A masterpiece of Broadway musical comedy, Company captivated audiences with its themes but also with its modernity. A work made up of fragments of life, magnified by Sondheim’s unique artistry.
I first went to New York City in 2002. Instead of attending my college graduation, I was gifted the opportunity to visit New York, a life long dream for this theatre lover. Coincidentally, as the plane was getting ready to descend and the nighttime cityscape outline of Manhattan magically appeared at the window, Stephen Sondheim’s Company was playing on the discman. Little did I know that this simple serendipity would become a tradition: wherever I went, I would play the opening of Company whenever I would land in New York.
When I heard that Opéra Nice Côte d’Azur would present a production of Company (nonetheless music directed by Broadway veteran Larry Blank), I jumped at the chance to reconnect with my former home of 14 years. It was like a familiar friend’s surprise visit at your new home. And how befitting since Company begins with our lead Bobby (played with charm and sincerity by Gaétan Borg) as he is welcomed to his surprise 35th birthday by close friends.
Video via Génération Opéra YouTube channel
As much as the musical is about a character in search of – if not, in search of the meaning of – companionship, Company is also a love letter to New York. With an original book by George Furth, New York City becomes an additional character, ever present as Bobby navigates through his journey accompanied by his friends and their quirky and sometimes confusing relationship dynamics and the it-just-doesn’t-seem-to-work-out romantic encounters.
Co-produced with Génération Opéra in a limited engagement Francophone tour which includes Avignon at the end of December then Geneva, Rouen and Paris, among other stops in the coming year – Company delights in this modern interpretation that also seems to slow down the fast American pace to a more intentional and leisurely rhythm that’s more akin to French sensibilities.
While the songs are sung in its original English language, the book has also been gloriously adapted to the French language by Stéphane Laporte. Traditionally, the American musical would be about speed with fast talking characters where the audience would sit back and be a passive spectator in Bobby’s existential quest for THE one. Here, Laporte’s adaptation provides director James Bonas just the right amount of ingredients to tell a story in just the right pace and without force; nothing more, nothing less. The new book is not just a direct translation but an adaptation and how it becomes a gateway for an American piece that can also organically be French.
The musical originally premiered on Broadway in 1970, a time devoid of modern technology such as cell phones and instant delivery emails (and being tethered to it). While this production doesn’t exactly specify a time period, it still manages to feel contemporary without being overrun by technological noise and distractions. Here, the missing modernity of technology is set aside from the table to allow the characters to talk and connect. What is second nature to the French way of living, this becomes a nostalgic approach for the American material of the days gone by.
In a scene between Bobby and Kathy (played with such sincerity by Lucille Cazenave), a simple scene in Central Park becomes a moment of reflection as the two characters realize what could have been. Oh, if only times were different. But the time wasn’t different. The time is now and we certainly don’t miss (or taken out of the realism) that none of them ever take out their cell phones.
In the Face à Face artist conversation held prior to the start of the performances, Blank mentioned that this production returns to its original orchestrations, which haven’t been heard since 1970. He added that if Sondheim were alive today, he would have been very pleased with the production. Perhaps, that could be attributed to the musical rhythm once again in line with the pace of the book. With Blank at the helm, the beautifully executed orchestrations filled the opera house with the musicality Sondheim was best known for.
The art of art succeeds when there is balance in collaboration. Here, the production doesn’t need to replicate the Broadway production. Instead, it makes it its own and lets the other talents in the company serve as special ingredients for this musical feast.
Borg, who infuses Bobby with that Everyman quality making him all so familiar that he could be one of our friends, delivers the heart-tugging “Being Alive” that makes one want to physically embrace him as he makes the emotional realization from wanting “someone” to “somebody.”
Jasmine Roy as the bombastic Joanne truly inhabits that typical no-nonsense New Yorker with her acerbic wit and dry sarcasm. She delivers the 11 o’clock number “The Ladies Who Lunch” with increasing drunkenness on every “I’ll drink to that!” before finally reaching the “Rise!” crescendo that is scary and entertaining at the same time. Roy’s Joanne makes her so familiar and approachable that she would remind us of that friend whom we love but – let’s face it – sometimes can be embarrassing to be seen with.
As the free-spirited Marta, Neïma Naouri transforms the original hippie character into a modern day Gen Alpha whom you are sure is barely pulling it together at New York University. Originally established as a character to contrast the jaded 1970 and anti-war activism, here Naouri is a breath of fresh air and optimism that her character finally makes sense instead of the previous new-age character she has usually been portrayed. She’s both intelligent and emotionally intelligent, and perhaps a little too advanced for the other characters older than her.
As the self-described “not smart” flight April, Camille Nicolas provides ample comic relief without being the trite butt of the joke. Her breathy delivery alone elicited chuckles and head shaking oh-my-god, in the same breath.
And sprinkled throughout the production is Ewan Jones’ vibrant choreography. From the toe-tapping tribute to the Andrews Sisters “You Could Drive a Person Crazy” to the raucous Vaudeville Act II opener “Side by Side by Side / What Would We Do Without You?”, Jones has course by course plated first-rate dishes that make this musical feast.
What is most endearing about this production of Company is its heart. From the very first notes, you can feel Blank’s reverence to his old pal Steve’s music, creating such infectious joy for the cast and musicians to inhabit. In the end, it was a fun and nostalgic night at the theatre and in good company.
Company makes a stop at Opéra Grand Avignon on the 28, 30 & 31 of December before resuming its performances in 2026. For more information on the touring dates, visit the GenerationOpera website.
All photos courtesy Opéra Nice Côte d’Azur and © Jean-Michel Molina
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