Company
by Stephen Sondheim, George Furth

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Book Reviews of Company

Book Review: In good company
Summary: 4 Stars

"Company" was a remarkable breakthrough in the world of musical theatre when it was first produced in 1970. It was the first of the so-called 'concept' musicals, pioneered by Hal Prince and Stephen Sondheim and followed by others. There is not so much a 'plot' to the show, more of a 'theme', as elegable, 30-something New York bachelor Robert walks from one scene to another, considering his relationships with girls and the relationships between his married friends as he considers the 'concept' of marriage. Ultimately, he forces himself to answer the question - am I ready to commit to commitment?

This book, a complete copy of the stage libretto, allows you to see how the book and lyrics of the show work together - not integrated but rather in counterpoint, a huge break from the tradition as it stood in 1970 - and how the 'revue' format of the show, surrealistically presented as a fantasy inside the protagonist Robert's mind, works towards building a picture of what it means to be married in contemporary society.

There are only two drawbacks to this book. Firstly, this edition of the libretto is the revised edition, as used in the 1995 revivals in New York and London, and to this day I have been unable to find a copy of the original 1970 libretto.

Secondly, unlike other Sondheim titles available from the TCG, the book does not include the lyrics from cut songs with Sondheim's commentary. This is a particular pity in "Company"'s case, because the two songs most notoriously cut from this show - "Multitude of Amys" and "Happily Ever After" - were both at one time the show's final number, the canonical one being, of course, "Being Alive". It would have made an interesting note for comparison, particularly for those interested in writing musicals themselves, how these songs would have changed the show's meaning and conclusion.

However, these are relatively minor quibbles, given that it is rare for a musical libretto to be published at all. This is definitely worth purchasing - and if you do buy it, you might be interested in some of the other Sondheim titles available from TCG, such as "Follies", "A Little Night Music", "Pacific Overtures", "Sweeney Todd", "Sunday in the Park with George", "Into the Woods" and "Assassins".

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