“Being alive,” indeed.
The recent death of Stephen Sondheim undoubtedly marked a watershed moment in the history of the American theater, as the innumerable tributes and memorials to the composer-lyricist and his work attest. But for vital proof that Sondheim is, in a metaphorical sense, still with us, and just as pertinent as ever, look no further than the absolutely dazzling Broadway revival of “Company” at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre.
The production, directed by Marianne Elliott — or rather thoroughly reimagined by Marianne Elliott — scrubs away the date-stamps on this 1970 musical, with a book by George Furth, so thoroughly that the show seems as if it was written yesterday. While maintaining the original’s eternally relevant themes, of emotional uncertainty and the risks and rewards of the married state, the production refreshes them for a new century and a society that has changed radically in the past 50 years.
