Ohio Northern University musical theatre students have been putting their skills to the test this fall, rehearsing Stephen Sondheim’s musical classic “Company” – a show unlike anything the Department of Theatre Arts has done in recent years.
The production relies entirely on the textual information in the lyrics of Sondheim’s songs, not the elaborate dance numbers spread throughout other musicals.
Audiences can see this interesting musical come to life inside the Freed Center’s Stambaugh Studio Theatre on Thursday, October 23, at 7:30 p.m., followed by performances on Friday, October 24, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, October 25, at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; and Sunday, October 26, at 2 p.m.
“Company” tells the story of Robert (Bobby), a single man surrounded by married couples on his 35th birthday. The musical is performed through a series of vignettes featuring Robert’s lovers and friends, as he tries to understand the purpose of marriage and what it means to be alive.
Similar to other Sondheim productions, the music in the show is challenging for each cast member.
“With Sondheim, you always have to be ready for interesting intervals that you don’t normally sing. It’s been a new experience, but I’ve learned so much in the end,” says Garrett Hill, a junior musical theatre major who is portraying the role of David, a chic and controlling man.
Listening to the songs performed by the actors, it sounds effortless, but the audience does not realize the amount of work that goes into making each note sound perfect. The musical’s underscore provides little to no help either, which makes the work even more challenging.
Another difficult element is that it is so different from previous musicals performed at the Freed Center. Hill says, “It’s hard to compare this show to our last musical, ‘Footloose.’ That show had a lot of intense dance numbers. ‘Company’ doesn’t have any big dance numbers. It relies entirely on what the text says, and the only way to accomplish that is through the music in the show.”
Not only is the music hard, but the subject material is a very difficult challenge as well. Several of the show’s characters are much older than the college students performing the roles. This makes it a challenge for the cast to relate to the characters, and for them to be able to imagine how they would act if the situations in the musical were happening in their own lives.
“We have to play older couples that are getting married, having kids, and getting divorced. We haven’t experienced those situations yet in our own lives. It’s very challenging and fun trying to find the happy medium between who we are and our past experiences, and who our characters are,” says Tyler Matanick, a junior musical theatre major who plays Larry, a sweet and understanding husband.
However, some cast members have an easier time stepping into the shoes of their characters because they have created a special bond with their character’s story. For instance, sophomore musical theatre major Lani Coleman plays the show’s lively character, Marta.
“Even though I feel like I connect with my character very well, it’s still hard to reach deep inside and find that fun spark that Marta has,” Coleman states.
Other cast members include Jennifer Barnaba as Jenny, Kayla Burress as Joanne, Madeline Chitty as Susan, Trevor Dorner as Robert, Madeline Gish as Sarah, Katie Hotz as Amy, Brady Miller as Paul, Sara Ohm as April, Caroline Page as Kathy, Isaac Stein- hour as Peter, and Tim Swaim as Harry.