Boston theater modernizes classic musical "Company" with gender swap
BOSTON - When Stephen Sondheim's "Company" first opened at Boston's Shubert Theater more than half a century ago, it focused on a man, and what he thought about marriage, partnerships and societal pressures.
Now, that man, Bobby, is a woman, Bobbie, played by Britney Coleman.
Through a series of vignettes, the audience sees the relationships she has with her married friends and with her own prospective romantic partners.
Despite the gender swap, Coleman feels the message still comes through.
"None of it felt out of place or weird. It just seemed to be a woman just trying to live her life and make her choices and stick to them. And nothing out of the norm there, especially in these days and ages," said Coleman.
Another gender swap turns Amy into Jamie. Boston Conservatory graduate Matt Rodin portrays a man having a crisis on his wedding day.
He sings one of the most challenging musical theater songs ever written.
"It took a lot of patience. And it was learning the song word by word by word. You know how, when kids are learning the alphabet, sometimes they think l-m-n-o-p is one letter? I have to sort of think of the song in that way, in the sense that the words are all connected into one phrase," Rodin said.
During the song Being Alive, Coleman gets her own 11th-hour show-stopper.
"That song is earned by every step that it's taken to get to the end of the show. And it's beautiful. I am often holding back tears in that moment. I think I resonate a lot with Bobbie. We have a lot in common, and I feel like I'm holding up the mirror to myself a lot."
Both actors feel the decision to change the sex of their roles is perfect for the times we're living in.
"This piece is a source of some really prevalent, brilliant questions. And by swapping the genders of a handful of characters, Bobbie, Jamie. You sort of pour gasoline on the fire with those questions," Rodin explained.
"There are just so many universal themes, and I think that's why it's applicable to pretty much anybody, anywhere, anytime," Coleman agrees.
You can catch "Company" at the Citizens Opera House in Boston through April 14th.
