends together to put on this show and maybe didn't have much of a vision for it.
I don't usually post anything on follow spot. But I saw this show and came to hear what people were saying about it. I can respect an intelligent discussion about performances, direction, etc.- but when I saw Anonymous 3:42:00 and their comments about the attractiveness of the cast, I had to respond. Perhaps this Anonymous poster should post their headshot next time so we can judge their attractiveness as well. Nobody in this cast stood out as not attractive enough to be believable. Your individual idea of what is attractive has nothing to do with the performances in this show. A very unfair statement. So it is unbelievable that a man would find real women attractive? Wow. I found myself laughing many times during the production, thought the orchestra was fantastic, and all in all had a great evening. I would definately recommend it.
Am I blind or does the Jane website not have cast/crew info on it anywhere? If it does (and I am blind LOL) could someone post a link please?
I wanted to comment on the costumes. I think the poster who said the costumes weren't sophisticated enough missed the point. The show is basically about groups of 3 having dinner parties. I would imagine most people, even in NYC, don't dress up to the nines when they're having a friend over for dinner. I found the costumes appropriate and the use of every-day-kind-of clothes didn't distract from the meat of the story, which is the dialogue. Company is truly a great show that makes you think; it's not meant to be an over-the-top kind of production where you oooh and aaah. I liked the simplicity of the set and costumes because it allowed me to focus on the important parts of the show: the relationships between the people and the wonderful singing/music.
If you're looking for a show where you laugh your ass off and are blown away with effects, this isn't for you. If you're looking for a show with quality acting, singing, and a thought-provoking message, then this show fits the bill.
Some directors actually do consider appearance in casting - so why should the audience not? Looking the part may even be important to some directors and some audience members and some actors are able to put that across (think Philip Seymour Hoffman) by their talent and ability to be the character he plays. I have not seen this play yet but I know that I will consider how thecharacters "look" as part of the total package. I'm nost sure audience members need to meet any appearance standards so I think I'll just wear my usual sweats!
Oh my gosh, I just saw this show tonight. I had so much fun and was laughing so hard at all of relevance this show has to my life! This show was beautifully sung, ochestrated, and acted. What I appreciated was the simplicity of it. It felt raw and real. Andrew Foster as Bobby was very engaging and charming and his singing was so beautiful and moving, especially in the final number "Being Alive", when he finally realizes his destiny. Kelly Stewart as Amy was impecable as the crazed bride-to-be. Stephanie Heuston was incredible as the ditsy flight attendant...and oh, my hell, can that girl sing. Melanie Shaw was wonderful as Joanne. Her "Ladies Who Lunch" (always a favorite of mine) was done so well with so much inner tumult that I really felt sorry for this wealthy, well put-together broad. And I would have to say that by far the best and funniest scene was the scene where Bobby and the "blue"couple were getting high. Man, did that take me back to my college days. The orchestra was so beautiful, especially the strings! I had such a great time. Thank you, cast and orchestra of COMPANY for such a great evening!!! Go see it! You'll enjoy.
Plain and simple this show is NOT worth seeing. Use your money to see Ragtime at PCS. It is amazing and with Company you walk away feeling nothing but asking yourself why you paid the money to see it. Thumbs way WAY down!
You and I did not see the same show. Company is one of the best shows I've seen in Portland this year. The story is so good, I actually saw it twice!
Yes, the SHOW is great (though I have problems with Furth's book). This PRODUCTION is horrible, like something Corky St. Clair would put on. Only worse.
I agree with the poster that found the show to be bland. Not bad, just very forgettable. I walked away thinking "was that it?" I didn't connect to Bobby at all, which wasn't the fault of Mr. Foster. I just felt that for someone who was supposedly observing life instead of living it, he seemed to have a helluva good time!
The performances were decent. Everyone had a very nice voice, but I also felt that there was a great deal of "scmacting" happening. I felt that the actors were showing me emotion, rather than listening and creating a connection with their fellow actors. In a musical made up of short vignettes, the actors needed to push their objectives and relationships right from the start.
Highlights for me:
The first "red" couple. They truly connected to eachother, and were tons of fun.
Kelly's "Not Getting Married." Absolutely brilliant. Done like a pro.
Joanne and the "Ladies Who Lunch." Truly very moving. Also her purple partner's (I'm so sorry I don't know your name) monologue to Bobby about her.
"You could drive a person crazy." Very cute.
"Being Alive." This actually almost had me in tears. Lovely work Bobby.
And all orchestration was superb.
Downsides:
Boring staging. Having couples standing and pretending to talk to each other during "Another 100 People" is not engaging. Peformers seemed stuck which created low energy. The "Side by Side" number was good.
Boring story.
Dishonest acting. Although, I also felt that much of dialogue is preachy, which is no fault of the actors.
In conclusion: great music. Bland show.
I saw the show yesterday, and while a strong attempt at very complex material, I felt it really missed the mark for the most part.
The cast, generally, didn't achieve the subtlety of the New York sophisticate characters. The direction lacked meaning, especially in the large group numbers. It felt more like the cast was being herded around the stage, rather than finding ways to communicate anything about the subject or themes through the staging. The more intimate scenes worked far better than the large group numbers. Costumes and set really suffered from lack of budget I'm afraid, which is always a tough thing to balance. But due to this it affected how we perceived the characters themselves.
I found the singing to pretty good. Harmonies were strong. While it didn't wow me, it was certainly not bad. Unfortunately the entire production sounded over-amplified, probably to get the voices out over the orchestra. Unfortunately the person I was with was far less familiar with the show and lyrics than I was and indicated he was missing alot of the words. The orchestra was notably excellent.
Overall, not horrible. Certainly better than what I would expect to see in say a community theatre production. But also certainly did not achieve the subtle richness capable in this piece. Many scenes were played at face value, without seeming to be looking into the depth of these characters, their relationships, and the message Company is really trying to dig into.
Music & singing get a thumbs up. Some good performances but mostly blah. Though I think that is more due to the show itself and the direction or lack of direction.
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